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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Ecology: Sea Life
Published Forget social distancing: House finches become more social when sick
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Social distancing when sick has become second nature to many of us in the past few years, but some sick animals appear to take a different approach. A new study of house finches uncovered a surprising result. Unlike other social animals who passively or actively isolate themselves when sick, this gregarious backyard bird species gravitates toward healthy flock mates when they are sick, even more so than healthy birds do.
Published Multiple evolutionary trajectories in aquatic crocodiles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the geological past, several groups of crocodiles evolved towards a morphology adapted to marine life. However, the extent of these adaptations and their evolutionary trajectories remained unknown. An exhaustive study of their morphology has now shed light on the evolutionary mechanisms at work, thanks to three-dimensional reconstructions.
Published Clearing mangroves makes 'muddification' worse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Clearing mangroves to stop estuaries getting clogged with mud actually makes the problem worse, new research shows.
Published New scientific study reveals the crucial role of herbivorous fishes and sea urchins in restoring Caribbean coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study presents crucial findings on the feeding preferences of herbivorous fishes and the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in Little Cayman. The study sheds new light on the dynamics of these herbivores and their impact on the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs.
Published Surveilling wetlands for infectious bird flu -- and finding it
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recently, morning omelets and holiday dinners have gotten more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations. Now, researchers have developed a method that detected infectious bird flu virus in wetlands frequented by waterfowl.
Published Roaming seabirds need ocean-wide protection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seabirds roam far and wide in the Indian Ocean -- so they need ocean-wide protection, new research shows.
Published New deep learning AI tool helps ecologists monitor rare birds through their songs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new deep learning AI tool that generates life-like birdsongs to train bird identification tools, helping ecologists to monitor rare species in the wild.
Published Previously unknown luminescence revealed in ten deep sea species and an order of sea cucumbers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers present evidence of previously unknown luminosity in 10 deep-sea species, suggesting underestimated diversity. These new discoveries include a member of the order Molpadia, which was previously thought not to be luminescent. The authors stress the importance of considering the ecological role of bioluminesence and the need for conservation.
Published Dangerous bee virus less deadly in at least one US forest
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found that the deadly deformed wing virus (DMV) in bees may have evolved to be less deadly in at least one U.S. forest. The findings could have implications for preventing or treating the virus in managed colonies, researchers said.
Published Shark fear: Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It's one of the most famous taglines in film history, immortalizing sharks as ruthless predators. But beyond the horror generated by Spielberg's Jaws series, a persistent fear of sharks remains, with consequences that extend into reality.
Published Non-native species likely to continue spreading in North America, Australia and Europe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Naturalized species, which are not native but have established themselves in new locations, have the potential to spread even further to suitable habitats in many parts of the world, reports a new study.
Published Evolution of taste: Early sharks were able to perceive bitter substances
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New genetic data show that humans and sharks share bitter taste receptors, even though their evolutionary pathways separated nearly 500 million years ago.
Published North Atlantic's marine productivity may not be declining, according to new study of older ice cores
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of declining phytoplankton in the North Atlantic may have been greatly exaggerated. Analysis of a Greenland ice core going back 800 years shows that atmospheric chemistry, not dwindling phytoplankton populations, explains the industrial-era ice core trends.
Published A 'fish cartel' for Africa could benefit the countries, and their seas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Banding together to sell fishing rights could generate economic benefits for African countries, which receive far less from access to their fisheries on the global market than other countries do from theirs. By joining forces, researchers say African fisheries would not just secure more competitive access fees, they could also protect their seas' biodiversity.
Published Endangered turtle population under threat as pollution may lead to excess of females being born
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers find exposure to heavy metals cadmium and antimony and certain organic contaminants, accumulated by the mother and transferred to her eggs, may cause embryos to be feminized in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), a species already at risk of extinction from a current lack of male hatchlings.
Published Found at last: Bizarre, egg-laying mammal finally rediscovered after 60 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A long-beaked echidna named after Sir David Attenborough and last seen by scientists in 1961 has been photographed for the first time in an Indonesian tropical forest. An international team of researchers worked with local communities to deploy over 80 camera traps to film the elusive animal. Besides rediscovering the echidna, the team uncovered a wealth of species completely new to science, including beetles, spiders, and a remarkable tree-dwelling shrimp.
Published Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides detected in New York state beeswax
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York finds a wide variety of pesticide, herbicide and fungicide residues, exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity.
Published Barnacle bends shape to fend off warm-water sea snails on the move
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some barnacles are 'morphing' to protect themselves from predatory warm-water sea snails, which are expanding into their territory due to climate change.
Published Zooplankton in ocean and freshwater are rapidly escalating the global environmental threat of plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative research team has recently revealed that rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton common in both fresh and ocean water around the world, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics -- or particles smaller than one micron. Each rotifer can create between 348,000 -- 366,000 per day, leading to uncountable swarms of nanoparticles in our environment.
Published Feral horses and peatland carbon emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A ground-breaking new study has found carbon emissions from Australian alpine peatlands to be much higher in areas disturbed by feral horses.