A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them… “We’re lucky in many ways,” said Malin L. Pinsky, a marine biologist at Rutgers University and another author of the new report. “The impacts are accelerating, but they’re not so bad we can’t reverse them.” Scientific assessments of the oceans’ health are dogged by uncertainty: It’s much harder for researchers to judge the well-being of a species living underwater, over thousands of miles, than to track the health of a species on land.
Archives for January 2015
Reflections of Rutgers LA Students on Impact of National ASLA Conference
Submitted by Ellen Gallagher, president of the Rutgers Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture, who also attended the national ASLA conference. Members of the Rutgers Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) went to the National ASLA convention in Denver, Colorado, late last year and for many of us, […]
Local residents become certified Master Gardeners
Area residents recently became certified as Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County at a graduation ceremony held at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County. The graduates are from many local communities, have diverse backgrounds and bring…
Sea level rise from climate change a ‘larger problem’ than thought, new study claims
Scientists overestimated the rate of sea level rise between 1901 and 1990, meaning Earth’s oceans have expanded more dramatically in the past 25 years and major coastal cities and island communities could be closer to going under than previous research has shown… Based on their data, annual sea level rise from 1901 to 1990 was about 1.2 millimeters (.05 inches), roughly .3 to .6 millimeters less than the “standing wisdom” for that time period, said Robert Kopp, an associate professor of earth sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a senior scientist on the study.
Are superfoods actually super?
First it was blueberries, spinach and salmon. Then it was wheatgrass, green tea and any kind of nut. Now it’s kale, quinoa and pumpkin seeds. Next week- who knows? If you’re confounded by the number of foods that have been named “superfoods” over the years, you’re not alone… The European Union took a definitive stance in 2007 when it banned use of the term “superfood” on packaging unless the claim could be supported by scientific evidence. The United States has no such ban, however, and while there’s general consensus as to what the word refers to — a food that’s rich in vitamins, antioxidants or other nutrients- it’s still “purely a marketing term,” said Dr. Ilya Raskin, a professor at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Digging a new column
Have you ever wondered what tree to plant in your front yard? Or what kind of insect is attacking your tomato plant? Where would you find that information? You could do a search on the Internet and get six different answers from six different places. O…
Cumberland 4-H introduces new science, tech programs
DEERFIELD Gathering Steam is a suite of new 4-H faculty programs being offered to schools and community centers this year. Fee-based workshops and summer enrichment programs also will be conducted at the Cumberland County 4-H Center. STEAM stands for s…
Alumni Story: Arthur R. Brown, Jr. (GSNB-Horticulture ’77) – Always Jersey Fresh
Paging through the many personal photo albums that Art Brown’s staff and friends have compiled for him over the years, one is struck by his cheerful exuberance in the images. Clearly, Art Brown is a person who enjoyed his career as New Jersey’s longtime Secretary of Agriculture. And New Jersey enjoyed his valuable contributions during […]
Top 10 N.J. weather events of 2014, from the state climatologist
2014 may go down as the year of the hyperlocal weather event. The Office of the State Climatologist at Rutgers University compiled a list of the top 10 weather and climate events for 2014 and, for the second straight year, statewide impacts were relatively minimal… “Arguably this was the most impactful winter on day-to-day life since the winter of 1993/94,” David Robinson, the state climatologist, wrote in his summary.
Animal Sciences Professor Tapped for New Top-Tier International Advisory Board
Kenneth H. McKeever, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers University and associate director for research at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, was recently appointed to the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s (RCI) new Scientific Advisory Board. The RCI is the preeminent international body of regulators, scientists, and others involved in the oversight […]