Cayam Islands Reef Rejuvination

In a 13 year study in the Cayman Islands, live coral reduced 40% between 1999 and 2004 due to bleaching and infectious disease from the warm ocean temperatures. Then in 2011 the coral life had returned to its luscious state as it appeared in 1999. A lot of the reefs around Cayman Islands are under protection which helped give it time to rejuvenate. Like most things in nature, being untouched by human activities helps in keeping the coral reefs healthy and grow. Coral reefs may only occupy 0.01% of marine environment but they harbor up to 25% of different marine organisms and feed and house 25% of fish caught in developing nations. Not to mention 30% of export earnings in countries that can promote coral reef-related tourism. It is a small gesture but important to keep these reefs protective and thriving, as they are a major link in providing for the aquatic wildlife.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131217155223.htm

Break Through On Possible Replacement Retina

Researchers have recently succeeded in printing adult eye cells for the first time. It is a step toward curing some types of blindness by producing tissue implants. In the past, embryonic stem cells and other immature cells have been printed but it was thought that adult cells might be too fragile to print. The victorious cells were from the optic nerves of rats and had the ability to grow and develop! Many cases of eye diseases lead to blindness due to loss of nerve cells in the retina says said Dr. Keith Martin, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge, in England, and co-author of the study detailed online today (Dec. 17) in the journal Biofabrication. The aim of this experiment is to be able to print a replacement retina. On top of it all, the optic nerve cells were also able to sprout neurites which are fingerlike filaments that form connections with other nerve cells.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/inkjet-print-eye-cells-cure-blindness_n_4466418.html?utm_hp_ref=science&ir=Science

Styloid Process; older than we know?

Researchers have just recently found a 1.4 million year old fossil of a bone in the hand called the “styloid process”. This bone exists to increase the pressure of our grip as it connects our middle finger to our wrists and as a result we are able to build and use complex tools. The fascinating thing about this find is that it dates back over 500,000 years before scientists had thought it existed in the human lineage. “Early members of Homo, there were some late-surviving members of Australopithecus still around — close relatives of humans that don't seem to have this adaptation," said study lead author Carol Ward, an anatomist and paleoanthropologist at the University of Missouri. "This raises the question of how important our hands were in the success of our lineage and the extinction of their lineage (Australopithecus)."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/17/human-hand-fossil-tool-making_n_4455315.html?ir=Science

Radioactivity Muddles the Alphabet of DNA

Scientists from Curtin University found that natural radioactivity in DNA has the ability to change chemical compounds. This in turn paves a new road for genetic mutation. Radioactivity takes place in practically all living things in our world, but what makes this discovery surprising is that no one really had previously guessed it could change DNA in the way it does. "This work takes an entirely new direction on research into natural radioactivity in biology and raises important questions about genetic mutation," Professor Marks of Curtin University explains. The findings were published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects.

 

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/18/radioactivity_muddles_the_alphabet_of_dna.html

Breakthrough in Treating Leukemia, Lymphoma with Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells

The Loyola University Medical Center has found from a study that blood from umbilical cords have stem cells that are able to help save people suffering with Leukemia and Lymphoma. They have also found that growing these cells in a lab before actually placing them within a patient gives them a better chance at surviving. The blood cells of the patients that go through chemotherapy die along with the cancerous ones, and undergoing a transplant infusion of immature stem cells can help remake the stores of healthy ones. Stem cells are made in the bone marrow. Most of the time they are donated by loved ones or those who are able. A new technology titled StemEx, which helps develop stem cells from blood of an umbilical cord, was also looked at and experimented with.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/09/breakthrough_in_treating_leukemia_lymphoma_with_umbilical_cord_blood_stem_cells.html

Scientists Present Groundbreaking HIV Prevention Research

Research in the Oak Crest Institute of Science in Pasadena, California tells us now that there could possibly be a form of birth control that not only protects women from unplanned pregnancy, but also from sexually transmitted HIV and a herpes virus. Three drugs will be used in an intravaginal ring. These rings have been used before for contraception, but now we are able to put multiple drugs into these rings to also release antiretroviral drugs to protect from the diseases, as well. These rings, when used, could save countless women from diseases in poor countries.

Omega-3 Dietary Supplements Pass Blood-Brain Barrier

Research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now shows that omega-3 fatty acids can get through the blood-brain barrier of people who suffer from Alzheimer's. The fatty acids crossing the barrier can affect possible sources of the disease. Studies still must be carried out to discover whether or not omega-3 can be used as a treatment, but in experimental studies, positive changes were recognized in the group taking the omega-3.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131204090950.htm 

Recycled Plastic Proves Effective in Killing a Drug-Resistant Fungi.

Earlier today in Singapore, researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology discovered a possibly life saving use for polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is usually used in the making of plastic bottles, but has now been converted into a non-toxic biocompatible material. This new material has a strong ability to kill fungi. This fungi is drug-resistant, and gives researchers hope for ways to treat diseases caused by topical fungi. In my opinion, whenever science comes closer to finding a cure for any disease, it should be widely recognized. Eventually experimental treatments may occur and sufferers should know about this option.

sharks related to humans?

