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In July 1982, researchers in New Zealand recorded unidentifiable sounds as a part of an experiment to characterize the soundscape of the South Fiji Basin. The sound consisted of four short bursts resembling a quack, which inspired the name of the sound 鈥淏io-Duck,鈥� and researchers came to a consensus that the sounds had to be biological. Ross Chapman will present his work analyzing the mystery sounds as part of the virtual 187th ASA Meeting, presenting the waveform and spectrum of the recordings, as well as further evidence that the work was a conversation between multiple animals.

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A new study reveals how sunlight can drive the purification of lake water by breaking down harmful contaminants. By comparing two photochemical pathways鈥攖riplet sensitization and direct photolysis鈥攖he research highlights how these mechanisms function differently across various lake environments. The study points out that while certain pollutants are degraded through organic carbon interactions, others rely heavily on sunlight intensity, suggesting a combined strategy for more effective water purification.

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A new program at Wayne State University supported by a four-year, $749,991 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will use data to study the future of agriculture and train students to better understand how to keep people fed in an ever-changing world.

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COVID-19 reshaped mobility patterns worldwide, affecting walking, driving and public transit use, finds a new study published in The Lancet Public Health. The research, led by an international team including researchers in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, analyzed data from nearly 300 cities to understand how urban transportation habits adapted during the pandemic.

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Over a typical two-year rotation of corn and soybeans, 40% of nitrous oxide emissions are in the fertilizer-free soybean year, according to new Iowa State University research. Winter cover crops and planting soybeans earlier could reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas by one-third while increasing yields.

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A report out today by聽The Washington Post finds most cities in the United States are not prepared for climate change. ...

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WCS welcomes this scientific opinion by the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA), which provides recommendations to support the successful implementation of European Union (EU) policies deriving from a One Health approach.

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Geology researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are partnering with scientists in the Kingdom of Bhutan to detect and mitigate the impact of glacial floods on rural mountain villages. The new project is supported by approximately $380,000 from the National Science Foundation.

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In this week鈥檚 Physics of Fluids, researchers employ machine learning to more accurately model the boundary layer wind field of tropical cyclones. Conventional approaches to storm forecasting involve large numerical simulations run on supercomputers incorporating mountains of observational data, and they still often result in inaccurate or incomplete predictions. In contrast, the author鈥檚 machine learning algorithm is equipped with atmospheric physics equations that can produce more accurate results faster and with less data.

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Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution partner with the University of the Virgin Islands to create a resilient artificial reef

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Media and invited guests are welcome to tour a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) atmospheric observatory recently installed in Alabama鈥檚 Bankhead National Forest. Speak with scientists and federal and local officials, see a weather balloon launch, and get a tour of the state-of-the-art atmospheric instruments installed at the observatory.

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Following an Earth Day pledge to significantly reduce the organization鈥檚 environmental footprint by 2050, the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) announced its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP), an ambitious strategy to halve emissions by 2030, and eliminate them by 2042, underscoring the goal to become the nation鈥檚 most environmentally friendly health care organization.

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Irvine, Calif., Nov. 18, 2024 鈥� The severity of California鈥檚 wildfires has rapidly increased over the last several decades as a result of human-driven climate change, resulting in accelerated tree losses during more intense wildfires, an Environmental Research Letters study from University of California, Irvine and the University of Utah scientists reveals.

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As part of a $12-million inter-university research program, geography professor Oliver Sonnentag will help document the long-term storage potential of this chemical element in Canada.

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Sandia National Labs and Red Cloud Renewable are teaming up to train Native American women in photovoltaic panel installation.

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Alternative proteins鈥攎eat made from plants, cultivated from animal cells, or produced via fermentation鈥攐ffer consumers the foods they love made with more sustainable protein sources. To evaluate the potential of plant-based meat to reduce the environmental impacts of the food system, the Good Food Institute commissioned EarthShift Global to complete a comprehensive, ISO-certified life cycle assessment (LCA). This LCA is the most comprehensive, open-access LCA conducted to date (2024).

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A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) found that specific insecticides, called neonicotinoids, were found at high concentrations in some ground and surface water sources that could affect drinking water.

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This year has seen its share of severe weather鈥攂ut how do these powerful storms impact forests over the long term? A Virginia Tech forest health expert breaks down the long-term effects catastrophic weather events can have and how to revive hard-hit forests.聽 Forest recovery Forests can recover from large-scale disasters through natural succession, though it may take years to resemble their original state, depending on the damage.