Earth and Environment
Unsustainable global consumer demands drive primate extinction – Dr Alejandro Estrada and Dr Paul A Garber
Global market demands for forest-risk commodities such as soy, palm oil, beef, rubber, metals, minerals, gemstones and fossil fuels from Central and South America, Africa and Asia have increased significantly over the past 20 years, representing over four trillion US...
Harnessing Genomics for Disease Resistance in Cucumbers, Melons and Squashes – Dr Rebecca Grumet, Michigan State University
Watermelons, cucumbers and squashes represent a vital source of food worldwide, and their industries are worth billions. However, these important crops are being held back by a number of serious diseases. Through genomic studies, Dr Rebecca Grumet of Michigan State...
Harnessing Genetics for Sustainable Fruit Production – Dr Vladimir Orbovic, University of Florida
People are becoming increasingly aware about the health benefits of eating a diet that’s rich in fruit and nuts. However, farmers are struggling to meet the increasing demand, due to crop damage caused by climate change and emerging plant diseases. As a solution, Dr...
Emerging Technologies to Enable Affordable Ocean Observing – Dr Brian Glazer, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Coastal environments have immense ecological, practical, recreational and cultural value, and are under threat from multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors. Dr Brian Glazer and his team at the University of Hawai’i use specialised equipment to conduct remote...
Four Countries Hold the Key to Primate Conservation – Drs Alejandro Estrada and Paul A Garber
Primatologists Dr Alejandro Estrada and Dr Paul A. Garber, based at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Illinois-Urbana, investigate the social, economic and political factors that have contributed to primate population decline in...
Saving Primates We Need to Act Before It’s Too Late – Drs Alejandro Estrada and Paul A Garber
Nonhuman primates (prosimians, monkeys, and apes) are our closest biological relatives, and they offer critical insights into our evolution, biology and behaviour. Yet, unsustainable human activities are now the major force driving these animals to extinction....
Analysing Earth’s Magnetospheric System A Web of Interconnections – Dr Joseph E. Borovsky, Space Science Institute
The behaviours of physical systems are often decided by complex webs of connections between properties, where a small change in just one variable could cause changes in every other one. Dr Joe Borovsky at the Space Science Institute of Boulder, Colorado, and his...
The Role of Human Motivation in Achieving Organisational Sustainability – Professor Martina Blašková, University of Žilina
To protect planet Earth and all its inhabitants, humankind will have to re-think its strategies for development, to ensure that they are fair, balanced and sustainable. In a recent study, Professor Martina Blašková and her colleagues at the University of Žilina,...
When Viruses Infect Plants – Dr Hernan Garcia-Ruiz, University of Nebraska
Just as human beings can catch a cold, plants can also get viral infections. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the interactions between plants and viruses is the first step towards developing better management strategies and using biotechnology methods to...
Voice of the Sea, Innovation in Science Communication – Professor Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Communicating science to the public is a difficult undertaking; communicating it in a way that encourages people to change their behaviour is a rare achievement. With her television series Voice of the Sea, Dr Kanesa Duncan Seraphin has produced an innovative program...
Angler Attitudes, Understanding Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Harvests – Drs Andrew Scheld & William Goldsmith, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary are working to understand what motivates fishermen to target Atlantic bluefin tuna. Collaborating with the fishing community, the team surveyed over 5,000 bluefin tuna...
Promoting Inclusion in Environmental Policy Development – Professor Dr Jill H. Slinger, Delft University of Technology
Responding to global environmental change requires ongoing effort, and long-term success depends heavily upon the input of local communities. Moreover, if diverse viewpoints are included in policy development, then shared solutions and common goals are achieved. Dr...
Nature’s Vital Signs, Using Bioindicators to Understand Ecosystem Health – Dr Paul Montagna, Texas A&M
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that may take decades to recover. In the immediate wake of the crisis, scientists began to study the developing effects of the spill. Dr Paul Montagna at Texas A&M, Corpus...
Resilient Cropping Systems for a Sustainable Future – Dr Amélie Gaudin, University of California, Davis
Dr Amélie Gaudin at the University of California, Davis explores ways to develop more efficient and resilient cropping systems. Here we take a closer look at just a few of Dr Gaudin’s research projects, which aim to build multifunctional agricultural systems where...
Changing the Landscape of Geology, Forecasting Earthquakes – Professor Friedemann T. Freund, NASA Ames Research Center
Imagine a world where we knew about earthquakes before they strike – days before a potentially lethal event. A world with an early warning system that would give us time to evacuate vulnerable buildings, to activate civil defence organisations, to minimise the loss of...
