ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• U.S. experienced second warmest May, warmest spring on record, NOAA reports
• Australia has two distinct white shark populations
• Floating dock from Japan carries potential invasive species
• Scientists discover huge phytoplankton bloom in ice-covered waters
• Highly contagious honey bee virus transmitted by mites
• City kids more likely to have food allergies than rural ones: Population density is key factor, study finds
• Photovoltaic cells tap underwater solar energy
• Caribbean wins the seaweed Olympics
• Predicting the oceans of the future with a mini-lab
• Vampire jumping spiders identify victims by their antennae
• Virgin male moths think they're hot when they're not

U.S. experienced second warmest May, warmest spring on record, NOAA reports Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:57 PM PDT According to NOAA scientists, the average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during May was 64.3°F, 3.3°F above the long-term average, making it the second warmest May on record. The month's high temperatures also contributed to the warmest spring, warmest year-to-date, and warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895.

Australia has two distinct white shark populations Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:55 PM PDT A new scientific study has identified two distinct populations of white shark at the east and west of Bass Strait in Australian waters, prompting researchers to suggest the huge fish may need regional conservation plans.

Floating dock from Japan carries potential invasive species Posted: 07 Jun 2012 03:01 PM PDT When debris from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan began making its way toward the West Coast of the United States, there were fears of possible radiation and chemical contamination as well as costly cleanup. But a floating dock that unexpectedly washed ashore in Newport this week and has been traced back to the Japanese disaster has brought with it a completely different threat -- invasive species.

Scientists discover huge phytoplankton bloom in ice-covered waters Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:41 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a massive bloom of phytoplankton beneath ice-covered Arctic waters. Until now, sea ice was thought to block sunlight and limit the growth of microscopic marine plants living under the ice.

Highly contagious honey bee virus transmitted by mites Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:23 AM PDT Researchers report that the parasitic 'Varroa' mite has caused the deformed wing virus to proliferate in honey bee colonies. This association is now thought to contribute to the world-wide spread and probable death of millions of honey bee colonies. The current monetary value of honey bees as commercial pollinators in the United States alone is estimated at about $15-$20 billion annually.

City kids more likely to have food allergies than rural ones: Population density is key factor, study finds Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:58 AM PDT Children living in urban centers have a much higher prevalence of food allergies than those living in rural areas, according to a new study, which is the first to map children's food allergies by geographical location in the United States. In particular, kids in big cities are more than twice as likely to have peanut and shellfish allergies.

Photovoltaic cells tap underwater solar energy Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:58 AM PDT Scientists have developed solar cells capable of producing sufficient power to operate electronic sensor systems underwater at depths of nine meters.

Caribbean wins the seaweed Olympics Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:58 AM PDT Coral reefs might seem to be tranquil environments but in fact a battle is constantly waged between corals and seaweeds fighting over space. Scientists have known for some time that seaweeds can gain the upper hand if corals are damaged by hurricanes or excessively warm sea temperatures that cause coral bleaching. But a new study reveals that Caribbean seaweeds are the equivalent of Olympian athletes compared those found on coral reefs elsewhere.

Predicting the oceans of the future with a mini-lab Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:28 AM PDT Scientists from the Stanford and elsewhere joined to create a mini-lab in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The device can simulate predicted future ocean conditions – such as rising carbon dioxide levels – and their effects on ecosystems such as coral.

Vampire jumping spiders identify victims by their antennae Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:27 AM PDT Ravenous Evarcha culicivora jumping spiders -- vampire spiders -- have very specific tastes: they prefer to dine on blood-engorged female Anopheles mosquitoes. So how do they pick out female Anopheles from all other insects? Biologists have discovered that the spiders identify their victims by their antennae alone, even though the details of the antennae are too tiny to be seen by humans.

Virgin male moths think they're hot when they're not Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:24 AM PDT When a virgin male moth gets a whiff of female sex attractant, he's quicker to start shivering to warm up his flight muscles, and then takes off prematurely when he's still too cool for powerful flight. So his headlong rush to reach the female first may cost him the race.

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