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Can Jellyfish Evaporate In The Sun?
Jellyfish will dry out when washed up on the beach and there isn’t much left of them except for something that looks like a puddle of clear jelly in the sand. Does that mean they evaporate in the hot sun? A jellyfish’s body is mostly water, with only about 5% of it being made up […]
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At Risk Of Extinction – Over 1000 Species Of Palm Tree
More than 1,000 palm (the Arecaceae family) species may be in danger of extinction, according to a recent study that used artificial intelligence to estimate the conservation status of nearly 1,900 palm species. Despite being well-represented on the Red List, it has been unclear up until this point what threat exists for about 70% of […]
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Illegal Wildlife Trade Fight Militarising Thanks To Money And Tech
Thousands of animals and plants are bought and sold each year globally as food, medicine, clothing and furniture – even in the form of musical instruments. Wildlife, it seems, is big business. The illegal wildlife trade, which has an estimated value of at least US$7 billion (£5.9 billion) and potentially as much as US$23 billion, […]
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Blue Lakes Are Turning Green-brown Due To Climate Change
According to a recent study that provides the first global inventory of lake colour, blue lakes all over the world run the risk of turning green-brown if global warming continues. Changes in lake water colour may be a sign of an unhealthy ecosystem. The new study finds that, in addition to factors like algae and […]
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Uniquely Colored Songbirds More Likely To Be Traded As Pets
People like beautiful things. This comes as no surprise: beauty underpins highly profitable businesses, from cosmetics and art to the illegal wildlife trade, which reaps up to US$23 billion (£20 billion) annually according to some estimates. Tigers and pandas show that aesthetic value can be an asset to wildlife conservation, attracting public support and funding. […]
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Can Sea Urchins Feel Pain?
Although the jury is still out on whether sea urchins feel pain or not, and the debate over pain in invertebrates is ongoing, the most widely accepted view is that invertebrates do not experience the repellent sensory response we call pain. That is the short answer. Digging in a bit deeper reveals that the question […]
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Whales Can Swim Without Suffering Brain Damage – This Is Why
According to new research, whale brains have special blood vessels that may shield them from swimming-related blood pulses that could harm the brain. The precise function of the “retia mirabilia,” or “wonderful net,” of blood vessels that surround the brain and spine of a whale is the subject of numerous theories. With the help of […]
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What Are Mangroves And Why Are They Important
A mangrove is a tree or shrub that grows in brackish or salty water along the coast. Mangrove trees are classified into about 80 different species in 17 different families, and the term ‘mangrove’ can also be applied to any coastal vegetation area rich in the species. Mangroves are found all over the world in […]
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Marine Environments May Bear The Greatest Negative Effects Of Climate Change
Planning is necessary to promote the sustainable development of marine environments, just as there has long been spatial planning for activities on land. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg and other institutions have now demonstrated that marine planning must now take climate change into account, which it does not currently. According to the researchers’ models, […]
