science wire

Origins of 'The Hoff' crab revealed
The history of a new type of crab, nicknamed 'The Hoff' because of its hairy chest, has been revealed for the first time. A team led by Oxford University scientists has found that, far from being 'relics' marooned in their deep sea habitat, Yeti crabs (Kiwaidae) are, in evolutionary terms, relative newcomers that diversified 40 million years ago.

"Regret-free" approaches for adapting agriculture to climate change
A new study calls for governments and farmers to adapt to climate shifts, despite uncertainties about what growing conditions will look like decades from now.

Going Public: The OPAL labs
A nationwide project is harnessing the curiosity of communities, raising environmental awareness and generating publishable data at the same time.

Pesticides harm more than bees, says biologist’s study
Pesticides harm more than bees, says biologist's study Soil organisms, aquatic life and farmland birds may all be harmed by neonicotinoid insecticides, according to a new study by University of Sussex biologist Professor Dave Goulson.

Cambridge unveils plans to become Retrofit City
A new network of public and private sector organisations aims to carry out retrofits across Cambridge, bringing down carbon emissions, cutting energy costs, and helping to make it the first city to meet the UK Climate Change Act carbon reduction target of 80% by 2050.

Radio 4 documentary explores our fascination with it all going wrong in British politics
1984 , Scotch on the Rocks , V for Vendetta — there's a longstanding tradition in British fiction of authors imagining the ways in which British democracy could go wrong.

Plymouth retains first class status in People & Planet Green League
The University has again been named among the top two institutions in the country in the annual People and Planet Green League.

Modelling future global flood risk under climate change
Flood risk is projected to increase in humid areas in Asia and Africa and decrease in most regions of Europe except the UK and northern France by the end of this century, according to a new model published today. An international team of researchers, including Dr Dai Yamazaki from the University of Bristol, estimated the change in global flood risk in the 21st century with a state-of-the-art global hydrodynamics model that used the outputs from 11 global climate models under the latest climate change scenarios.

Beachcombing for early humans in Africa
From the earliest modern humans to the present day, our species has evolved dramatically in both biological and behavioural terms. What forces prompted these momentous changes? We have many human remains - about 700 fragments - mostly dating from between 12,000 and 7,000 years ago, which match the age of this beach.

Catastrophic climatic events leave corals with a decade-long fight for recovery
Coral reefs can take more than a decade to recover from catastrophic climatic events, with some species taking up to 13 years to recolonise their original habitats, scientists have discovered. Marine conservationists from Plymouth University, and the Universidad Federal da Bahia in Brazil, have spent more than 17 years analysing the diversity and density of coral colonies off the coast of South America.

Protecting and planting forest carbon is important but does not offset fossil fuel emissions
Policy-makers and the off-setting industry worldwide need to re-think the idea that planting trees can offset carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, says an international study published today.

Work begins on £5.6m Romax building at University’s Innovation Park
Work has started on the development of a new building for Romax Technology, one of the world's leading gearbox, bearing and driveline engineering companies.

Scientists dig for the truth behind soil hydrophobia
Scientists have launched a major new study in a bid to understand why natural soils can develop a ‘fear of water’ after periods of dryness and drought. Researchers at Plymouth and Swansea Universities will investigate the causes of ‘hydrophobicity’, a condition whereby microbes in the soil produce proteins that prevent it from absorbing water.

GPS, camera traps and dung expose the secret life of endangered elephants
“We can only manage what we measure” — that is the key to a unique research project which is working towards scientifically proven, evidence-based, conservation of the Malaysian elephant.

Bee and wild flower biodiversity loss slows
Declines in the biodiversity of pollinating insects and wild plants have slowed in recent years, according to a new study. Researchers led by the University of Leeds and the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands found evidence of dramatic reductions in the diversity of species in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands between the 1950s and 1980s. But the picture brightened markedly after 1990, with a slowdown in local and national biodiversity losses among bees, hoverflies and wild plants.

Linking climate change and human evolution
Rapid climate change during the Middle Stone Age, between 80,000 and 40,000 years ago, during the Middle Stone Age, sparked surges in cultural innovation in early modern human populations, according to new research. The research, published in the journal Nature [21 May], was conducted by a team of scientists from Cardiff University's School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Barcelona.

