The Great Barrier Reef faces a number of challenges, many of which can be directly blamed on humans. However, the Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish is one exception – it is a sea creature that merely feeds on healthy coral, posing a threat to the reef. To deal with the problem, researchers at Queensland University of Technology initially …
Lyme disease is one of the conditions that can stem from being bitten by an infected tick, but luckily, the number of cases appears to be dropping in New England. This is good news, seeing as the Northeast is often one of the hardest hit areas for Lyme disease and other tick-caused ailments (“Here’s one …
Heatwaves can be tolerable for people living in the Western world, assuming they have access to shelter from the sun and cool air. However, this isn’t always the case in other parts of the world, where the temperatures are scorching and there is nowhere to seek refuge. Now, scientists believe that the number of deaths …
Before geologist and oceanographer, Marie Tharp, proved them wrong, most scientists believed the ocean’s floor was a smooth, flat, unimpressive expanse. But in 1952, Tharp, a brilliant geologist who had been relocated to a cramped basement office in New York City, because of the superstition that women bring bad luck at sea, she was not …
Glaciers are vital geographical features, in part because they serve as an indicator for the overall health of the planet. A hot-button environmental issue today is the loss of mass of most of the world’s glacier ice due to global climate change. To get a better idea of the overall health of a glacier, and …
You might not think twice about the plastic straw you use to sip your favorite beverage, but one company is now putting a lot of thought into it – Starbucks. The global coffee chain has announced that it will immediately begin phasing out drinking straws from its 28,000 stores. They will be eliminated almost entirely …
You know those Transition eyeglasses that automatically darken in the bright sunlight then return to normal indoors? The process that makes Transition lenses possible is called tenebrescence, otherwise known as reversible photochromism. Tenebrescence is not a man-made invention developed strictly for sunglasses. It occurs naturally. Some minerals, including hackmanite, have the ability to change color …
Coral reefs are in danger for a number of reasons around the globe, one of which happens to be ocean warming. However, humans are contributing to the demise of coral in a different way as well – with their sunscreen. Yes, sunscreen. Now, Hawaii Gov. David Ige is signing the world’s first ban of the …
Many coastal cities are already prone to flooding, but what if the situation became direr within the next century? This could very well be the case, and it’s all depending on Antarctica. A new study published in Nature recently looked at Antarctica’s ice loss, and discovered that if it continues to melt at the rate …
They’re bright, beautiful, and home to some of the world’s most gorgeous sea creatures, but did you know that coral reefs also play a critical role in the prevention of flooding? This is according to a new study recently published in Nature. “Coral reefs serve as natural, low-crested, submerged breakwaters, which provide flood reduction benefits …