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Biomass of Fish Plays an Important Role in Protecting Coral Reef Ecosystems

A new study by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) has found that coral reef diversity 'hotspots' in the southwestern Indian Ocean rely more on the biomass of fish than where they are located, a conclusion that has major implications for management decisions to protect coral reef ecosystems.

3 Sep 2015

High Levels of Radioactive Contaminants Discovered in Coal Ash

A new Duke University-led study has revealed the presence of radioactive contaminants in coal ash from all three major U.S. coal-producing basins.

3 Sep 2015

Highly Energy-Efficient Heating System for Electric Cars

If you don‘t want to freeze in your electric car, you have to make a few concessions, because heating devours a substantial portion of power supply. Fraunhofer researchers will exhibit the demo model of a highly energy-efficient heating system for electric cars at the IAA: a coated film that produces a broad, radiant heat.

3 Sep 2015

Physiological Significance of Coccolith Formation Can Help Promote Efficient Bioenergy Production

Researchers at Hiroshima University and the University of Tsukuba showed that coccolith disks made of calcium carbonate in Emiliania huxleyi, one of the promising biomass resources, potentially perform roles in reducing and enhancing the light that enters the cell by light scattering.

3 Sep 2015

Land-Use Needs Must Be Considered When Formulating Climate Policies

A new study by the University of Maryland’s Department of Geographical Sciences assessed the potential impact of future land-use scenarios, including climate change mitigation, on the loss of habitable areas in “biodiversity hotspots”—distinct biogeographic regions with extremely high numbers of endemic species.

3 Sep 2015

Wastewater to Support Supply of Water, Energy and Fertilizer in Vietnamese City

To meet the requirements of Asian cities, researchers are adapting an idea they have already applied in Germany for comprehensive water management: They are developing a concept for reducing water use, treating wastewater and extracting fertilizer for a strip of coastline in the Vietnamese city of Da Nang.

3 Sep 2015

Fraunhofer Researchers to Present Cost-Effective Charging System Protoype for Electric Vehicles at IAA International Motor Show

In the future, a wireless charging system will allow electric cars not only to charge their batteries, but also to feed energy back into the power grid, helping to stabilize it. The cost-effective charging system achieves high levels of efficiency across the whole power range, from 400 watts to 3.6 kilowatts, while the car and the charging coil can be up to 20 centimeters apart. Fraunhofer researchers are presenting their prototype from September 15 to 18, 2015 at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt (Hall 4, Booth D33).

2 Sep 2015

European Marine Board Position Paper Released - ‘Delving Deeper: Critical Challenges for 21st Century Deep-Sea Research.’

A new European Marine Board paper calls for major progress in deep-sea research to underpin future management and exploitation of living and non-living deep-sea resources.

2 Sep 2015

Simple Technique to Treat Waste Coffee Grounds to Enable Methane Storage

Scientists have developed a simple process to treat waste coffee grounds to allow them to store methane. The simple soak and heating process develops a carbon capture material with the additional environmental benefits of recycling a waste product.

2 Sep 2015

Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE) Deployed Two Observatories at Site of Methane Seeps in Arctic Ocean

Mysteries still abound about methane release from the ocean floor. Two state of the art observatories have been deployed offshore Svalbard this summer, to try and unveil the secrets of natural release of the climate gas.

2 Sep 2015

Increasing High-Decibel Seismic Surveys Pose Threat to Marine Life – Researchers Recommend Setting of International Standards

As governments and industries expand their use of high-decibel seismic surveys to explore the ocean bottom for resources, experts from eight universities and environmental organizations are calling for new global standards and mitigation strategies.

2 Sep 2015

Climate Change Could Cause Ocean Bacteria Trichodesmium Into Overdrive Resulting in Irreversible Damage

Imagine being in a car with the gas pedal stuck to the floor, heading toward a cliff's edge. Metaphorically speaking, that's what climate change will do to the key group of ocean bacteria known as Trichodesmium, scientists have discovered.

2 Sep 2015

NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment to Study Impact of Climate Change on Arctic and Boreal Ecosystems

As part of a broad effort to study the environmental and societal effects of climate change, NASA has begun a multi-year field campaign to investigate ecological impacts of the rapidly changing climate in Alaska and northwestern Canada, such as the thawing of permafrost, wildfires and changes to wildlife habitats.

2 Sep 2015

Grant Awarded to WSU Tri-Cities Professor for Studying Biomass-Derived Catalysts for Generating High-Energy Biofuels

Hanwu Lei, Washington State University Tri-Cities associate professor in biological systems engineering, was awarded a $494,000 grant this fall to research catalysts, which will be used to increase the energy output and performance of biofuels.

2 Sep 2015

High-Resolution Atmospheric Model to Help Understand Deforestation Impact and Climate Change on Amazon Basin

With the rise of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere, understanding the climate of tropical forests--the Amazon in particular--has become a critical research area. A recent NASA study showed that these regions are the biggest terrestrial carbon dioxide sinks on our planet, absorbing 1.4 billion metric tons of CO2 out of a total global terrestrial absorption of 2.5 billion.

1 Sep 2015