Gold for Nottingham at Chelsea
Nottingham academics have won a Gold Medal at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

‘State should expand policy on fuel poverty’

Shedding light on forests
By using advanced imaging technology, scientists are able to map on an unprecedentedly large scale - and in remarkably accurate detail - what is happening to these precious resources worldwide. 

International Day for Biological Diversity: projects at Imperial
The 2013 UN International Day of Biological Diversity explores the theme of water and biodiversity. This year, the International Day of Biological Diversity coincides with the UN's International Year of Water Cooperation , so let's take a look through some of the research being undertaken across the College around these important themes.

Global warming continues; most extreme projections 'less likely'
A new study led by Oxford University concludes that the latest observations of the climate system's response to rising greenhouse gas levels are consistent with conventional estimates of the long-term ‘climate sensitivity', despite a “warming pause” over the past decade.

Global warming continues but most extreme projections ’less likely’
Observations of the climate's response to rising greenhouse gas levels are consistent with conventional estimates of long-term 'climate sensitivity', despite a "warming pause" over the past decade.

Tiger, tiger, not burning so bright
India's tigers are facing extinction owing to a collapse in the variety of their mating partners, according to new research carried out by scientists at Cardiff University. India is a refuge for approximately 60% of the world's wild tigers, yet even here their numbers remain low and genetic diversity is declining rapidly making them increasingly vulnerable to extinction.

Measure your 'nitrogen footprint'
Researchers have calculated that beef generates about twice as much nitrogen as pork, and almost three times as much as chicken or fish.

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs
Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers from the University of Bristol.

Global carbon dioxide level reaches historic high of 400 parts per million
As the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passes a landmark value, Imperial scientists take stock of implications for our climate.

Effects of climate change on UK wildlife
Flooding is a risk for most UK mammals and climate change is also affecting several British reptile and amphibian species, according to research by leading Oxford University scientists. Their research is contained in a series of Report Cards launched today that sets out to explain the key trends in how the British countryside is responding to climate change.

Oxford announces Shell support for energy research
Oxford University has announced that Shell International Exploration and Production B.V. (Shell) has contributed a £5.9m boost to research into natural energy resources at the University's Dep

May Fest returns to University Park
They say the best things in life are free and May Fest — The University of Nottingham's jam-packed community open day — should definitely be on this list.

Climate change: can nature help us?
Hard-engineered sea walls have a limited life span. Could saltmarshes and mangroves offer a different approach to buffering against storm surges and coastal erosion? Do we really want to lose these buffers and face increasing costs of sea wall maintenance? Iris Moller Flooding, landslides, crop failure, water shortages.

Mission to measure world’s forest will launch in 2019
An earth observation mission to measure the world's forests from space which was the brain child of a University of Sheffield professor will be launched in 2019.

New headquarters for world’s largest radio telescope
07 May 2013 Less than a year after the decision to site the revolutionary Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in Southern Africa and Australia, the SKA Organisation has opened its new international headquarters.

Researchers calculate the global highways of invasive marine species
Globalisation, with its ever increasing demand for cargo transport, has inadvertently opened the flood gates for a new, silent invasion. New research has mapped the most detailed forecast to date for importing potentially harmful invasive species with the ballast water of cargo ships.

Royal Society Fellowships awarded to three Imperial scientists
Fellowship of the Royal Society has been granted for three scientists at Imperial College London today.

'Dirty dozen' invasive species threaten UK
Effective management of invasive species depends on rapid detection and control Belinda Gallardo Parts of the UK are at greater risk of invasion by non-native aquatic species than previously thought, according to new research. The first to include human factors in models used to predict where invasive species will arrive and spread, the study shows the Thames, Anglian and Humber river basins are most vulnerable.

Solved: riddle of ancient Nile kingdom’s longevity
30 Apr 2013 Researchers have solved the riddle of how one of Africa's greatest civilisations survived a catastrophic drought which wiped out other famous dynasties.

New book equips next generation with tools to make cities more energy efficient
A guide for understanding how cities can be more energy efficient is being launched this week. Understanding the impact that biomass burning stoves in rural Kenya are having on the environment and models that enable planners to plot a path for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in cities are some of the topics covered in a new textbook, developed by academics from Imperial College London.

New website provides comprehensive picture of wave energy trials
Information collected during impact assessment activities at wave energy test centres across Europe is to be released through a new website.

UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants awarded to 22 new projects
22 new research projects have been awarded funding of up to £5,000 through the 2013 UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants Scheme.

