Geosciences posts
- September 2, 2010
- 09:50 AM
- 18 views
Say Hello to Sinoceratops
by Brian Switek in Dinosaur Tracking
It has been a good year for horned dinosaurs. The recent description of Mojoceratops, the discovery of a ceratopsian in Europe, and the long-awaited publication of the New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs volume have all given paleontologists reason to celebrate, and a new study led by Xu Xing reports on another significant discovery: the first [...]... Read more »
XU Xing, WANG KeBai, ZHAO XiJin . (2010) First ceratopsid dinosaur from China and its biogeographical implications. Chinese Science Bulletin, 55(16), 1631-1635. DOI: 10.1007/s11434-009-3614-5
- September 2, 2010
- 06:04 AM
- 27 views
Solar system might be older than we thought…
by Kelly Oakes in Basic Space
Researchers from Arizona State University have found the oldest solar system object ever discovered. In fact, it’s so old that it formed up to two million years before the solar system did, according to current estimates. It might be time for a rethink of when and how our little place in the Universe came into [...]... Read more »
Audrey Bouvier, & Meenakshi Wadhwa. (2010) The age of the Solar System redefined by the oldest Pb–Pb age of a meteoritic inclusion. Nature Geoscience. info:/10.1038/ngeo941
- September 1, 2010
- 09:07 AM
- 27 views
Diversity in the geosciences and the impact of social media
by Chris Rowan in Highly Allochthonous
In the September issue of GSA Today, you can find our article on The Internet as a resource and support network for diverse geoscientists. Where do we go from here? Continue reading →... Read more »
Jefferson, A.J., Hannula, K.A., Campbell, P.B., & Franks, S.E. (2010) The Internet as a resource and support network for diverse geoscientists. GSA Today, 20(9), 59-61. info:/10.1130/GSATG91GW.1
- August 31, 2010
- 11:56 AM
- 38 views
Balaur bondoc: A Raptor Unlike Any You Have Ever Seen
by Brian Switek in Dinosaur Tracking
Thanks to their prominent appearances in museum displays and the Jurassic Park film franchise, many people are very familiar with what dromaeosaurid dinosaurs looked like. Relatively small and lightly-built, these predators had long, grasping hands and a hyperextendable second toe on each foot tipped in a large sickle-shaped claw. But a newly-discovered “raptor” from the [...]... Read more »
Csiki, Z., Vremir, M., Brusatte, S., & Norell, M. (2010) From the Cover: An aberrant island-dwelling theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(35), 15357-15361. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1006970107
- August 30, 2010
- 10:05 PM
- 33 views
All Thirteen Priority Elemental Pollutants Emitted via Oil Sand Extraction
by Michael Long in Phased
David Schindler (University of Alberta, Canada) and coworkers have thoroughly destroyed the claim that oil sand extraction, as currently practiced, is safe for the environment. This news feature was written on August 30, 2010.... Read more »
Kellya, E. N., Schindlera, D. W., Hodsonb, P. V., Shortc, J. W., Radmanovicha, R., & Nielsena, C. C. (2010) Oil sands development contributes elements toxic at low concentrations to the Athabasca River and its tributaries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. info:/10.1073/pnas.1008754107
- August 30, 2010
- 12:01 PM
- 32 views
Debate Over Identity of an Australian Tyrant
by Brian Switek in Dinosaur Tracking
Last March a team of paleontologists led by Roger Benson described what appeared to be a partial hip of a tyrannosauroid dinosaur from Australia—the first-ever trace of this group of dinosaurs on the southern continent. Now, in a comment and reply printed in last week’s Science, Matthew Herne, Jay Nair and Steven Salisbury argue that [...]... Read more »
Herne, M., Nair, J., & Salisbury, S. (2010) Comment on "A Southern Tyrant Reptile". Science, 329(5995), 1013-1013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1190100
Benson, R., Barrett, P., Rich, T., Vickers-Rich, P., Pickering, D., & Holland, T. (2010) Response to Comment on "A Southern Tyrant Reptile". Science, 329(5995), 1013-1013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1190195
- August 30, 2010
- 06:26 AM
- 45 views
when a few million years don’t mean much…
by Greg Fish in weird things
Oh those scientists with their constant corrections. Slightly more than a century ago, they said our planet and the entire solar system was a few hundred million years old, then they said it was 4.56 billion years old after fiddling around with radioactive isotopes in asteroids and meteors. Now, they’re changing the age of the [...]... Read more »
Bouvier, A., & Wadhwa, M. (2010) The age of the Solar System redefined by the oldest Pb–Pb age of a meteoritic inclusion. Nature Geoscience. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo941
- August 27, 2010
- 11:41 AM
- 190 views
It’s just a little pre-digested; it’s still good, it’s still good.
