ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

As rising sea levels cause marshes to move inland in six mid-Atlantic states, coastal habitats will not serve as a carbon sink but instead will release more carbon into the atmosphere, a new modeling study finds. The research raises questions about the persistence of coastal habitats' carbon benefits in the face of sea level rise.

Scientists have a greater understanding of the amount of microplastics polluting Flathead Lake, the likely sources of these microplastics and what can be done to prevent more from finding their way into the lake's world-renowned pristine water.

An international team of 114 scientists reports the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. Among their many findings, they document for the first time that turtles, crocodilians and salamanders have particularly low aging rates and extended lifespans for their sizes. The team also finds that protective phenotypes, such as the hard shells of most turtle species, contribute to slower aging, and in some cases even 'negligible aging' -- or lack of biological aging.

Climate change is putting an enormous strain on global water resources, and according to researchers, the Tibetan Plateau is suffering from a water imbalance so extreme that it could lead to an increase in international conflicts.

Scientists have found a way to bypass the need for biological photosynthesis altogether and create food independent of sunlight by using artificial photosynthesis. The technology uses a two-step electrocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate. Food-producing organisms then consume acetate in the dark to grow. The hybrid organic-inorganic system could increase the conversion efficiency of sunlight into food, up to 18 times more efficient for some foods.

Economists find that many air travelers more readily choose faster, but more expensive carbon offsetting options online if selecting a slower option requires action. However, the readiness to do so decreases as the gap between the most and the least expensive option increases.

Microplastic pollution is known to negatively impact seed germination and seedling growth. Although some studies have demonstrated the effects of microplastics on seed germination, the impact of microplastics on the internal biological activity of seeds remained unknown. Now, a group of researchers has used biospeckle optical coherence tomography to reveal that microplastics significantly hinder the internal activity in lentil seeds during germination and can lead to stunted growth at later stages.

Scientists have discovered that stretching of the continents is likely to have caused one of the most extreme and abrupt episodes of global warming in Earth history.

Summertime beachgoers are all too familiar with the painful reality of a jellyfish sting. But how do the stinging cells of jellyfish and their coral and sea anemone cousins actually work? New research unveils a precise operational model for the stinging organelle of the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. The study involved the application of cutting-edge microscopic imaging technologies along with the development of a biophysical model to enable a comprehensive understanding of a mechanism that has remained elusive for over a century.

Mangrove forests play a vital role in the health of our planet. The trees and shrubs absorb a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions, help protect communities from rising sea levels, and act as nurseries for baby fish.

Scientists have created a membrane made from a waste by-product of vegetable oil manufacturing, which can filter out heavy metals from contaminated water. In tests, they showed that this process of attraction, called adsorption, was able to purify contaminated water to a degree that meets international drinking standards.

Researchers recently turned to pottery to tease apart the navigational history of the Caribbean, analyzing the composition of 96 fired clay fragments across 11 islands. The study was conducted in the Greater Antilles and marks the first time that pottery artifacts from the Lucayan Islands -- The Bahamas plus the Turks and Caicos Islands -- have been analyzed to determine their elemental composition and origin.

A new study has evaluated the link between air pollution and lung function of young adults who had recently attained their expected maximum lung function. The study found that participants with higher exposure to ambient and household air pollution had worse results in lung function tests.

Scientists have assessed how robotics and autonomous systems might facilitate or impede the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their findings identify key opportunities and key threats that need to be considered while developing, deploying and governing robotics and autonomous systems.

Microplastics are found nearly everywhere on Earth and can be harmful to animals if they're ingested. But it's hard to remove such tiny particles from the environment, especially once they settle into nooks and crannies at the bottom of waterways. Now, researchers have created a light-activated fish robot that 'swims' around quickly, picking up and removing microplastics from the environment.