ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Caribbean's native predators unable to stop aggressive lionfish population growth
• Lionfish expedition: Down deep is where the big, scary ones live
• 'Taste sensor' genes in female butterflies vital to species' survival
• Insect discovery sheds light on climate change
• Scientists cast doubt on theory of what triggered Antarctic glaciation
• Distant earthquakes trigger tremors at U.S. waste-injection sites, says study
• Geothermal power facility induces earthquakes, study finds
• Snakes devour more mosquito-eating birds as climate change heats forests
• Whole chickens from farmers markets may have more pathogenic bacteria
• Understanding bulls' gene-rich Y chromosomes may improve herd fertility
• Killer whale genetics: Redefining stock structure in a marine top predator
• As ice cover disappears, life in frigid Antarctic moves fast
• Discovery of a strange new snow scorpionfly species in Alaska helped by Facebook
• Earth's core affects length of day
• New insight into the human genome through the lens of evolution
• Size matters for creatures of cold polar waters
• Bioenergy with carbon capture: Scientists set out path for global warming reversal
• Bioluminescence reveals deep-water motion in the Mediterranean
• Sharks stun sardine prey with tail-slaps
• North Carolina's Southern Cricket Frog populations declining
• A Malaysian beauty: Newly described endemic herb species under threat of extinction
• Inscription from the time of Kings David and Solomon found near southern wall of Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Caribbean's native predators unable to stop aggressive lionfish population growth Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:25 PM PDT "Ocean predator" conjures up images of sharks and barracudas, but the voracious red lionfish is out-eating them all in the Caribbean -- and Mother Nature appears unable to control its impact on local reef fish. That leaves human intervention as the most promising solution to the problem of this highly invasive species, said researchers.

Lionfish expedition: Down deep is where the big, scary ones live Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:25 PM PDT The first expedition to use a deep-diving submersible to study the Atlantic Ocean lionfish invasion found something very disturbing -- at 300 feet deep, there were still significant populations of these predatory fish, and they were big. Big fish can reproduce much more efficiently than their younger, smaller counterparts, and lionfish can travel. This raises significant new concerns in the effort to control this invasive species that is devastating native fish populations on the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean Sea.

'Taste sensor' genes in female butterflies vital to species' survival Posted: 11 Jul 2013 02:25 PM PDT Giving the phrase "Mother knows best" a whole new meaning, researchers have identified unique genes in female butterflies that enable them to select the best host plant for their larvae -- and avoid deadly ones.

Insect discovery sheds light on climate change Posted: 11 Jul 2013 12:41 PM PDT Biologists have discovered a new, extinct family of insects that will help scientists better understand how some animals responded to global climate change and the evolution of communities.

Scientists cast doubt on theory of what triggered Antarctic glaciation Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:24 AM PDT Scientists have found geologic evidence that casts doubt on one of the conventional explanations for how Antarctica's ice sheet began forming. They report finding an ancient volcanic arc in the Scotia Sea that might have prevented the Antarctic Circumpolar Current from forming until millions of years after Antarctic glaciation began.

Distant earthquakes trigger tremors at U.S. waste-injection sites, says study Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:24 AM PDT Large earthquakes from distant parts of the globe are setting off tremors around waste-fluid injection wells in the central United States, says a new study. Furthermore, such triggering of minor quakes by distant events could be precursors to larger events at sites where pressure from waste injection has pushed faults close to failure, say researchers. Among the sites covered are central Oklahoma, western Texas and southern Colorado.

Geothermal power facility induces earthquakes, study finds Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:23 AM PDT An analysis of earthquakes in the area around the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in southern California has found a strong correlation between seismic activity and operations for production of geothermal power, which involve pumping water into and out of an underground reservoir.

Snakes devour more mosquito-eating birds as climate change heats forests Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:55 AM PDT Rising temperatures threaten wild birds, including the Missouri-native Acadian flycatcher, by making snakes more active, according to biologists. They noted that farmers, public health officials and wildlife managers should be aware of complex indirect effects of climate change in addition to the more obvious influences of higher temperatures and irregular weather patterns.