If you want to know about the life and habitat of a woolly mammoth, there is scarcely a better place to look than in its dung. Found frozen in the permafrost or extracted from the intestines of well-preserved specimens, mammoth coprolites are fecal records of the plants which existed in the animal's local environment and [...]... Read more »
VANGEEL, B., APTROOT, A., BAITTINGER, C., BIRKS, H., BULL, I., CROSS, H., EVERSHED, R., GRAVENDEEL, B., KOMPANJE, E., & KUPERUS, P. (2008) The ecological implications of a Yakutian mammoth's last meal. Quaternary Research, 69(3), 361-376. DOI: 10.1016/j.yqres.2008.02.004
van Geel, B., Guthrie, R., Altmann, J., Broekens, P., Bull, I., Gill, F., Jansen, B., Nieman, A., & Gravendeel, B. (2010) Mycological evidence of coprophagy from the feces of an Alaskan Late Glacial mammoth. Quaternary Science Reviews. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.03.008
- August 27, 2010
- 02:55 AM
- 33 views
Effect of climate change on human morbidity and mortality and sea levels
by Sarah Stephen in An ecological oratorio
Climate change has been resulting in quite a many detrimental manifestations which tend to have a domino effect: fluctuations in temperature and precipitation (resulting in climate variability), as well as extreme manifestations such as drought, storms, rise in sea levels, and frequent severe weather events.Consider the research by Grinsted et al (2009) who used a ‘physically plausible four parameter linear response equation’ to relate nearly 2,000 years of global temperatures and sea level. Assuming that this relationship holds from 200 to 2100 AD, IPCC’s temperature scenarios and reconstructed past sea level scenarios were used to visualise future sea level scenarios. The result suggests that climate change will lead to a 0.9-1.3 m change in sea level between 2090-2099. This bodes a certain flooding of low lying coastal regions and islands. Island countries such as Maldives would practically cease to exist. Whilst countries such as Bangladesh may not face such obliteration, such a sea level rise would flood 1/3rd of the country, displacing millions of humans and severely affecting agriculture, irrigation, and livestock.Climate change also has a perceptible impact on human morbidity and mortality (Patz et al, 2005). Climate fluctuations have been linked to diseases and ailments- the evident effects of heat/cold (which, for instance, follows a U-shaped dose-response function with increased mortality in the extreme heat and cold), traumatic physical and mental ailments, and even cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. This even results in altered transmission of infectious diseases (for instance, changes in temperature has been associated with salmonellosis in Europe and cholera in the ‘American south-west’; whilst, changes in rainfall has been associated with Rift valley fever in East Africa, and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and cholera in the American south-west and Bangladesh). When one factors in the effects of climate change on air pollution and the greater ecosystem, the result is quite chaotic. If the future projections of climate change are plausible, then it is likely that these health risks may rise significantly. The ‘potentially vulnerable’ regions includes the temperate latitudes (which may warm