Investigating the Role of Land Use in Climate Change – Professor Qi (Steve) Hu, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Land-use changes can have a significant effect on regional climates. Professor Qi Hu from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses climate models to study the interactions between land-use change, regional climate and large-scale atmospheric circulation. As our...
New Perspectives on Marine Ecology: Technology Informs Oceanic Carbon Models – Dr Mark D. Ohman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The world’s oceans are responsible for absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate its warming effect on the planet. However, the way in which marine ecosystems respond to temperature changes can impact the ocean’s ability to...
Protecting the Plains, A Comprehensive Approach to Invasive Plant Control – Professor KC Olson, Kansas State University
Around the world, invasive species provide a major threat to global biodiversity. The Great Plains of the United States are among the most threatened ecosystems, where a noxious invasive weed is overpowering the native tallgrass prairies. Professor KC Olson and his...
Combatting the Lionfish Invasion – Dr Mark Hixon and Lab, University of Hawaii
Lionfish are predators that typically inhabit Pacific and Indian Ocean coral reefs. In areas where they have been introduced, they have become troublesome invaders. Populations have spread and grown in some regions to the extent that they are wreaking havoc on local...
Buzzing & Blooming, Bee-Flower Interactions in Crop Production – Professor Johanne Brunet, USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit
Pollination by flying insects is often the forgotten key to high agricultural productivity. Dr Johanne Brunet, research ecologist at the USDA-Agricultural Service, is investigating insect-flower interactions, and their implications for crop production....
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Water Management – Drs Marcellus Caldas & Melinda Daniels, Stroud Water Research Centre
According to the WHO, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. Therefore, managing our water resources is vital, especially in a changing climate. On that front, an interdisciplinary team from Kansas State University, led by Dr...
The Role of Policies in Managing Scarce Water Resources – Drs Jose Albiac, Ariel Dinar, Encarna Esteban & Dr Taher Kahil
Water scarcity and perverse policies may have severe effects on the environment, affecting society both directly and indirectly. A team from the Agrifood Research and Technology Center (CITA), the University of Zaragoza, the International Institute for Applied Systems...
Shaking Up the Physics of Vibration – Dr Wei-Chau Xie, University of Waterloo
Nuclear power plants may be some of the most secure structures in our society, but when subjected to earthquakes, they have the potential to cause major disasters. Dr Wei-Chau Xie of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, is now developing algorithms for...
Greener Pastures, Transforming Land Management Practices in the Cattle Industry – Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University
In the face of global climate change and challenges to sustainable use of renewable resources, farmers and ranchers are continually seeking best management practices that are economically viable and environmentally friendly. To meet this need, researchers at Auburn...
The Molecular World of Aphid Feeding – Professor Gerald Reeck, Kansas State University
Professor Gerald Reeck and his team at Kansas State University are investigating the molecular basis of aphid herbivory, including suppression of plant defences, using powerful methods of molecular genetics. This research is important for developing new aphid-pest...
Working Together to Achieve a Better Future for the Horticultural Industry – Dr Lynda K Deeks, Dr Chantelle N Jay and Dr Laura H Vickers
The production of fresh fruit and vegetables, and ornamental plants, is often taken for granted. While producing horticultural crops and plants offers many societal benefits, it can also have negative impacts on the environment and even on crop production itself....
Sub-Zero Survival, Revealing How Plants Freeze – Drs David Livingston and Michael Wisniewski, USDA
Watching plants return to life after a spell of cold winter weather can seem like a miracle. For over a century, biologists have understood that plant survival depends on a variety of co-dependent mechanisms, yet their methods for coping with temperatures far below...
Towards Low-Cost, Low-Impact Marine Renewable Energy – Drs Grace Chang and Craig Jones, Integral Consulting Inc.
As we move towards a sustainable future, there is a growing interest in marine renewable energy technologies such as marine hydrokinetic devices and offshore wind turbines. However, the viability of these technologies and the potential environmental effects associated...
A Journey Through the Ocean: A Modern Approach to Science Education – Ocean Tracks
Research in the sciences is currently undergoing a massive transformation, as technological advancements shift big data into the forefront of investigative tools, and early education is looking for solutions to keep up. The Ocean Tracks program offers a structured...
Understanding the Effects of Severe Windstorms on Buildings – Dr John Ginger, James Cook University
As natural disasters are affecting an increasing number of people worldwide, risk mitigation by design is of primary concern to engineers. One of those engineers is Dr John Ginger, Professor of Civil Engineering and Research Director of the Cyclone Testing Station at...