ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Record-Setting Drought Forces California Salmon to Take to the Highway

California's record-setting drought has dried up large swaths of the San Joaquin River; bad news for the state's salmon. So in a desperate effort to save a generation of hatchlings, tanker trucks are being employed to transport the young fish downstream. With their normal passage blocked, the fish are now migrating via Highway 99.

Finding the Origins of Chinook Salmons Through the ‘Otolith’ of the Inner Ear

Over the course of many years researchers have sought out to find exactly where Alaska’s Chinook salmon are hatched. The process is known, the migratory patterns are mapped, yet for any given fish caught in the wide open ocean, the story of its origins are often shrouded in mystery—but now that has changed. With a simple chemical marker, accumulating in the inner ear bone of the salmon known as an “otolith”, researchers now believe that they can trace the origins of any Chinook salmon back to the exact waters from which they came before they emerged in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

Seismic Changes on Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Prompt Warnings And New Research

After a stunning increase in seismic activity an an apparent drop in the lava lake at the summit of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano within the national park, researchers and seismologists in Hawaii are concerned that pressure in the volcano is continuing to change—and are sounding what appears to be an indefinite alarm until more can be determined. In the last two days alone, researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have identified small earthquakes at the highest rate to date, setting a new record at one earthquake every couple of minutes. And with the seismic changes, researchers with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are hoping that a few changes can help save lives in the event that an eruption could occur.

How the Opah Managed To Hide Its Warm Blood In Ocean Depths

This week scientists discovered the first known warm-blooded fish; except that this fish was already well-known to humans. The comically appointed opah, a large silver and red fish that is large, circular, and flat, has been making appearances in fishing nets off the coast of west Africa and Hawaii for years.

Zoos Raise Awareness of Endangered Species by Making their Animals Disappear

May 15th marked the 10th anniversary of Endangered Species Day, which kicked off awareness events across the country. More than 200 zoos participated by restricting access to some of their endangered species, with the aim of giving visitors a glimpse of a world where such animals no longer existence.

Up From the Depths: The First Warm-Blooded Fish

In the cold waters off the California coast, researchers have discovered something no one ever knew existed: a warm-blooded fish. Not only can this large fish regulate its body temperature, but it does it through a truly unique mechanism.

Antarctic Ice Shelf on Verge of Disintegration, NASA Says

The last intact section of one of Antarctica’s giant ice shelves is weakening fast and will likely disintegrate in the next few years, contributing to a further rise in sea levels, NASA said in a new study.

The Trap-Jaws’ Mighty Mandibles Propel Them from Danger

The mighty mandibles of the trap-jaw ants are legendary in the animal kingdom. Members of the genus Odontomachus have specialized spring-loaded jaws that can snap shut at speeds of 60 meters per second, with forces that exceed 300 times their body weight. But in four species, those powerful jaws are not only great at catching prey, they can also aid in the ant's escape.

Macaques Prove Quite Handy with a Hammer

It was once believed that tool use was one of the signifying traits distinguishing humans from the rest of the animal world, but research has shown that is simply not the case. Chimps crack nuts, gorillas build rudimentary bridges, and dolphins use sponges to stir up the ocean floor, just to name a few. Scientists can now add macaques to the list, for it turns out they are quite handy with a hammer.

All In The Family: Arranged Marriages And Genetic Diversity

A Massey University research team has discovered some interesting new truths about the ways arranged marriages affect genetic diversity and the ways that humans follow even important cultural rules selectively-and they may surprise you. The results show that the isolated Indonesian Rindi tribe produces genetic diversity similar to random mating by loosely complying with their rules which mandate arranged, inbred marriages.

Meet Velociraptor’s ‘Nosey’ Cousin

Paleontologists have recently identified a new member of the raptor family, one that may have had a leg up on its competition: a keen sense of smell.
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