Rutgers-led research finds biomineral structures formed by marine algae foment viral infection, contributing positively to capture CO2. A Rutgers-led team of scientists studying virus-host interactions of a globally abundant, armor-plated marine algae, Emiliania huxleyi, has found that the circular, chalk plates the algae produce can act as catalysts for viral infection, which has vast consequences for trillions of microscopic oceanic creatures and …
Award-Winning Film Highlights Rutgers Efforts to Protect Basil From Blight
Fields of Devotion provides a window into the science behind developing disease- and climate change-resistant food crops. When a devastating disease wiped out New Jersey farmers’ basil fields, growers turned to Rutgers scientists for help. Now the public will be able to follow the unique partnership between local farmers and Rutgers scientists in Fields of Devotion, a science-in-action film and the winner of the …
Inaugural Rutgers Shellfish Research Symposium Brings Together Growers and Researchers
The inaugural Rutgers Shellfish Research Symposium, in partnership with the New Jersey Aquaculture Association and the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, was held on January 18 at the NJAES Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve The symposium was organized by Michael DeLuca, director of the Rutgers Aquaculture Innovation Center, and Michael Acquafredda, (GSNB’19) a Rutgers graduate of the doctoral program in Ecology and …
Faculty Spotlight: Malin Pinsky
By: Carol Peters, EOAS Communications The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded EOAS faculty member Malin Pinsky and collaborators from Princeton University $1.3 million in funding for the project “Climate Change, Resource Reallocation and Great Power Competition.” The funding stems from the DoD’s FY2021 Minerva Research Initiative, which awarded a combined $28.7 million in grants to 17 university-based faculty teams. Describing …
SEBS Scientists Explore How Life Flourishes Near Underwater Volcanoes
SEBS scientist Costa Vetriani, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, is currently on the research vessel Atlantis with three of his graduate students: Avanthika Bharath, Olivia Cannon and Ian Schlegel. They are traveling 1000 miles from the shores of Costa Rica to explore and sample the underwater volcanoes along the East Pacific rise. On board is the deep-sea submarine …
Blue Acres: The Art and Science of Managing Flood-Prone Open-Space Properties in New Jersey
By Carol Peters, EOAS Communications A wildlife and conservation management expert for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, EOAS faculty member and Associate Professor Brooke Maslo works with local NJ municipalities to help them manage and restore properties in FEMA-established flood-prone areas purchased through the DEP Blue Acres program. Imagine the plight of families in New Jersey who own homes in the state’s …
SEBS Researchers Receive NSF Funding to Explore Social and Ecological Factors of Pathogen Occurrence in Amphibian Pet Trade
Professor Julie Lockwood, Department of Ecology Evolution and Natural Resources, and Ryan Almeida, School of Graduate Studies, will work with collaborators across four universities to characterize the trade of pet amphibians within the United States, including the range of amphibian species sold as pets and which species are the most common and cheapest to purchase. For the next five years, the team—which …
Scientists Believe Evolution Could Save Coral Reefs, If We Let It
Research shows protecting “hot reefs” is key to saving coral reefs. Coral reefs can adapt to climate change if given the chance to evolve, according to a study led by Coral Reef Alliance, Rutgers University, the University of Washington and other institutions. The recent study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, finds that coral reefs can evolve and adapt …
Understanding the Impact of Marine Viruses on the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle and Role in Climate Change
By Carol Peters, EOAS Communications To address one of the most pressing issues impacting human civilization, pioneering work by EOAS faculty members Kay Bidle and Kimberlee Thamatrakoln is, for the first time, changing the ways scientists understand the impact marine viruses have on phytoplankton, the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle, and ultimately on Earth’s changing climate. Arriving on the …
Rutgers Marine Field Station: On the Edge of Climate Change
As the facility marks its 50th anniversary, here is a look back at its history and how it developed into a crucial research station in New Jersey. Rutgers Marine Field Station stands at the heart of where climate change is happening the fastest in the world, providing a unique and crucial window into the future for researchers. A former U.S. Coast …