Steep oxygen decline halted first land colonization by Earth's sea creatures
...rate creatures first began moving from the world's oceans to land about 415 million years ago, then all but disappeared by 360 million years ago. The fossil record contains few examples of animals with backbones for the next 15 million years, and then suddenly vertebrates show up again, this time for good. ...New dwarf buffalo discovered by chance in the Philippines
...m about 20,000 years ago, much of the water in the oceans was frozen in glaciers, resulting in much lower sea levels--about 400 feet lower. Because of this, some groups of current islands within the Philippines became connected by land. Some of the mammals, including water buffalo, probably migrated to the ...Yale-BioHaven Entrepreneurship Seminar: 454 Life Sciences aiming for the $10K Human Genome
...ne Microbes to study microbial life in the world's oceans and its impact on our ecosystems. Refreshments and networking follow the seminar from 5 to 7 p.m. Registration is free, but advance RSVP to Larry Banks at larry.banks@yale.edu or the Yale Office of Cooperative Research at 203-436-8096 is required...Tropics source of much of world's biodiversity
...ter diversity of life in the tropics - both in the oceans and on land - than at higher latitudes? "These species are spilling out of the tropics and increasing the diversity in temperate and arctic regions," he said. "We should preserve the tropics, because without them, there is no source anymore for dive...Report challenges common ecological hypothesis about species abundance
...," said Raphael D. Sagarin, associate director for oceans and coastal policy at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. "This is troubling," Sagarin said, "because a lot of current thinking on ecological and evolutionary issues -- including how species will respond to clima...New study explains why hotter is better for insects
...e to adapt to environments ranging from cold polar oceans to hot thermal vents. However, University of Washington researchers have discovered a limit to the powerful forces of natural selection, at least when it comes to the adaptation of insects to cold temperatures. "For thermodynamic reasons, cold tem...$20 million to expand seafloor observatory
...ovation. "From a wealth of new knowledge about our oceans to the development of new technologies, this world-class initiative is sure to have a real and positive impact on the lives of Canadians." "NEPTUNE will position B.C. as a world leader in the multidisciplinary study of the ocean and its processes,"......veral thousand sediment cores from all the world's oceans stored here at the university," Peterson said. "For each sample we take or receive, we usually study half and archive the remaining portion. Those archives will comprise the greater part of our research right now. We have a number of ongoing researc...Deep sea explorer and marine conservationist wins MacArthur Fellowship
... measures how much bioluminescence there is in the oceans and LoLAR, a very sensitive deep-sea light meter. Most recently, Widder helped to design a remotely operated camera system, known as the Eye in the Sea (EITS) which, when deployed on the sea floor, automatically detects and measures the bioluminescen...Boat paint to blame for Norfolk Broads' desolation
...onably worldwide on much smaller craft both in the oceans and within inland waterways. "TBT is extremely toxic and highly persistent in the environment, earning it the controversial title as the most toxic substance ever introduced deliberately by man into the aquatic environment," explains Dr Sayer. ...Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer detects vast polar ethane cloud on Titan
...at may partially explain the lack of liquid ethane oceans and clouds at Titan's middle and lower latitudes." "We think that ethane is raining or, if temperatures are cool enough, snowing on the north pole right now. When the seasons switch, we expect ethane to condense at the south pole during its winter,...A new tool against brain disease
...onus omaria, which lives in the Pacific and Indian oceans and eats other snails. It ranges from 1 to 3 inches long. McIntosh discovered and analyzed the new toxin with help from University of Utah cone snail research pioneer Baldomero "Toto" Olivera, who is a distinguished professor of biology, and lab t...Bacteria can help predict ocean change
Every creature has its place and role in the oceans even the smallest microbe, according to a new stu...ce for scientists attempting to understand how the oceans are changing, Fuhrman said. If bacteria behave predictably, they can be used to improve models for o...Polynesia explorers created worldwide web of scientific knowledge
...aves of daring expeditions into Polynesia, netting oceans of discoveries about its geography, flora and fauna and people. But they were more than simply courageous collectors of artifacts and statistics, says the author of a new book. These seafaring naturalists were the producers and mediators of a new "gl...Ocean microbe census discovers diverse world of rare bacteria
... "The number of different kinds of bacteria in the oceans could eclipse five to 10 million," he added. ...ersity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans -- past, present, and future. "ICoMM has brought together some of the top microbial oceanographe...Titans of biodiversity science call for united, authoritative voice to inform decision-makers
...l species and ecosystems, and the situation in the oceans is even worse (1). The forces that push towards biodiversity loss globally are much stronger than the conservation gains. Habitat destruction (notably in tropical forests, inland waters and coastlines), introduction of invasive species, overexploitat...... insight into its ability to thrive in the world's oceans and evolutionary biology. Known as Ostreococcus tauri, the analyzed phytoplankton has been thought to be not only the smallest eukaryote, but also ancient, dating back 1,500 million years and capable of photosynthesis that helps with carbon cycling....Figuring out function from bacteria's bewildering forms
...ia are central players in scavenging phosphorus in oceans and lakes, and reintroducing it into the food chain." C. crescentus is an unusual bacterium whose lifespan encompasses two phases: a mobile "swarmer" phase, in which the cells have a single flagellum, and a sedentary "stalked" phase in which the...UN review shows need to halt destructive fishing practice
...) reviewed measures to protect the vulnerable deep oceans of the high seas the 64 percent of ocean that lies beyond the national jurisdictions of any individual nation. Its review, ordered by the U.N. General Assembly in 2004, was based on reports from member states on steps taken to stop destructive high ......cean," says Smith. "We need to recognise that the oceans consist of a stack of tightly connected ecosystems over-fishing or pollution in surface waters is bound to cause problems thousands of metres below." An image of a deep-sea stone crab living on a whale bone is available to accompany this story . ...