Warm-water species are rapidly increasing and cold-water species are decreasing The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, covers species that are important for fisheries and that serve as food for fish, such as copepods and other zooplankton. “The changes we’re observing ripple throughout local and global economies all the way to our dinner […]
Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources
Marine Ecologist Malin Pinsky Selected as one of Science News’ Top Scientists to Watch in 2019
For the fifth year in a row, the award-winning magazine, Science News, is recognizing young stars—all under the age of 40—across scientific disciplines, from genetics to astrochemistry, from quantum mechanics to climate change. By recognizing their work now in a feature highlighting 10 early- and mid-career scientists, the magazine hopes to shine a light on […]
Local Volunteers Test the Lower Raritan River for Pathogens
By Michele Bakacs This summer, water quality has been a hot topic of discussion with news about harmful algal blooms closing lakes in New Jersey. On the Lower Raritan River in Middlesex County, volunteers have been focused on sampling for another human pathogen – enterococci, an indicator of possible disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Rutgers […]
The Future Sea Level in New Jersey: 3 feet, 4 feet, 7 feet higher?
By Robert Kopp, Karl Nordstrom and Johnny Quispe Since 1900, global average sea level has risen about 8 inches. In New Jersey, sea level has risen even faster – about 1.4 feet over that same period. This is primarily because the land here is sinking, due to both natural forces – the land was pushed […]
Dramatic Increase in Whales in NJ/NYC Raises Safety Concerns
Rutgers researcher says climate change, cleaner waters are drawing more of the iconic marine mammals The number of humpback whale sightings in New York City and northern New Jersey has increased dramatically in recent years, by more than 500 percent, as a result of warmer and cleaner waters, raising the risk of dangerous interactions between […]
Lena Struwe Receives American Society of Plant Taxonomists’ 2019 Peter Raven Award for Exceptional Outreach to Non-Scientists
The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT) announced that Lena Struwe, professor and director of the Chrysler Herbarium at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Peter Raven award. The award is named for Peter Raven, eminent botanist and president emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden, […]
Michael Acquafredda Named 2020 NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Finalist
Michael Acquafredda, doctoral candidate in the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution in the School of Graduate Studies, is among 69 national finalists in the 2020 class of the NOAA and Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. Named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, the fellowship is […]
Climate Change Threatens Commercial Fishers from Maine to North Carolina
Rutgers and other scientists document the impact of ocean warming on fisheries. Most fishing communities from North Carolina to Maine are projected to face declining fishing options unless they adapt to climate change by catching different species or fishing in different areas, according to a study in the journal Nature Climate Change. Some Maine fishing communities are […]
How to Protect Corals Facing Climate Change
Conserving a wide range of coral habitats is the best strategy The best way to protect corals threatened by climate change is to conserve a wide range of their habitats, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. The finding likely applies to conservation efforts for many other species in the ocean and on land, including trees and birds. “Rather than […]
Striped Maple Trees Often Change Sexes, With Females More Likely to Die
Rutgers study shows how switching sexes could threaten populations Although pollen has covered cars for weeks and allergy sufferers have been sneezing, we think of sex as being the realm of animals. But plant sex can be quite interesting, especially in species that can have male or female flowers. More than 90 percent of flowering […]