Rapid sea ice loss in the Arctic is opening new waters to humpback and fin whales, a new study revealed. While these marine animals used to visit the far north only during the summer, warming waters are causing sea ice to retreat at an increasing rate. This may increase food competition among bowhead whales that once had this region to themselves… Marine mammals reflect the impacts of climate change through changes not only in their diet and physical condition, but through shifts in their range and habitat. Researchers say climate change is likely to invite many other species into new habitats… “It’s not simple, but as Mother Nature keeps dishing out these unusual events we can start to connect the dots between them to understand the larger picture of what’s happening and how it’s likely to affect animals within and beyond the Arctic, including humans,” Jennifer Francis, a Rutgers University research professor and a plenary speaker at the conference, said.
Drought: Saving Water with Plant Genetics, Breeding Salt Tolerance
As arid conditions increase in various parts of the nation and world, scientists focus are focusing on using drought-resistant plants and increasing the number of plants able to use treated wastewater that still contains salt. The less water for plants, the more clean water for humans… Researcher Stacy Bonos, at the Department of Plant Biology & Pathology at Rutgers University, and her team recently published their research on perennial ryegrass in Crop Science journal. They’ve found that perennial ryegrass is controlled by additive genetic effects rather than environmental effects, meaning that salt tolerance can be bred for… Bonos’ research team measured salt tolerance using something called “visual percent green color”–the percentage of the plant that is green and actively growing, as compared to brown and therefore dying, according to a release… “It most makes sense…in areas like Las Vegas where there may not be much drinkable water available to water your lawn,” Bonos said in a release. “That’s a prime example.”
