Natural products play an invaluable role as a starting point in the drug discovery process, and plants and animals use many interesting biologically active natural products as chemical defence mechanisms against predators. Among marine organisms, many nudibranch gastropods are known to obtain toxins from what they are eating, such as sponges.
These toxins are used as chemical defences and bright colours to warn potential predators away,
New research suggests that major hurricanes, though devastating to humans, have a minimal impact on salt marshes. The Boston University study reveals coastal ecosystems are more at risk of erosion by waves from moderate storms than from full-fledged tropical storms. In eight different marshes studied in the United States, Italy and Australia, extreme storm events accounted for less than one per cent of erosion.
With two high-profile disasters resulting in 374 deaths, one could easily assume that 2015 was among the deadliest in aviation history. Think again. The crashes of a Germanwings A320 in March, deliberately caused by the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, and a Metrojet A321 in October, due to a suspected bomb, account for most of the year’s aviation fatalities.
Despite concerns over extremist attacks, international tourist numbers increased by 4.4% worldwide in 2015 to a record 1.18 billion. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, France remained the world’s most popular tourist destination, followed by the United States, Spain and China.
If current indicators follow suit, a large percentage Florida’s manatees may soon need a new winter home. Over the next 10-20 years, the state’s coal-fired power plants are expected to close. As 60 percent of the manatee population utilize the plants for refuge during winter, many will be forced to move to the natural springs such as those on the Crystal River. The springs’ constant 74-degree temperatures could soon be overcrowded with the gentle giants.
Abernethy, owner and operator of Scuba Adventures in Florida, had gained the shark's trust through gentle touches, initially to remove five hooks from her mouth. Since 2003, he has been using this method to remove hooks from many different species of sharks, as described in this former article about him, here.
A new study has revealed butterflyfish are particularly fussy about their food and shelter needs, avoiding corals that have come in contact with seaweed. Conducted by the University of Delaware, the study is the first to critically evaluate how coral-seaweed interactions will impact coral associated reef fishes, a key component of coral reef resilience.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can now order some passengers to go through a body scanner, even if they request a full-body pat-down. The change comes at a time of heightened concern about aviation security and terror plots against commercial aviation.
Mandated screening for some passengers would be "warranted by security considerations in order to safeguard transportation security," the TSA said in a document updating the protocol.
Manitoba has released a plan to preserve the world's largest beluga population while numbers remain abundant. "We have a healthy population, but the environment is changing," said Manitoba Conservation Minister Tom Nevakshonoff. "It's a rare opportunity when you can take something that's not in distress and focus on it now to preserve that rather than doing damage control.
On 17th November 2013 Nicholas Lawrence "Nick" Mevoli III died. He had been attempting to set an American record at the Vertical Blue competition at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas.
In contrast to what was previously thought rather than seeing a gradual build-up of waves, the rogue wave will come seemingly out of nowhere.
New research from the University of Oxford in collaboration with the University of Western Australia shows that the anecdotal evidence heard from mariners describing "walls of water" coming at them in the open ocean may not be so far from the truth.
In my article Open Season on US Coastal Sharks, I asked readers to write to each and every member of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission.