Whole chickens from farmers markets may have more pathogenic bacteria Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:54 AM PDT Raw, whole chickens purchased from farmers markets throughout Pennsylvania contained significantly higher levels of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness compared to those purchased from grocery stores in the region, according to a small-scale study.

Understanding bulls' gene-rich Y chromosomes may improve herd fertility Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:53 AM PDT The Y chromosomes of cattle have more genes and are more active than the Y chromosomes of other primates, according to researchers.

Killer whale genetics: Redefining stock structure in a marine top predator Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:53 AM PDT By collecting 462 skin samples from both resident and transient wild killer whales in the northern North Pacific and characterizing individual genetic variability using two different genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellites), scientists have discovered further subdivision within the whale stocks than was previously believed. In fact, the evidence is so strong that the researchers believe it's time to revise the killer whale stocks in the region.

As ice cover disappears, life in frigid Antarctic moves fast Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:53 AM PDT It might be cold in the Antarctic, but that doesn't mean that life there necessarily moves slowly. A new article reveals the discovery of a surprisingly fast-growing community of glass sponges in an area formerly covered by permanent ice. With the ice at the surface disappearing, those little-known sponges are launching a seafloor takeover.

Discovery of a strange new snow scorpionfly species in Alaska helped by Facebook Posted: 11 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a strange new insect on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. It belongs to an enigmatic group that might help scientists understand the evolutionary origin of the Fleas.

Earth's core affects length of day Posted: 11 Jul 2013 07:31 AM PDT Researchers have found that variations in the length of day over periods of between one and 10 years are caused by processes in the Earth's core.

New insight into the human genome through the lens of evolution Posted: 11 Jul 2013 07:31 AM PDT By comparing the human genome to the genomes of 34 other mammals, Australian scientists have described an unexpectedly high proportion of functional elements conserved through evolution. While other studies have shown that around 5-8 percent of the genome is conserved at the level of DNA sequence, indicating that it is functional, the new study shows that in addition much more, possibly up to 30 percent, is also conserved at the level of RNA structure.

Size matters for creatures of cold polar waters Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:49 AM PDT Scientists have challenged the view that giant animals are found in polar seas because of a superabundance of oxygen in cold water.

Bioenergy with carbon capture: Scientists set out path for global warming reversal Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:48 AM PDT Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage can reverse the global warming trend and push temperatures back below the global target of 2°C above pre-industrial levels, even if current policies fail and we initially overshoot this target.

Bioluminescence reveals deep-water motion in the Mediterranean Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:45 AM PDT In 2009 and 2010, the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES detected an unusual phenomenon: the bioluminescence of deep-sea organisms suddenly increased, revealing an unexpected connection between biological activity -- bioluminescence -- and the motion of water masses in the deep ocean. Convective motion in the Gulf of Lion provides deep waters with oxygen and nutrients that boost biological activity.

Sharks stun sardine prey with tail-slaps Posted: 10 Jul 2013 03:29 PM PDT Thresher sharks hunt schooling sardines in the waters off a small coral island in the Philippines by rapidly slapping their tails hard enough to stun or kill several of the smaller fish at once, according to new research.

North Carolina's Southern Cricket Frog populations declining Posted: 10 Jul 2013 08:44 AM PDT A recent survey report confirmed that the nation's amphibians, including frogs, toads and salamanders, are disappearing "at an alarming and rapid rate." A biologist has found that North Carolina's Southern Cricket Frog populations mirror this disturbing national trend.

A Malaysian beauty: Newly described endemic herb species under threat of extinction Posted: 10 Jul 2013 08:44 AM PDT A new species of rare and beautiful plant has been described from the biodiversity rich Peninsular Malaysia. Ridleyandra chuana is endemic to the region and only known from two small montane forest populations. The conservation status of this recently described delicate flower is assessed as Endangered due to its restricted distribution.

Inscription from the time of Kings David and Solomon found near southern wall of Temple Mount in Jerusalem Posted: 10 Jul 2013 08:43 AM PDT Working near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, an archaeologist has unearthed the earliest alphabetical written text ever uncovered in the city.

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