disproportionately), and the regions in and around the Pacific and Indian oceans (substantial rainfall variability).But even though the economic North/developed countries are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions, the damaging effects of their actions are most perceived in the poor countries of the South which has (as of yet) contributed least towards the GHG emissions. References:Patz, J., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Holloway, T., & Foley, J. (2005). Impact of regional climate change on human health Nature, 438 (7066), 310-317 DOI: 10.1038/nature04188Grinsted, A., Moore, J., & Jevrejeva, S. (2009). Reconstructing sea level from paleo and projected temperatures 200 to 2100 ad Climate Dynamics, 34 (4), 461-472 DOI: 10.1007/s00382-008-0507-2... Read more »
Patz, J., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Holloway, T., & Foley, J. (2005) Impact of regional climate change on human health. Nature, 438(7066), 310-317. DOI: 10.1038/nature04188
Grinsted, A., Moore, J., & Jevrejeva, S. (2009) Reconstructing sea level from paleo and projected temperatures 200 to 2100 ad. Climate Dynamics, 34(4), 461-472. DOI: 10.1007/s00382-008-0507-2
- August 26, 2010
- 12:43 PM
- 57 views
Yellowstone: what lies beneath
by Chris Rowan in Highly Allochthonous
The best evidence yet that the Yellowstone hotspot is the result of a mantle plume - one that had to burn through a subducting slab to get to the surface. Continue reading →... Read more »
Obrebski, M., Allen, R., Xue, M., & Hung, S. (2010) Slab-plume interaction beneath the Pacific Northwest. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(14). DOI: 10.1029/2010GL043489
- August 26, 2010
- 10:05 AM
- 33 views
Fossil Plant Debris Key to UK Dinosaur Preservation
by Brian Switek in Dinosaur Tracking
When I think of dinosaur bones, the rocky and shrub-flecked expanses of western North America immediately come to mind, but it should not be forgotten that some of the first dinosaurs recognized by science were discovered across the Atlantic in England. Paleontologists have been searching for dinosaurs there longer than anywhere else, and among the [...]... Read more »
Sweetman, S., & Insole, A. (2010) The plant debris beds of the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England: their genesis and palaeontological significance. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 292(3-4), 409-424. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.03.055
- August 26, 2010
- 03:35 AM
- 40 views
Global Temperature Proxy Reconstructions ~ now with CO2 forcing
by apeescape in mind of a Markov chain
Previously, I did a simple Bayesian projection of recent temperature using proxy data and the methods shown in McShane and Wyner (2010). I showed that when you take out the last 30 years of data (1969~1998), the projection does not track the recent uptick in temperatures well. The “projection” is a simple unparametric bootstrap which [...]... Read more »
BLAKELEY B. MCSHANE AND ABRAHAM J. WYNER. (2010) A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE TEMPERATURE PROXIES: ARE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF SURFACE TEMPERATURES OVER THE LAST 1000 YEARS RELIABLE?. Annals of Applied Statistics, 4(3). info:/
- August 24, 2010
- 09:01 PM
- 38 views
What would a Zostera blog be without a Zostera entry?
