Scientists recently discovered that land-based plant material, such as tree trunks, leaves, and kukui nuts; and coastal macroalgae indirectly support the increased abundances of bottom fish in submarine canyons, like those off the north shore of Moloka’i.

The frigid McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are a cold, polar desert, yet the sandy soils there are frequently dotted with moist patches in the spring despite a lack of snowmelt and no possibility of rain. A new study has found that that the salty soils in the region actually suck moisture out of the atmosphere, raising the possibility that such a process could take place on Mars or on other planets.

After 35 years, a giant fossil penguin has finally been completely reconstructed, giving researchers new insights into prehistoric penguin diversity.

Over the last 40 years, an ethnobotanist has worked with the Yanesha of the upper Peruvian Amazon and the Tibetans of the Himalayas, two groups of indigenous peoples carrying on traditional ways of life, even in the face of rapid environmental changes. She explains how their traditional knowledge and practices hold the key to conserving, managing and even creating new biodiversity.

Researchers confirm earlier findings that the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1Ab produced for pesticidal purposes by genetically modified (GM) Bt maize increases mortality in the young ladybird larvae (Adalia bipunctata L., two-spotted ladybird) in laboratory tests. These ladybird larvae are typical ‘non-target’ environmental goods which are not supposed to be harmed by the GM maize.

A new study provides further evidence of a relationship between melting ice in the Arctic regions and widespread cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere. The study’s findings could improve seasonal forecasting of snow and temperature anomalies across northern continents.

By analyzing submarine volcanic glass from the Manus Basin, scientists found unexpected changes in hydrogen and boron isotopes from the deep mantle. They expected to see the “fingerprint” of seawater. But discovered evidence of seawater distilled from a more ancient plate descent, preserved for as long as one billion years. The data indicate that these ancient “slabs” can return to the upper mantle, and that rates of hydrogen exchange may not conform to experiments.