New £25,000 scheme launched to boost skills in West Midlands firms
WMG at the University of Warwick has launched a new initiative to allow 25 West Midlands firms to take on a skilled intern to help them develop new products or services.

Earth Day premiere for climate science film
On Earth Day (22 April), a film about how scientists are trying to understand the world's changing climate will get its premiere in a special screening at Oxford University's Said Business School, 5pm.

Report lays out how farmers in Africa hold key to growing more with less impact
African smallholder farmers can increase food production and reduce poverty without harming the environment, says a new briefing paper launched today.

Sussex collaboration with Met Office and British Library to understand environmental change in the Indian Ocean
Sussex collaboration with Met Office and British Library to understand environmental change in the Indian Ocean The University of Sussex, The British Library and The UK Met Office have agreed to share historical weather and climate data to enhance understanding of environmental change in the Indian Ocean area during the colonial period.

New project encourages community to go wild about their woodland
Communities in Plymouth will be able to play a major part in protecting their local woodlands thanks to a new project which aims to inspire and reconnect people with wildlife.

Plymouth University scientist works with Oscar winner for environmental film
An internationally renowned scientist from Plymouth University has worked with multi award-winning actor Jeremy Irons on a major documentary about marine pollution.

Sustainable Nottingham benefits community groups
The University of Nottingham has set up a novel scheme to improve its environmental impact, while helping schools and charities to provide better facilities for local people.

Biologist stands up for the Amazon
University of Sussex biologist stands up for the Amazon University of Sussex conservation biologist Dr Mika Peck will be standing up for the wildlife and people of the Amazon Basin when he heads an international team on a 1300km paddle down the mighty Amazon River in July.

£1.1 Million grant for Chemistry
Dr Alex Cowan from the Department of Chemistry has been awarded a five year EPSRC Fellowship totalling £1.1M to explore the reduction of carbon dioxide by catalysts using sunlight as the energy source (photocatalysts) to produce chemical fuels in a form of artificial photosynthesis.

Resurgence of endangered deer in Patagonian ’Eden’ highlights conservation success
New research shows that collaborative approaches to conservation can give hope to endangered species such as Chilean national icon the Huemul deer.

UCL colleagues pay tribute to Dr Katharine Giles
Dr Katharine Giles was tragically killed in a cycling accident on Monday 8 April. Here, her colleagues in UCL Earth Sciences pay tribute.

Sustainability science summer school
The Sustainable Places Research Institute is launching a new sustainability science summer school to be run in June 2013.

Environmental change triggers rapid evolution
A University of Leeds-led study, published in the journal Ecology Letters, overturns the common assumption that evolution only occurs gradually over hundreds or thousands of years. Instead, researchers found significant genetically transmitted changes in laboratory populations of soil mites in just 15 generations, leading to a doubling of the age at which the mites reached adulthood and large changes in population size.

Being there: turning research into action in Gabon
Michelle Lee first set foot in Gabon in 2001: 'I went with just a backpack expecting to stay three weeks, but ended up being the project manager there for six years,' she tells me.

Sir Partha’s ’green’ report for Indian PM published
08 Apr 2013 The Prime Minister of India, has inaugurated a newreport on Green National Accounts for India.

Cutting airborne pollutants could have a large effect on climate
Science journalist Tatiana Moreno talks to Dr Apostolos Voulgarakis about the impact of airborne pollutants on our planet's changing climate. Some airborne pollutants change the make-up of our planet's atmosphere where, according to a wealth of recent research, they can strongly influence regional and global climate.

Product pipeline: Sustainable lifestyles
As small changes in our behaviour can have a big impact on the environment, researchers are busy working to make our lifestyles more sustainable. 1. Plastic fantastic Co-founded by Visiting Professor Vernon Gibson (Chemistry), spin-out company Plaxica is converting sugars, such as cereals and sugar cane, into the next generation of plastics.

Literary sleuths find genuine author
A little-known Thai woman is the real author of an important Buddhist treatise - not the high-profile monk previously credited, according to new findings. Thammanuthamma-patipatti [Practice in perfect conformity with the Dhamma] contains a series of dialogues that supposedly took place between two of the most prominent monks in 20th century Thailand, and is widely considered a valuable and profound Buddhist text.

David MacKay appointed Regius Professor of Engineering
Acclaimed author of "Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air" will be first holder of Royally-appointed engineering post at Cambridge.