by John Carroll in Chronicles of Zostera
In the most recent issue of Marine Biology, there is a manuscript addressing the issue of 2 introduced species and their interactions with one another. Its an interesting read - one of the species is a commercially important bivalve, the Manila clam, which was introduced in the early 20th century and is now one of the most commercially harvested clams on the west coast of the US. The second is Zostera japonica, dwarf eelgrass, an introduced seagrass species which can establish itself on tidal flats. The idea is that this new seagrass species may be of detriment to the now commercially important manila clam. While there is certainly literature which suggests that seagrasses might enhance bivalve growth - see works involving hard clams and eelgrass by Elizabeth Irlandi and Mike Judge - it certainly stands to reason that eelgrass dampens water currents, and likely decreases the amount of food available to suspension feeders, particularly those distant from the edge of the seagrass (where the food availability might be enhanced). And so the team led by Chaochung Tsai aimed to investigate the impacts the invasive eelgrass had on the clams, and whether the clams might enhance the introduced grass. They chose 3 habitats - seagrass present, seagrass removed, and harrowed habitats. The presence of seagrass, while not necessarily impacting shell extension of the infaunal manila clam, did significantly negatively influence clam condition (tissue weight to shell volume ratio). On the flip side of the coin, while bivalves have been shown to influence eelgrass growth through nutrient additions - see the Peterson Lab publications - this apparently is not the case for the manila clams and dwarf eelgrass. In this experiment, clams did not enhance growth nor impact sediment porewater nutrients. In fact, the only positive effect of the introduced seagrass was on itself. Pretty interesting (and before I read it, unexpected) results. Tsai, C., Yang, S., Trimble, A., & Ruesink, J. (2010). Interactions between two introduced species: Zostera japonica (dwarf eelgrass) facilitates itself and reduces condition of Ruditapes philippinarum (Manila clam) on intertidal flats Marine Biology, 157 (9), 1929-1936 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-010-1462-0Irlandi, E., & Peterson, C. (1991). Modification of animal habitat by large plants: mechanisms by which seagrasses influence clam growth Oecologia, 87 (3), 307-318 DOI: 10.1007/BF00634584Judge M, Coen L, Heck KL (1993). Does Mercenaria mercenaria encounter elevated food levels in seagrass beds? Results from a novel technique to collect suspended food resources Marine Ecology Progress Series, 92, 141-150... Read more »
Tsai, C., Yang, S., Trimble, A., & Ruesink, J. (2010) Interactions between two introduced species: Zostera japonica (dwarf eelgrass) facilitates itself and reduces condition of Ruditapes philippinarum (Manila clam) on intertidal flats. Marine Biology, 157(9), 1929-1936. DOI: 10.1007/s00227-010-1462-0
Irlandi, E., & Peterson, C. (1991) Modification of animal habitat by large plants: mechanisms by which seagrasses influence clam growth. Oecologia, 87(3), 307-318. DOI: 10.1007/BF00634584
Judge M, Coen L, Heck KL. (1993) Does Mercenaria mercenaria encounter elevated food levels in seagrass beds? Results from a novel technique to collect suspended food resources. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 141-150. info:/
- August 24, 2010
- 06:29 AM
- 43 views
Fancy going on a wild plankton chase?
by Vivienne in Outdoor Science
Fancy going on a wild plankton chase around Antarctica this Christmas? In November 2002, a team of scientists did exactly that. They went on a nine-week expedition around the Southern Ocean – the ocean surrounding Antarctica – looking for a lush marine oasis awash with marine life and previously overlooked by science. Among their trials and tribulations, Dr Walter Geibert [...]... Read more »
Geibert, W., Assmy, P., Bakker, D., Hanfland, C., Hoppema, M., Pichevin, L., Schröder, M., Schwarz, J., Stimac, I., Usbeck, R.... (2010) High productivity in an ice melting hot spot at the eastern boundary of the Weddell Gyre. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 24(3). DOI: 10.1029/2009GB003657
- August 22, 2010
- 04:10 AM
- 58 views
Global Temperature Proxy Reconstructions ~ Bayesian extrapolation of warming w/ rjags
by apeescape in mind of a Markov chain
There are a bunch of “hockey sticks” that calculate past global temps. through the use of proxies when instrumental data is absent. There is a new one out there by McShane and Wyner (2010) that’s creating quite a stir in the blogosphere (here, here, here, here). The main take out being, that the uncertainty is [...]... Read more »
BLAKELEY B. MCSHANE AND ABRAHAM J. WYNER. (2010) A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE TEMPERATURE PROXIES: ARE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF SURFACE TEMPERATURES OVER THE LAST 1000 YEARS RELIABLE?. Annals of Applied Statistics, 4(3). info:/
