Earth and Environment
Saving Primates We Need to Act Before It’s Too Late – Drs Alejandro Estrada and Paul A Garber
Original article reference: ‘Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter’, from Science Advances https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600946 Share Episode About this episodeNonhuman primates (prosimians, monkeys, and apes) are our...
Four Countries Hold the Key to Primate Conservation – Drs Alejandro Estrada and Paul A Garber
Original article reference: This SciPod is a summary of the papers ‘Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Tree Fruit Crops: Methods, Progress, and Challenges’, from Frontiers in Plant Science, and ‘Production and characterization of transgenic Citrus plants...
Harnessing Genetics for Sustainable Fruit Production – Dr Vladimir Orbovic, University of Florida
Original article reference: This SciPod is a summary of the papers ‘Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Tree Fruit Crops: Methods, Progress, and Challenges’, from Frontiers in Plant Science, and ‘Production and characterization of transgenic Citrus plants...
Biological Control In The Light Of Contemporary Evolution-Dr Peter McEvoy
Original article reference: This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘Monitoring of microbially mediated corrosion and scaling processes using redox potential measurements’ in Bioelectrochemistry 97, 137 144.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2013.11.004 Share Episode...
An Education in Sustainability Achieving a Climate-Neutral University – Dr Oliver Opel, West-Coast University of Applied Sciences
Original article reference: This SciPod is a summary of paper ‘Climate-neutral and sustainable campus Leuphana University of Leuneburg’, from Energy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2017.08.039 Share Episode About this episode Dr Oliver Opel of the...
Unsustainable global consumer demands drive primate extinction – Dr Alejandro Estrada and Dr Paul A Garber
Original article reference: This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘Expanding global commodities trade and consumption place the world’s primates at risk of extinction’, from PeerJ. https://peerj.com/articles/7068/ Share Episode About this episode Global...
Understanding Wildfire Effects to Inform Better Forest Management – Dr Bianca Eskelson, University of British Columbia
Original article reference: https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA397 Share Episode About this episode Forest wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the globe, and this trend is expected to continue as climate change worsens. However, measuring...
Tomography: An Innovative Technique for Assessing Forest Carbon Storage
Original Article Reference: https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA378 Share Episode About this episodeResearchers from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Massachusetts have pioneered the use of tomography for assessing carbon...
Flying Sea Snails as Potential Indicators of Ocean Acidification – Dr Jeannette Yen, Georgia Institute of Technology
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA359 Share Episode About this episodeOcean acidification, caused by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, is having a negative impact on marine ecosystems. To effectively respond to the issue, a deep...
From Coast to Coast Building Capacity in Ocean Science – Dr Edward R. Urban, University of Delaware
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA365 Share Episode About this episodeThe ocean plays a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate and is at the front line in the battle against climate change. However, there are still many...
The Role of Human Motivation in Achieving Organisational Sustainability – Profess
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103393 Share Episode About this episodeTo 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...
Analysing Earth’s Magnetospheric System A Web of Interconnections – Dr Joseph E. Borovsky, Space Science Institute
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA302 Share Episode About this episodeThe behaviours of physical systems are often decided by complex webs of connections between properties, where a small change in just one variable could cause...
When Viruses Infect Plants – Dr Hernan Garcia-Ruiz, University of Nebraska
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA298 Share Episode About this episodeJust as human beings can catch a cold, plants can also get viral infections. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the interactions between plants and viruses...
Emerging Technologies to Enable Affordable Ocean Observing – Dr Brian Glazer, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA330 Share Episode About this episodeCoastal environments have immense ecological, practical, recreational and cultural value, and are under threat from multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors....
Voice of the Sea, Innovation in Science Communication – Professor Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA292 Share Episode About this episodeCommunicating science to the public is a difficult undertaking; communicating it in a way that encourages people to change their behaviour is a rare achievement....
Spinal Cord Damage and Emerging Treatments – Dr Jerry Silver, Case Western Reserve University
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.33548/SCIENTIA324 Share Episode About this episodeInjuries to the spinal cord can cause permanent paralysis and even lead to death, with little to no hope of regaining lost functions once the trauma has occurred....
Orange Innovation, Creating Citrus Disease Resistance – Professor Fred G. Gmitter, Jr, Professor Zhanao Deng, Professor Yi Li
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA286 Share Episode About this episodeFlorida’s citrus industry is under threat from Huanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening disease), a devastating plant disease. A collaboration between the...
Angler Attitudes, Understanding Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Harvests – Drs Andrew Scheld & William Goldsmith, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA274 Share Episode About this episodeScientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary are working to understand what motivates fishermen to target...
Promoting Inclusion in Environmental Policy Development – Professor Dr Jill H. Slinger, Delft University of Technology
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA260 Share Episode About this episodeResponding to global environmental change requires ongoing effort, and long-term success depends heavily upon the input of local communities. Moreover, if diverse...
Nature’s Vital Signs, Using Bioindicators to Understand Ecosystem Health – Dr Paul Montagna, Texas A&M
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA243 Share Episode About this episodeThe 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,...
Resilient Cropping Systems for a Sustainable Future – Dr Amélie Gaudin, University of California, Davis
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA230 Share Episode About this episodeDr 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...
Investigating the Role of Land Use in Climate Change – Professor Qi (Steve) Hu, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA204 Share Episode About this episodeLand-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...
Changing the Landscape of Geology, Forecasting Earthquakes – Professor Friedemann T. Freund, NASA Ames Research Center
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA217 Share Episode About this episodeImagine 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...
New Perspectives on Marine Ecology: Technology Informs Oceanic Carbon Models – Dr Mark D. Ohman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Original Article Reference https://doi.org/10.26320/SCIENTIA266 Share Episode About this episodeThe world’s oceans are responsible for absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate its warming effect on the planet....
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...
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...