Expert group issues health warning for procurement on NHS Sustainability Day
The National Health Service will need to bring together multidisciplinary teams of clinicians and procurement specialists if it is to adjust to potential global resource shortages and guarantee patie

Unilever signs strategic research agreement with University
Unilever, one of the world's biggest suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods, has signed a framework agreement with The University of Nottingham which will see the company exploring new research oppor

Nottingham-Australia collaboration on environmental conservation of the future
The national parks, nature reserves and wetlands of the semi-arid wheatbelt of Western Australia with their rich diversity of flora and fauna are the backdrop for new research to improve the management of natural resources in the 21st century.

Becoming an Expert: Ewan Minter
Ewan, from Wickwar, graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2010 with a 1 st class honours degree in Zoology.

£3M award to study how Northern European seas absorb carbon
Scientists at the University of Liverpool are embarking on a series of research cruises to understand the impact of climate warming on the ecosystems of the seas surrounding North West Europe.

Roads could help rather than harm the environment
Many roads are causing irreparable damage to nature but properly planned roads could actually help the environment It's 'location, location, location'.

New sound work set to bring ruins to life
An audio collage which brings new life to the ruins of St. Peter's Seminary and Kilmahew Woods by Cardross in Argyll is set to have its first public airing at an event on Saturday 23 March.

Behind the wheel of company profits
Small-car manufacturer Fiat beat its efficiency record in the 2008 recession while former high-achievers Toyota and BMW showed their worst results in 10 years, according to a new study. Sustainable Value in Automobile Manufacturing ranks 17 of the world’s leading car makers according to how efficiently they used environmental, social and economic resources from 1999 to 2010.

European survey aims to gauge perceptions of marine litter
The survey, being conducted by Plymouth University, will assess how people’s attitudes towards the impacts and the potential solutions to this growing environmental problem vary between countries and

Climate Week calls for social and political action on carbon neutral energy
Grantham Institute for Climate Change has signed the Climate Week Declaration, urging social and political action on energy efficiency and carbon emissions for the UK.

Climate Change
According to results of a major new national survey, belief in climate change and levels of concern in Wales are now at their highest level for a number of years.

Becoming an Expert: Samuel Pownall
Placing a value on the effect that the sight of a secluded rural landscape has on a person or community seems like an impossible task, but this is precisely the question that Marine Biology student, Samuel Pownall, is attempting to address.

Scientists awarded grant to determine UK’s greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers in the University of Bristol's Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group (ACRG), in collaboration with scientists around the country, have been awarded funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to provide an independent 'top-down' check on the UK's greenhouse gas emissions estimates.

Report calls for Bradford’s hidden asset to be uncovered
Report calls for Bradford's hidden asset to be uncovered A river once deemed the 'filthiest in England' could become attractive and healthy again, according to the final report of the Bradford Beck project, published today (5 March 2013). The report lays out ambitious plans to clean up and improve the river, allowing wildlife to thrive and making it an asset to the West Yorkshire city.

Audio walk to reveal the climatic history of British beauty spot
PA 57/13 A new audio walk developed by University of Nottingham researchers is to help walkers at a Cumbrian beauty spot to unlock its rich history and learn about the dramatic climate and weather conditions that shape its landscape.

Caves point to thawing of Siberia
Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could see permanently frozen ground thaw over a large area of Siberia, threatening release of carbon from soils, and damage to natural and human environments. A thaw in Siberia's permafrost (ground frozen throughout the year) could release over 1,000 giga-tonnes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, potentially enhancing global warming.

Smart way for seafarers to track effects of climate change
The public science project will measure the amount of phytoplankton - minute organisms at the very start of the marine food chain - currently residing in the world’s oceans.

Governing pollution from ships
A new University research report has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current international regulations to control air pollution from ships. An associated report also looks at possible enforcement issues associated with suggested future controls on ships' carbon emissions. Funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) the research was carried out by the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC), an internationally-renowned research centre based at the Cardiff School of Social Sciences.

Plymouth University gains Silver Accreditation for sustainability performance in the LiFE Index
Plymouth University is one of the first two in the country institutions to have gained Silver Accreditation in the Learning in Future Environments (LiFE) sustainability assessment tool.

UCL staff invited to partake in study on ’leading and managing the civic university’
UCL is inviting staff to take part in an international study on the role of 'civic universities' and colleagues are invited to participate in a survey to gather data for a case study covering UCL's civic engagement.