Mann, M., Zhang, Z., Hughes, M., Bradley, R., Miller, S., Rutherford, S., & Ni, F. (2008) Proxy-based reconstructions of hemispheric and global surface temperature variations over the past two millennia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(36), 13252-13257. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805721105
- August 21, 2010
- 08:16 PM
- 57 views
Friday(ish) Focal Mechanisms: Samoa’s hidden rupture
by Chris Rowan in Highly Allochthonous
How what we thought was one great earthquake turned out to be two, or possibly even three, at the same time. Continue reading →... Read more »
Lay, T., Ammon, C., Kanamori, H., Rivera, L., Koper, K., & Hutko, A. (2010) The 2009 Samoa–Tonga great earthquake triggered doublet. Nature, 466(7309), 964-968. DOI: 10.1038/nature09214
Beavan, J., Wang, X., Holden, C., Wilson, K., Power, W., Prasetya, G., Bevis, M., & Kautoke, R. (2010) Near-simultaneous great earthquakes at Tongan megathrust and outer rise in September 2009. Nature, 466(7309), 959-963. DOI: 10.1038/nature09292
- August 20, 2010
- 12:32 PM
- 25 views
Study: In Communicating about Nano and GMOs, Do the Frames or the Facts Matter?
by Matthew C. Nisbet in Age of Engagement
When attempting to communicate effectively with the public about a science-related debate, which is more important, framing the message or conveying science-based facts about the topic? A forthcoming study (Word) at the Journal of Communication by Northwestern University researchers James Druckman and Toby Bolsen sheds new light on this long standing question.
As I will be highlighting at this blog, previous research consistently finds that the public typically form opinions in the absence of factual information, instead relying on mental short-cuts based on personal experience, values, and the selective presentation—or “framing”--of an issue.
Frames influence perceptions and decisions because they focus on just one dimension of a complex topic over another, in the process communicating why an issue matters, why it might be personally relevant, and why a related action might lead to specific benefits or risks.
Understanding and applying research on framing is particularly relevant to engaging the public on emerging issues such as nanotechnology and genetic engineering, but it also applies to communicating about entrenched policy debates such as climate change. For example, in a recent study I conducted with Ed Maibach and colleagues, we find that when climate change is re-framed as a health problem rather than an environmental one, this re-interpretation is evaluated favorably and positively by a broad cross-section of Americans. A frame in essence switches the train of thought for an audience, leading to a different set of attributions and conclusions.
Framing is an unavoidable aspect of human communication. There is no such thing as unframed information. On science-related issues, this idea is difficult to grasp for some advocates and scientists who still view communication through the lens of what scholars call the “deficit model” which assumes that opinion formation is a direct consequence of knowledge (or alternatively ignorance). If the public only better understood the facts of a scientific topic they would more likely view the issue as scientists do and controversy would go away.
There is no question that deliberate decisions to selectively frame an issue can be used to deceive, but they can also be used to more effectively explain and engage audiences, boosting interest, attention, and learning. As an example, in a recently published book chapter, I discussed the audience research approach that the National Academies used in framing the structure of a report on the teaching of evolution in schools (PDF).
A second example is our recent research on the potential to re-frame climate as a health problem. Not only does this new focus likely increase personal significance and relevance among Americans but it also communicates about objectively real and scientifically well-documented health risks that the public should know about. It also starts to promote greater attention to adaptation policies and strategies--such as evacuation procedures, water and agricultural sanitation policies, improved housing, cooling stations during heat waves, and new transportation infrastructures-- that are needed to protect people and communities and that also result in healthier and higher quality lives.
Frames vs. Facts on Nano and GMOs
The forthcoming study by James Druckman and Toby Bolsen provides new understanding and data on how frames influence public perceptions and decisions about emerging areas of science. Later today, I will post an interview with Druckman about his research (read it here). In the rest of this post, I discuss and provide background on the study.
Druckman and Bolsen were interested in understanding whether the inclusion of facts--specifically reference to the findings of a scientific study---added additional power and influence to the framing of nanotechnology and genetically modified food.
