“Ghost Forests” Expanding Along Northeast U.S. Coast

Standing dead tree trunks (a ghost forest) dominate this coastal landscape in New Jersey's Mullica River watershed. Dead and down trunks from an earlier forest that was buried in marsh sediment are exposed along the water's edge. Photo: Jennifer Walker

Higher groundwater levels from sea-level rise and increased flooding are likely the most important factors Why are “ghost forests” filled with dead trees expanding along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast? Higher groundwater levels linked to sea-level rise and increased flooding from storm surges and very high tides are likely the most important factors, according to a Rutgers study on the …

A Look at Climate Change and the IPCC as the U.S. Re-enters the Paris Agreement

Climate change is one of the most serious global problems today. Increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, acidification of the ocean, damaging hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and other extreme events have caused devastating human, environmental and economic damage. In response to escalating climate change concerns, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) …

How Rocks Rusted on Earth and Turned Red

The colorful banded Tepees are part of the Blue Mesa Member, a geological feature about 220 million to 225 million years old in the Chinle Formation in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Photo: NPS

Important phenomenon could help assess future climate change How did rocks rust on Earth and turn red? A Rutgers-led study has shed new light on the important phenomenon and will help address questions about the Late Triassic climate more than 200 million years ago, when greenhouse gas levels were high enough to be a model for what our planet may be like …

Greenland Melting Likely Increased by Bacteria in Sediment

A supraglacial stream and sediment floodplain in southwest Greenland. Photo: Sasha Leidman

Microbes in meltwater stream sediment may help boost island’s contribution to sea-level rise Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island’s contribution to sea-level rise, according to Rutgers scientists. That’s because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to a Rutgers-led study – the first of …

How to Identify Heat-Stressed Corals

The rice coral Montipora capitata in waters near the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology on Moku o Loʻe in Kāne‘ohe Bay, Hawaii. Photo: D. Bhattacharya

“Coral hospital” tool could help safeguard reefs facing climate change Researchers have found a novel way to identify heat-stressed corals, which could help scientists pinpoint the coral species that need protection from warming ocean waters linked to climate change, according to a Rutgers-led study. “This is similar to a blood test to assess human health,” said senior author Debashish Bhattacharya, a Distinguished Professor in …

Planning Ahead Protects Fish and Fisheries

Effective planning for climate change helps avoid conflicts over ocean uses

Effective planning for climate change helps avoid conflicts over ocean uses Conservation of fish and other marine life migrating from warming ocean waters will be more effective and also protect commercial fisheries if plans are made now to cope with climate change, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Science Advances. “Sticking our heads in the sand doesn’t work,” said lead author Malin …

#EOAS in the News: Ximing Guo speaks to Science Magazine about the Impact of Genomics on Aquaculture

Science Magazine interviewed EOAS faculty member Ximing Guo for the article “New genetic tools will deliver improved farmed fish, oysters, and shrimp. Here’s what to expect” published Nov. 19, 2020

Science Magazine interviewed EOAS faculty member Ximing Guo for the article “New genetic tools will deliver improved farmed fish, oysters, and shrimp. Here’s what to expect” published Nov. 19, 2020 Guo is a Professor at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. His primary research interests are the biology, genetics, and evolution of marine mollusks, and marine aquaculture. He is interested …

Best Region For Life on Mars Was Far Below Surface

Best Region For Life on Mars Was Far Below Surface

Rutgers-led study sheds light on subsurface melting of thick ice billions of years ago The most habitable region for life on Mars would have been up to several miles below its surface, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fueled by geothermal heat, a Rutgers-led study concludes. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, may help resolve what’s known …

Atmospheric Rivers Help Create Massive Holes in Antarctic Sea Ice

A band of clouds in an atmospheric river extending from South America to the Antarctic sea ice zone on Sept. 16, 2017. Image: NASA

Warm, moist rivers of air may have continent-wide effects and influence climate change Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to Rutgers co-authored research. Scientists studied the role of long, …

Helping Shape Rutgers’ Climate Commitment

Amid an extraordinary year altered by the coronavirus pandemic, work continues at Rutgers University to address another ongoing crisis with dire consequences: climate change. Following the release of an interim report, the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience is continuing its work on a comprehensive climate action plan for the university.

Amid an extraordinary year altered by the coronavirus pandemic, work continues at Rutgers University to address another ongoing crisis with dire consequences: climate change. Following the release of an interim report, the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience is continuing its work on a comprehensive climate action plan for the university.  As the task force develops Rutgers’ strategies for contributing …