Energy efficiency and human behaviour
Dwellings are heterogeneous. A decarbonisation strategy that works well for one may not work for another." —Scott Kelly Improving the energy efficiency of the UK's existing building stock is vital to meeting the UK's climate change mitigation targets. Currently at least 30% of all end use Green House Gas (GHG) emissions are from the UK residential sector.

UCL joins forces with London Wildlife Trust

Scientists measure the Saharan weather
University of Sussex geographers have been involved in a short film about an academic project to observe one of the most extreme climates on Earth.

Environment schemes for kids influence parents’ behaviour
Teaching children about the environment can affect the knowledge and behaviour of their parents, according to new research.

Scientists call for greater legislation on plastic waste
Items of plastics waste should be classed as hazardous because of the detrimental effect they can have on people and wildlife, scientists have warned.

The wind in the willows
Wetland trees are a significant overlooked source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, according to a new study by researchers at The Open University and the Universities of Bristol and Oxford. The study, led by Vincent Gauci of The Open University and published in the journal New Phytologist, may help to resolve an ongoing controversy about the origins of methane in the tropics.

Global Ocean Commission launched
The Global Ocean Commission, an independent body of international leaders based at Somerville College with the aim of reversing the degradation of the ocean, is launched today.

Understanding the risks of high-carbon assets
The University of Oxford will today launch a new research programme to help businesses and policy-makers future proof against investments in assets that might become devalued or written off, otherwise known as 'stranded'. Assets become stranded for a number of different reasons: they can be supplanted by greener alternatives or technological innovations, or in sectors experiencing change due to new regulations or resource constraints.

Renewable energy targets unachievable in an independent Scotland experts warn
The Scottish government's ambitious targets for renewable energy would become “politically unachievable” in an independent Scotland, experts have warned.

Earth League assembles at Imperial to take on global sustainability challenge
The inaugural meeting of the Earth League, a voluntary alliance of leading scientists and institutions addressing earth science and sustainability challenges, took place at Imperial College London yesterday, 7 February 2013.

Date of dinosaur extinction fixed more accurately than ever before
The demise of the dinosaurs is the world's ultimate whodunit. Was it a comet or asteroid impact? Volcanic eruptions? Climate change? In an attempt to resolve the issue, an international team of scientists have determined the most precise dates yet for the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago and for the well-known impact that occurred around the same time.

Models move from brain to rain
One of climate scientists' key ambitions is to predict future climate change more accurately. They create incredibly detailed computer models, but even these cannot calculate all the infinite detail of the real climate. The inevitable approximations they have to make mean that when it comes to rainfall - one of the most important, yet tricky, aspects of climate - different models seem to say very different things.

Cormorants cannot capture the benefits of global warming
Even though cormorants seem ideally placed to benefit from global warming, by expanding their breeding range into the far north, the darkness of the polar night is likely to keep them firmly in their place, according to research published this week by scientists at the University of Birmingham in the Journal of Zoology.

Low rainfall and extreme temperatures doubles risk of baby elephant deaths
Extremes of temperature and rainfall are affecting the survival of elephants working in timber camps in Myanmar and can double the risk of death in calves aged up to five, new research from the University of Sheffield has found. With climate change models predicting higher temperatures and months without rainfall; this could decrease the populations of already endangered Asian elephants.

Birds may need a hand to weather climate change
Birds in Asia may need a helping hand to adapt to climate change, according to scientists. A new study led by Durham University and BirdLife International, shows that many bird species are likely to suffer under future climate change, and will require enhanced protection of important sites, better management of the wider countryside, and in some of the most extreme cases may need to be physically moved to climatically suitable areas to help them survive.

Future looks green for British construction
Cardiff University's School of Engineering has developed a unique web platform set to boost the profile of sustainable building solutions across the UK.

£12.9m for UK Catalysis Research Centre
In an exciting joint venture, scientists from UCL will play a leading role in the development of a UK catalysis research hub.

After the flood: harnessing the power of mud
Both types of approach to coastal defence can be brought together to reduce risks and provide a long-term and robust response to the threat of catastrophic coastal flooding." —Tom Spenc

Endangered species project receives vital funding
The University's Danau Girang Field Centre in Borneo has received over £300,000 of funding from the Sime Darby Foundation.

University gives approval for the first phase of the North West Cambridge development
The governing body of the University of Cambridge, the Regent House, has given formal approval for the commencement of the first phase of the North West Cambridge development.