These issues--like many science debates--are often debated and talked about in terms of benefits and risks, typically in very general terms without much reference to actual scientific research. Does providing more precise information about scientific findings relative to benefits and risks matter to public judgments or are more general assertions what really drive perceptions?
Importantly, Druckman and Bolsen also wanted to know whether after a frame was set on an issue, how did subjects then interpret information about scientific studies on the topic? Were subjects open to re-considering their views or did they interpret the studies as fitting with their pre-conceived opinion?
On election day in 2008, Druckman and Bolsen assembled 20 teams of students to conduct exit polls of 621 voters in the Chicago region, querying voters on their perceptions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and genetically-modified foods (GMOs). For the interviews, voters were randomly assigned to separate frame and issue conditions.
For different groups of voters, CNTs or GMOS were defined using either a “fact” free frame or fact-based frame, with an emphasis on either benefits or risks. In the case of CNTs, respondents were read the following introduction followed by one of the following frames, depending on their assigned experimental condition. A similar method was used on GMOs (see the paper for more details):
One of the most pressing issues facing the nation—as has been clear from the election—concerns the limitations to our energy supply (e.g., with regard to coal, oil and natural gas). One approach to addressing this issue is to rely more on carbon nanotubes or CNTs. CNTs are tiny graphite with distinct chemical properties. They efficiently convert sunlight into electricity, and thus, serve as an alternative to coal, oil, and natural gas. The uncertain long-term effects of CNTs are the subject of continued study and debate.
Fact Free Benefits of Nanotechnology
Most agree that the most important implication of CNTs concerns how they will affect energy cost and availability. A recent study on cost and availability showed that CNTs will double the efficiency of solar cells in the coming years.
Fact Free Risks of Nanotechnology
Most agree that the most important implication of CNTs concerns their unknown long-run implications for human health. A recent study on health showed that mice injected with large quantities of CNTs reacted in the same way as they do when injected with asbestos.
Fact-based Benefits of Nanotechnology
A recent study on cost and availability showed that CNTs will double the efficiency of solar cells in the coming years.
Fact-based Risks of Nanotechnology
A recent study on health showed that mice injected with large quantities of CNTs reacted in the same way as they do when injected with asbestos.
Subjects were asked on a 7 point scale to express their level of support or opposition for either CNTs or GMOs depending on the frame condition. Other questions measuring pre-existing levels of scientific knowledge, demographic background, and generalized views about science were asked and used as controls in their analysis.
After completing the interviews on Election Day, participants were re-contacted 10 days later. At this time, depending on their frame condition, they were presented with reminder information about CNTs and GM foods. Then, for each technology, respondents evaluated the “effectiveness” of three distinct factually based scientific studies “in providing information or making an argument” (on 7-point scales with higher scores indicating increased effectiveness). Respondents also rated the extent to which each study opposed or supported the technology (on 7-point scales with higher scores indicating increased effectiveness), and re-reported their overall support for each technology.
In their analysis Druckman and Bolsen find that on both issues, frames that emphasize general statements about either the benefits or the risks of the technology influenced perceptions, with slightly stronger effects for the risk conditions. Yet importantly, when frames included “facts” that reference specific findings from scientific studies, the inclusion did not significantly enhance the power of the frames.
As they conclude, contrary to the strong emphasis of the deficit model on promoting scientific literacy as the key to communication, referencing facts adds little to how framing influences individuals’ opinions about new technologies.