Researchers of Cornell and Save Our Seas Sharks Research Center at Nova Southeastern seem to have found similarities between humans and sharks. Having the government give them a grant and donate an illegally caught shark's heart, they were able to perform an autopsy on it. They discovered there were similarities between the metabolism of the shark and humans, also, the biochemistry they say is similar. Now, they aren't saying that sharks are totally related to humans but there are some reasons to explore more into what the similarities are.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131205165827.htm

A Brain Reward Gene Influences Food Choices in the First Years of Life

Research has shown that a certain gene in the brain's reward system can lead to overeating and obesity in adults. The very same gene has also been connected to childhood obesity, especially in females. Instead of blaming the obese about their bad food decisions, Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto suggest that genetic predispositions, environmental stress and emotional well-being should be taken into account. The journal Appetite sheds more lights on their study findings and talks about how some kids may be predisposed to obesity.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/11/26/a_brain_reward_gene_influences_food_choices_in_the_first_years_of_life.html

How a Legless, Leaping Fish that Lives on Land Avoids Predators

A study was done concerning rather strange animals: legless fish that can move about on land known as Pacific Leaping Blennies. The fish live on the island of Guam and can evade their predators using camouflage. They are usually hunted by birds, crabs, and lizards. The fish will live on land for the rest of their adult lives and must stay wet in order to breathe properly. They are able to jump by using a tail-twisting maneuver. UNSW researchers Dr. Terry Ord and Courtney Morgans from the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre were behind the study, and their findings will soon be viewable in the journal Animal Behavior. Their color and camouflage techniques were looked into and researched.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/02/how_a_legless_leaping_fish_that_lives_on_land_avoids_predators.html

Study Documents Catastrophic Collapse of Sahara's Wildlife

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society of London led a study that found the Sahara's wildlife population has dramatically decreased. 40 authors from 28 scientific organizations studied 14 species out in the Sahara, and discovered that half of them are regionally extinct. Overhunting seems to be a key factor in this, but a decrease in studies due to insecurity makes it hard to be certain about the number one cause of the population decline. Confirmed extinct species include the Bubal hartebeest and scimitar horned oryx. The African wild dog and African lion have disappeared altogether in the region. "The Sahara serves as an example of a wider historical neglect of deserts and the human communities who depend on them," says author Sarah Durant of WCS and ZSL.

 



http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/03/study_documents_catastrophic_collapse_of_saharas_wildlife.html

Beetles that Live with Ants: A Remarkably Large and Colorful New Species from Guyane

A new species of beetle was recently discovered in Guyane (French Guiana) and talked about by scientists of the Smithsonian Institution. Named the Spectacular Guyane False-form beetle, the new species is a member of the Pseudomorphini Tribe, whose other members are known for co-existing with several different types of ants. Author Dr. Terry L. Erwin, who's study of the bug was published in the journal ZooKeys, wrote, "This surprising large and colorful pseudomorphine came as a shock to me, as all other species of the Tribe in the Western Hemisphere are quite dull brown, dark reddish, or blackish with no, or little, color contrast on the upper surface." He goes on to say how further study will prove to be hard since they live amongst so many separate kinds of ants. Apart from who they live with and what they look like, nothing else is known about the new beetle species at the moment.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/12/03/beetles_that_live_with_ants_a_remarkably_large_and_colorful_new_species_from_guyane.html

Dozens of Whales Beached in Everglades National Park in Florida

Around 40 whales, thought to be short-finned pilot whales, were beached in southwest Florida's Everglades National Park. 30 of them were found in shallow water while the other 10 were located on the actual shore. Waiting until the tide was high enough to return the whales to the sea, workers came together to help the whales stay secure and stable. Four of the shore animals passed away while the other six were successfully returned to the ocean. Short-finned pilot whales are usually located in tropical, deep waters and belong to pods of anywhere from 25 to 30 whales. Park spokeswoman Linda Friar explained, "Pilot whales are common stranders. They tend to do this. They tend to rebeach themselves."

 

http://news.yahoo.com/dozens-whales-beached-everglades-national-park-florida-154555423.html

New Research Shows Promise for Possible HIV Cure

Scientists might have a cure for the HIV infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy, also known as HAART, helps supress the replication of the virus. But, scientists aren't sure if it is a permanent cure. HAART can't kill the HIV-infected cells but it can lover the amount of viral particles that are in the bloodstream. But, when radioimmunotherapy (RIT), which treats cancer, is combined with HAART, they kill the virus and the infected cells. While HAART only reduced the HIV infection blood samples, RIT brought them to undetectable levels.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131203091601.htm