Imperial alumni gather in India

Bats split on family living
For the tiny Daubenton's bat, the attractions of family life seem to vary more with altitude than with the allure of the opposite sex.

UK and USA collaborate in airborne climate science projects
Birmingham scientists are taking part in the first scientific collaboration of its kind, where British and American scientists are trading skills and expertise and are using an unmanned robotic aircraft to gather high altitude atmospheric data. Today ( Friday 25 January) NASA is holding an event at its Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California to showcase a number of Earth science missions to study climate change and air pollution.

Devolution is driving force behind UK renewable energy agenda
A new study concludes that devolution has played a significant role in the expansion of renewable energy deployment in the UK, with Scotland leading the way on renewable energy delivery ahead of Northern Ireland and Wales.

Tiny fossils hold answers to big questions on climate change
The western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming regions on the planet, and the fastest warming part of the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists have debated the causes of this warming, particularly in light of recent instrumental records of both atmospheric and oceanic warming from the region.

Valuing nature is not enough
Is it possible to put a price tag on the natural world? A researcher at The University of Nottingham has been examining the rise of a new concept — ecosystem services — to describe the multitude of resources supplied to us by Mother Nature.

How do smallholder farmers fit into the big picture of world food production?
Small-scale sustainable agriculture may offer a better route out of poverty as well as a path to food sufficiency." —Dr David Nally, University of Cambridge On Monday 28 January

Citizen science project inspires thousands to rediscover the outdoors
Over the past five years, more than half a million people from towns and cities up and down the country have been exploring their local green spaces as part of the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project, led by Imperial College London and supported by a £14 million Big Lottery Fund grant. Many participants were carrying out a nature survey for the very first time and have provided important data about biodiversity, including information about some places - particularly urban areas of deprivation - never sampled before by scientists.

High stress levels found in monkeys forced to spend more time foraging
As forests are fragmented, the howlers become cut off, isolated on forest 'islands' that increasingly lack the fruit which provide an important component of their natural diet." —Jacob

Innovations in soil science will grow the solutions to global food security
Soil science will be fundamental in overcoming the growing threat of global food and fuel crop shortages as the world's population continues to rise, according to innovative research by a University of Sheffield expert.

Why Chris wants to know where the rain falls
Chris Smith's postgraduate research is helping the United Nations to understand the complexities of rainfall patterns and their effects on food security and human migration.

Wind in the willows boosts biofuel production
Willow trees cultivated for 'green energy' can yield up to five times more biofuel if they grow diagonally, compared with those that are allowed to grow naturally up towards the sky. This effect had been observed in the wild and in plantations around the UK, but scientists were previously unable to explain why some willows produced more biofuel than others.

New research highlights influence of intraspecific variability on biodiversity studies
A study of around 100 newly collected specimens of early ammonoids (marine invertebrates with distinctive coiled shells) suggests that the number of species they belong to might have been over-estimated due to the large variability in size and shape within each species. Recognizing this intraspecific variability is important for biodiversity studies as failing to do so might artificially inflate the number of species known from a certain time or place.

Soot’s impact on climate change underestimated
Soot is the second largest man made contributor to global warming and its influence on climate has been greatly underestimated, according to the first comprehensive analysis of the problem. The landmark study, co-led by the University of Leeds and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres , says the direct warming effect of black carbon, the term used by scientists to describe soot, could be about twice previous estimates.

International research study to shed light on sources of air-polluting dust in India
A quantitative analysis of dust sources in Delhi by scientists from India, the UK and the USA will provide important new insight into how individual sources of air-borne matter contribute to the overall concentrations measured in the atmosphere.

Schools encouraged to go wild for nature competition
Schools can win the chance to see some of the world’s most cutting edge marine technology thanks to a competition being staged at Plymouth University.

Leading the battle to protect the Amazon
" England's wettest year on record. Severe heat waves in Russia. Droughts in the US. The past year has been characterised by extreme weather across the world.

Botanic Garden names new Director
The Botanic Garden is a central and much-loved part of both the University and the wider community." —Beverley Glover Glover, currently Reader in Evolution and Development in the

The year ahead
Attempting to make predictions about science, technology and economics is a famously fraught task. Former IBM Chairman Thomas Watson apparently once remarked: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”.

Antarctic lake mission called off
In the early hours of Christmas Day Martin Siegert, Principal Investigator of the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth experiment, confirmed that the mission to drill into the lake has been called off for this Antarctic season.