Finally, when they analyzed the results of the follow-up interviews, they found that how subjects evaluated information presented about research on the technologies was strongly influenced by their pre-existing views. In other words, much like a strong Democrat or Republican tends to view even favorable news coverage as reinforcing their pre-existing opinion of an opposing party's cand... Read more »
Maibach, E., Nisbet, M., Baldwin, P., Akerlof, K., & Diao, G. (2010) Reframing climate change as a public health issue: an exploratory study of public reactions. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 299. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-299
- August 20, 2010
- 10:21 AM
- 53 views
Prehistoric Poo Linked Dinosaurs to Snails
by Brian Switek in Dinosaur Tracking
One of the many reasons I love paleontology is that every now and then I stumble across a paper on some aspect of ancient life I had never considered before. There is much more to the science than descriptions of new species, and one of the studies that most recently caught my eye carried the [...]... Read more »
CHIN, K., HARTMAN, J., & ROTH, B. (2009) Opportunistic exploitation of dinosaur dung: fossil snails in coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana. Lethaia, 42(2), 185-198. DOI: 10.1111/j.1502-3931.2008.00131.x
- August 19, 2010
- 02:00 PM
- 55 views
Scientists With Data Agree…A Deepwater Oil Plume Exists in the Gulf
by Dr. M in Deep Sea News
BP want’s to deny the presence of a deepwater oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico. The very oil plume both predicted by models published in 2003. The very oil plume that the massive amounts of dispersant injected at depth created to prevent oil from washing ashore. Even the government wants to deny the existence of any . . . → Read More: Scientists With Data Agree…A Deepwater Oil Plume Exists in the Gulf... Read more »
Richard Camilli, Christopher M. Reddy, Dana R. Yoerger, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Michael V. Jakuba, James C. Kinsey, Cameron P. McIntyre, Sean P. Sylva, & James V. Maloney. (2010) Tracking Hydrocarbon Plume Transport and Biodegradation at Deepwater Horizon. Science. info:/10.1126/science.1195223
- August 19, 2010
- 12:33 PM
- 60 views
Marine Snow: dead organisms and poop as manna in the ocean
by Hannah Waters in Culturing Science – biology as relevant to us earthly beings
“When I think of the floor of the deep sea…I see always the steady, unremitting, downward drift of materials from above, flake upon flake, layer upon layer…the most stupendous “snowfall” the earth has ever seen.” -Rachel Carson, The Sea Around … Continue reading →... Read more »
Bochdansky, A., van Aken, H., & Herndl, G. (2010) Role of macroscopic particles in deep-sea oxygen consumption. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(18), 8287-8291. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0913744107
Boyce, D., Lewis, M., & Worm, B. (2010) Global phytoplankton decline over the past century. Nature, 466(7306), 591-596. DOI: 10.1038/nature09268
Fowler, S., Buat-Menard, P., Yokoyama, Y., Ballestra, S., Holm, E., & Nguyen, H. (1987) Rapid removal of Chernobyl fallout from Mediterranean surface waters by biological activity. Nature, 329(6134), 56-58. DOI: 10.1038/329056a0
Goldthwait, S., Carlson, C., Henderson, G., & Alldredge, A. (2005) Effects of physical fragmentation on remineralization of marine snow. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 59-65. DOI: 10.3354/meps305059
Iseki, K. (1981) Particulate Organic Matter Transport to the Deep Sea by Salp Fecal Pellets. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 55-60. DOI: 10.3354/meps005055
Lampitt, R., Hillier, W., & Challenor, P. (1993) Seasonal and diel variation in the open ocean concentration of marine snow aggregates. Nature, 362(6422), 737-739. DOI: 10.1038/362737a0
SILVER, M., SHANKS, A., & TRENT, J. (1978) Marine Snow: Microplankton Habitat and Source of Small-Scale Patchiness in Pelagic Populations. Science, 201(4353), 371-373. DOI: 10.1126/science.201.4353.371
Turner, J. (2002) Zooplankton fecal pellets, marine snow and sinking phytoplankton blooms. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 57-102. DOI: 10.3354/ame027057
WOTTON, R., & MALMQVIST, B. (2001) Feces in Aquatic Ecosystems. BioScience, 51(7), 537. DOI: 10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0537:FIAE]2.0.CO;2
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