Footage captured 55 days apart show devastating impact of algal bloom
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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Powerful tool captures unbelievable activity of critical species in Australia: 'Without attaching sensors or disturbing [them] in any way'
Researchers have unveiled a powerful new tool that could revolutionize the study of insects and their place in the world's ecosystems. The technology allows scientists to measure heartbeats and other data using videos taken on smartphones and posted online, according to a study published in the Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. The new methods allow researchers to observe insect behavior and physiology without resorting to the usual invasive methods. This is better for the insects and allows for more accurate data collection. "Insects are vital to our ecosystems, and understanding their physiological responses to environmental change is essential," said Danyi Wang, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Australia and one of the study's two co-authors, per Technology Networks. "Existing methods to measure insects' vital signs are invasive, however. Our method preserves natural behavior while providing accurate insights into their heart activity." The advancements also have the potential to open up a treasure trove of new data in the form of millions of videos posted to social media. With the technology able to analyze video taken from everyday smartphones, researchers could tap into networks of thousands, if not millions, of citizen scientists to aid in data collection. "With more refinement, this could become a cost effective and valuable tool in the ecological research toolkit," said Wang, according to Technology Networks. "It gives us the ability to listen to the hearts of the smallest creatures without harming them." Insects play a vital role in maintaining food supplies and economies around the world. Insects pollinate crops, make soil better for plants, and filter water supplies, according to World Wildlife Magazine. Contrary to popular belief, of the more than one million identified insect species, only 0.5% damage crops. In fact, insect species like ground beetles actually increase crop yields by eating pests and weeds. Insects also keep populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes in check, with some dragonflies consuming over 100 mosquitoes per day, per World Wildlife Magazine. Despite the vital role insects play in maintaining life on Earth, some experts have projected that, if current trends continue, as many as 40% of insect species will go extinct by the end of this century. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Technological breakthroughs — like the one announced by Ph.D. candidate Wang and her supervisor and co-author Javaan Chahl — will allow researchers to better understand how insects are responding to environmental stressors like habitat loss and the changing climate. It will also allow experts to better formulate strategies to help maintain key insect populations, all without harming the insects or altering their natural behavior. "What's exciting is that this was all achieved without attaching sensors or disturbing the insects in any way," said Chahl, the study's lead author, according to Technology Networks. While the potential for citizen scientists to pitch in on data collection by simply using their smartphones is exciting, there are already plenty of things that can be done to help pollinators and other insects right in your own backyard. For example, planting a native garden or rewilding your yard can lower your water bill while also providing vital food and shelter for local insects, small mammals, and birds. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Researchers create game-changing solution for common problem on grocery store shelves — here are the details
Researchers create game-changing solution for common problem on grocery store shelves — here are the details A new biodegradable bioplastic has been manufactured to counter plastic waste in the produce aisle. The ideal application is to use it for fruit punnets, baskets commonly used for berries and smaller produce. Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia have designed a biodegradable packaging material made from bacteria-derived polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) mixed with the wood fibers of Radiata pine sawdust. The resulting material is biodegradable in multiple natural environments, including fresh water, salt water, industrial composting centers, and soil. This project was created with support from the Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing and was created over three years by UQ's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering. This project was funded to specifically tackle the negative environmental impact of single-use plastic punnets in produce, which are made of petroleum. The design incorporated input from the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association in order to match the needs of the growers and distributors, as well as from manufacturer SDI Plastics and Queensland biotech company Uluu. An original trial tested 200 strawberry punnets of the new material to provide proof of concept and has shown that it can withstand real-world usage and degrade as intended. Australia, with a population of just over 27 million, uses 580 million plastic punnets every year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. With the population approaching 350 million in the U.S. alone, the amount of single-use plastic manufactured for produce is astounding. Production companies favor plastic for its low costs and ease of access. However, plastic is made from fossil fuels, which takes hundreds of years to degrade and ends up as micro- and nanoplastics in our waterways instead. Around the world, 430 million tons of plastic are manufactured every year for everything from produce to toys. When engineers and companies choose sustainability over ease, it makes a big impact on all consumers. If this biodegradable punnet received funding to replace plastic punnets just in Australia, it could save 1 billion plastic containers from entering landfills in less than two years. If you're interested in shopping more sustainably, consider brands that have upgraded to plastic-free packaging, like Kouvolan Lakritsi candy company, or to other eco-friendly materials, like Sea to Summit did with their camping gear. What should America do to fight plastic pollution? Stricter regulations on companies Better recycling More bans on single-use items All of the above Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