Fire-ant rafts inspiring materials science research

When taking a closer look, nature is oftentimes the best model for advancing our technology. Plants have taught us the importance of light energy, and now insects are sparking ideas in materials science. The fire-ant, an insect feared for its stinging, venom-injecting bite, is being studied for its "viscoelastic" properties. Viscoelastic materials not only resist shear flow and strain when a stress is applied, like honey, but also bounce back to their original shape when stretched out or compressed, like rubber bands. Therefore, these materials are neither solid nor liquid, but a combination of both, like Jell-O and toothpaste. Fire-ants form rafts in the presence of any forceful liquid, but not just any typical ant raft. These rafts actively reorganize their structure. This allows them to more effectively cushion themselves against applied forces, such as raindrops or wave surges.



http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46729

Google Earth improves image for catching fish

One type of fishing trap known as weirs that jut out from coastlines is now facing scrutiny as Google Earth images reveal the traps be snaring six times as many foish than what is officially reported. Using satellite imagery from Google Earth, University of British Columbia researchers estimated that there were 1,900 fishing weirs along the coast of the Persian Gulf during 2005 and that they caught approximately 31,000 tonnes of fish that year. The official number reported by the seven countries in the region to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization was 5,260 tonnes. Fishing weirs are semi-permanent traps that take advantage of tidal differences to catch a wide variety of marine species. The basic purpose is to capture fish by limiting their movement without greatly impeding water flow. In the case of intertidal weirs (like those found in the Persian Gulf), fish swimming parallel to shore at high tide encounter the "wing" and invariably try to escape by swimming into deeper water, eventually entering a smaller enclosure where they are captured by receding tides.



http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46733

80,000 acres swallowed up

The United States has lost approximately 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands between 2004 and 2009 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Much of this loss is blamed on development and has occurred in freshwater regions. Additionally, more than 70% of the loss is from the Gulf of Mexico.  According to the EPA wetland loss in the eastern U.S. is happening at a rate double that of what is being restored. The EPA defines coastal wetlands as "salt marshes, bottomland hardwood swamps, fresh marshes, mangrove swamps, and shrubby depressions known in the southeast United States as 'pocosins.' Coastal wetlands cover about 40 million acres and make up 38 percent of the total wetland acreage in the conterminous United States. Eight-one percent of coastal wetlands in the conterminous United States are located in the Southeast." Wetlands are integral to our ecological network. They support fish and wildlife, improve water quality through filtration and protect against erosion and flooding. Wetlands serve as an absorbent sponge for inland and coastal upstream communities. Flooding events and subsequent economic impact are minimized with the protection and restoration of wetland communities.



http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46724

Ammonia threatens national parks

Ammonia emissions have become a serious concern for scientists at Harvard University. Of particular note, thirty eight U.S. national parks are experiencing "accidental fertilization" at or above a critical threshold for ecological damage according the study recently published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The environmental scientists, experts in air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and ecology, have been studying the fate of nitrogen-based compounds that are blown into natural areas from power plants, automobile exhaust, and—increasingly—industrial agriculture. Nitrogen that finds its way into natural ecosystems can disrupt the cycling of nutrients in soil, promote algal overgrowth and lower the pH of water in aquatic environments, and ultimately decrease the number of species that can survive.



http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46732

Climate change signals a whale eating pattern

Every summer and fall, endangered North Atlantic right whales congregate in the Bay of Fundy between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to gorge on zooplankton. This change in North Atlantic right whale behavior is occurring against a backdrop of major climate-related ecosystem shifts taking place throughout the northwest Atlantic Ocean. While Brown and other right whale researchers are not ready to attribute changes in the species' feeding or migratory patterns to any one factor, including global warming, what is clear to them is that the right whales' new itinerary must signal a shifting food supply.



http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/46728

Clean water filtration: basic necessity

Clean water is a vital concern as many parts of the world struggle with its availability. Kenya is a prime example of a country on the edge. Kenya's people have long struggled with lack of availability of fresh water creating hazardous health conditions. According to the World Bank, the country's population is well over 43 million people. The country is one of the poorest on the earth with one of the most arid climates. Only a small portion of the land is suitable for agriculture.  Further, Natural resources available to Kenya do not support adequate or equitable delivery of water forcing people to spend many hours of each day, procuring water for basic sustenance.  

For those lucky and strong enough to get water, the rate of exposure to pathogens are a massive problem due to the contamination of basins and pumps where water is collected.

http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/46736

Another rotten grinch tale

With the holidays here, Phytophthora root rot is taking hold in the roots of Christmas tree farms throughout Oregon and North Carolina. Phytophthora root rot is a rapidly moving fungus found in poorly drained soils. It causes a slow decline in a tree first destroying the feeder roots and then turning the needles light green or yellow. Pytophthora root rot is difficult to detect and is only verified with laboratory analysis. One study estimated the potential losses to Oregon's nursery and Christmas tree industries of up to $304 million a year if Phytophthora is not properly contained.

Katie McKeever, a Ph.D. candidate in Chastagner's lab, is working under a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to create a nationwide collection of Christmas tree Phytophthoras to understand regional variation in pathogen populations. The goal is to challenge various firs with different Phytophthoras to determine mechanisms of resistance and ultimately develop genetic markers to identify trees resistant to the disease, Chastagner said.

http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/46747