Microbes could pose health, ecosystem risks when rain brings them to Earth Human health and ecosystems could be affected by microbes including cyanobacteria and algae that hitch rides in clouds and enter soil, lakes, oceans and other environments when it rains, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. “Some of the organisms we detected in clouds and rain are known to …
Nuclear War Could Trigger Big El Niño and Decrease Seafood
Unprecedented warming in equatorial Pacific Ocean could last up to seven years A nuclear war could trigger an unprecedented El Niño-like warming episode in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, slashing algal populations by 40 percent and likely lowering the fish catch, according to a Rutgers-led study. The research, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, shows that turning to the oceans …
Greenland Melting Likely Increased by Bacteria in Sediment
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
“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 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 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 …
Elizabeth L. Sikes to Deliver the Cesare Emiliani Lecture at the AGU Fall Meeting
The annual lecture recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of paleoceanography. EOAS faculty member Elizabeth L. Sikes will deliver The Cesare Emiliani Lecture at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. Sikes will deliver her lecture, titled “The Southern Ocean’s role in glacial cycles: Engine not caboose?” at the Ocean Sciences section luncheon on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. The AGU Fall Meeting will be held virtually December 1 – …
Atmospheric Rivers Help Create Massive Holes in Antarctic Sea Ice
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, …
Marine Fisheries Will Not Offset Farm Losses after Nuclear War
Effective pre-war fisheries management could help in global food emergency After a nuclear war, wild-catch marine fisheries will not offset the loss of food grown on land, especially if widespread overfishing continues, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. But effective pre-war fisheries management would greatly boost the oceans’ potential contribution of protein and nutrients during a global food emergency, according …
#EOAS in the News: “To Stabilize Climate We Must Fix Democracy First”
In an op-ed in the Star Ledger titled “To Stablize Climate We Must Fix Democracy First,” EOAS Director Robert Kopp wrote, “Barring extraordinary new technologies to hasten the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, most of the warming we are causing will last for millennia. So we need not only to act decisively to decarbonize the global economy but …