15 hours ago
- New York Times
How Healthy Are the Oceans? Ask a Whale Shark
On a calm morning in May, Brianna Beaulieu, a master's student in marine biology at the University of Western Australia, and several researchers from around the world boarded two research vessels bound for Ningaloo Reef on Australia's west coast. The scientists have invested months of planning to spend just a few minutes in the water collecting data on one of the ocean's most mysterious animals. Whale sharks are not whales. They are fish, the largest in the sea, and can grow up to 60 feet long. Yet, surprisingly little is known about their life cycle. Researchers still don't know where whale sharks mate, how often they breed or where they go to give birth. Ms. Beaulieu and her colleagues hope to gain at least some insights into these giants. A whale shark can easily be spotted from the air, cruising just below the surface of the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean. In May, whale sharks gather off the reef in numbers so high that, for the half-dozen spotter planes overhead, finding them is simple. For the past 20 years, a team from the University of Western Australia has conducted annual fieldwork at Ningaloo Reef. Ningaloo is one of the world's longest fringing reefs, formed unusually close to shore, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reef's shallow, turquoise waters are home to an extraordinary range of marine life. The whale sharks that migrate there each year offer a rare window for scientific study. Mark Meekan has overseen the research since 2004. His work focuses on the biology and ecology of whale sharks – how they grow, how they live and what can be done to protect them. At the reef, the scientists measure the lengths and dimensions of the animals and collect tissue samples for chemical analysis. They also use drones to assess the body condition of the whale sharks: Are they getting fatter? Thinner? 'Whale sharks can live for over 100 years and grow very slowly,' Dr. Meekan said. 'To track that growth, you need long-term monitoring.' One thing that the team has learned over the past two decades is that whale sharks are highly susceptible to the impact of human activities on the oceans.'By monitoring them, we're not just learning about the sharks, we're learning about ocean health more broadly,' Dr. Meekan said. 'These animals travel thousands of kilometers, so each one is like a sentinel or autonomous sampling unit moving across the Indian Ocean and returning to Ningaloo each year to tell the tale.' Much of Ms. Beaulieu's research focuses on measuring the overall health of whale sharks and the impact of manmade threats on them, including boat strikes and 'forever chemicals' in the water. Whale sharks gather at Ningaloo Reef to feed on plankton that appear each year when coral spawn. As Ms. Beaulieu dives into the water, she takes a compact underwater camera to document a whale shark's appearance. Her colleague Sophie Jones often joins her in the water, gripping a yard-long reference pole. The pole provides a crucial scale to help researchers precisely determine the animal's size, while a drone captures the scene from above. The whale shark typically remains relatively calm as Ms. Beaulieu swims beneath it and holds a small ultrasound device above the surface of its skin, just behind the dorsal fin. The data, which measures skin depth and the condition of the animal's muscles, is sent to a veterinarian to assess the whale shark's internal health and reproductive status. The encounter lasts just a few minutes, before the whale shark disappears again into the deep blue. Ms. Beaulieu and the other researchers then swim to the surface and signal for pickup. Then they do it all again. The team repeated the sequence 11 times on that day: spotting, diving, documenting and collecting data. These few minutes with the whale sharks are the culmination of a year's planning, a gigantic logistical effort to shadow a giant. In the 12 days of fieldwork, the researchers documented 101 whale shark encounters — a bumper year. In 2023, after their boat broke down, they only had four. Jessica Strickland, the ship's captain. Researchers have developed tools that allow the public to contribute to whale shark science. Platforms like Shark Guardian and Wildbook for Whale Sharks invite divers, tour operators and marine tourists to upload their photographs of whale sharks, ideally with a clear view of the area just behind the gills, where the spot patterns are most reliable. Sophisticated pattern-matching algorithms then compare these images with an international database of more than 8,000 individual whale sharks, improving the ability of scientists to monitor their movements, residency, growth and health. 'Every day during the season, guides are in the water filming the sharks, and those videos provide us with ID images,' Dr. Meekan said. 'That allows us to track which sharks are resident and which are just passing through.'
