Group items tagged

http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/newsreleases/2011/orangesubstance081811.pdf Alaska - NOAA determines "orange goo" in Alaska's Kivalina village is fungal spores The "orange goo" that washed ashore earlier this month in the remote Eskimo village of Kivalina along Alaska's northwest coast is fungal spores, not microscopic eggs as preliminary analysis indicated. Scientists at the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Auke Bay Laboratory announced last week that the substance was biological in nature, rather than oil or pollution as originally thought by concerned residents of Kivalina. Per standard scientific procedure, samples were sent to NOAA's Analytical Response Team for a more thorough and detailed analysis and verification process. At NOAA's National Ocean Service Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, based in Charleston, S.C., a team of scientists highly-specialized and equipped to analyze microbiologic phenomena such as this determined that the substance is consistent with spores from a fungi that cause rust, a disease that infects only plants causing a rust-like appearance on leaves and stems. Rust fungi reproduce to infect other plants by releasing spores which disperse often times great distances by wind and water. However, whether this spore belongs to one of the 7,800 known species of rust fungi has not yet been determined. More information will be posted on the Alaska Fisheries Science Center website as it becomes available.

"Our experience highlights that virtually all of scientists' deliberative communications, including e-mails and attached documents, can be subject to legal proceedings without limitation. Incomplete thoughts and half-finished documents attached to e-mails can be taken out of context and impugned by people who have a motive for discrediting the findings In addition to obscuring true scientific findings, this situation casts a chill over the scientific process. In future crises, scientists may censor or avoid deliberations, and more importantly, be reluctant to volunteer valuable expertise and technology that emergency responders don't possess. Open, scientific deliberation is critical to science. It needs to be protected in a way that maintains transparency in the scientific process, but also avoids unnecessary intrusions that stifle research vital to national security and economic interests."

"Scientists Tag 20 Loggerhead Turtles off Mid-Atlantic Coast, Test Solar-Powered Tag"

A video documentary on education research for grade 5-12 educators

Dr. Charles Miller Research Interests * Atmospheric Chemistry and Photochemistry * Molecular Spectroscopy * Carbon Cycle Science * Free Radical Structure/Reactivity Relationships

"Friday, December 14th, 2007 Coral in Crisis Bleached corals on coral reef on southern Great Barrier Reef in January 2002. Coral bleaching primarily affects reef building corals when conditions get too warm. Image © Science The world's coral reefs are in great danger, threatened by climate change and rising carbon dioxide levels. In an article published in the journal Science, researchers provide provide three different scenarios for the fate of reef-building corals worldwide as they face higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and the related ocean acidification that slows coral calcification, the process needed for a reef to grow. Increasing CO2 levels have the potential to greatly shift the chemistry of ocean waters, threatening the existence of most coral species. "

RISE ABOVE PLASTIC (RAP) SUCCESS! Green Ambassadors, in partnership with The Surfrider Foundation and The Algalita Marine Research Foundation, created the Rise Above Plastics Program, a student speaker series that encourages Los Angelenos to curb their single-use habits. Through the program, students learn about the impact of plastics on our lives and the environment, including plastic marine debris, chemicals and toxins. Students spread the word to their peers and the community by delivering engaging presentations that encourage practical solutions. In addition to learning about the inherent problems of living in a throwaway society, students learn the value of teamwork and polish their public speaking and presentation skills. In 2009, nearly 20 students participated in the program, delivering 30 presentations to more than 850 students and community members!