All Ecology articles
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NewsModified biochar improves antibiotic removal but reshapes soil microbiomes
Modified biochar can improve the removal of antibiotic residues from agricultural soils, but its effects depend strongly on soil type. Researchers found that better sulfamethoxazole removal was accompanied by major shifts in bacterial communities, showing that remediation benefits can come with ecological trade-offs.
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NewsFAU awarded $1.2 million to advance coral reef restoration in Florida
Nearly $1.25 million in new funding will support research into why some restored corals survive while others die. By combining coral genetics, microbiome analysis and field monitoring, researchers aim to identify which corals are most likely to withstand heat, bleaching and disease at different reef sites.
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NewsStudy investigates Southern Ocean’s role in global nutrient cycling
A study tracking changes in the physical, biogeochemical, and optical properties of Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) reveals how the two water masses follow distinct nutrient recycling pathways, potentially influencing the composition and productivity of far-reaching phytoplankton communities.
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NewsSingle-copy genes could improve identification of closely related Vibrio species
A new genetic approach could make it easier to distinguish closely related Vibrio species and estimate how abundant they are in environmental samples. Researchers found that single-copy genes can provide higher resolution than the widely used 16S rDNA marker, which often struggles to separate highly similar bacteria.
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NewsDeep-sea corals in fossil fuel-producing region have distinct microbial communities
Researchers who carried out the first comprehensive study of the microbial communities living in symbiosis with deep-sea corals in one of Brazil’s most active oil- and gas-producing regions discovered that each species hosts a distinct, and sometimes highly specialised, community of microorganisms.
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NewsScientists warn deadly chytrid fungus is approaching a unique amphibian haven
An isolated mountain range in Colombia remains free of the deadly chytrid fungus that has devastated amphibians elsewhere in the Americas. But researchers found a highly virulent variant only about 20 kilometres away, creating a rare opportunity to protect a rich amphibian community before the disease arrives.
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NewsTranslucent petals create microclimates that shape flower microbiomes
Translucent patches in flower petals can alter the light and heat inside blooms, creating tiny microclimates that shape the microbes living there. Researchers found that warmer flowers tended to harbour fewer microbes, suggesting that petal structure may influence floral microbiomes and potentially plant-pollinator interactions.
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NewsHidden fungi may act as masterminds of the forest microbiome
Hidden beneath the forest floor, certain fungi may have an outsized influence on the microbial communities surrounding plant roots. By combining large-scale DNA data with ecological modelling, researchers identified endophytic fungi as potential keystone species capable of reshaping underground microbial networks.
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NewsAvian flu could push vulnerable vulture populations into further decline
H5N1 avian influenza is emerging as a serious threat to already vulnerable vulture populations, with deaths reported across the Americas and Europe. Researchers warn that losing these scavengers could also weaken a natural barrier against disease by allowing infected carcasses and pathogens to persist for longer.
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NewsDistant climate patterns may offer early warning of Ebola outbreaks
Ebola outbreaks may leave a climatic trail months before they emerge. By analysing nearly five decades of outbreak data alongside large-scale climate oscillations, researchers identified distant weather patterns that could help flag periods and regions where Ebola risk may be increasing.
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NewsFAU receives $1.3M NOAA grant to address harmful algal blooms
A new $1.3 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science will enable researchers to investigate the environmental and biological mechanisms that drive harmful algal blooms in subtropical estuaries.
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NewsMuseum specimens help solve a 50-year mystery of disappearing frogs
A 50-year-old mystery surrounding frog disappearances in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest may finally have an answer. By testing decades-old museum specimens, researchers found that the chytrid fungus arrived just as amphibian populations collapsed, offering some of the clearest evidence yet linking the pathogen to the historic die-off.
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NewsAspens ‘remember’ past drought in their leaves
Drought may leave more than narrow rings inside a tree trunk. New research suggests quaking aspen can retain a chemical ‘memory’ of dry years, changing the defensive compounds in their leaves and reshaping the fungal communities that live on them long after soils have rewetted.
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NewsCoral heat tolerance depends on species and location
Not all corals cope with rising ocean temperatures in the same way. New research shows that heat tolerance can vary sharply between species and even between nearby populations, with some corals from cooler, more exposed reefs proving unexpectedly resilient to thermal stress.
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NewsElephants continue to shape the savanna even after death
Researchers who studied the sites of elephant carcasses in South Africa’s Kruger National Park discovered that decomposition creates nutrient hotspots that can persist on the landscape for years, possibly decades. This flush of nutrients fuels microbial activity and plant vigor, which attracts herbivores to the site long after the visual signs of the elephant have disappeared.
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NewsHow deep-sea clams and bacteria survive shifting energy supplies
Deep-sea clams living at cold seeps survive in an environment where their main energy source can rise and fall dramatically. New research shows that the clams and their bacterial partners respond together, switching metabolic pathways, adjusting symbiont populations and reallocating resources to remain stable under changing conditions.
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NewsPenguin poo is melting Antarctic snow by keeping algae green
Penguin poo is fertilizing snow algae blooms along the Antarctic Peninsula, feeding dense green algae patches along the coastline, a new study shows. These expanding stretches of green snow melt faster than clean, white snow, potentially speeding up the spread of snow- and ice- free areas of Antarctica.
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NewsGlobal genome atlas reveals hidden life in lakes
Researchers reconstructed nearly 20,000 mitochondrial genomes from around 3,660 species fround in lakes and reservoirs. The result is the first global genomic atlas of these microscopic eukaryotes found in lakes and reservoirs. It reveals a wealth of previously unknown biodiversity: for several groups of algae and related organisms.
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NewsPetal ‘windows’ affect the abundance of microbes within flowers
Some flowers have petals with small semi-translucent sections. Research reveals that these “windows” alter the amount of light and heat entering the flower and create conditions that influence microbial abundance.
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NewsTiny organisms play a big role in transporting carbon to the depths of the Baltic Sea
Tiny photosynthetic organisms in the Baltic Sea can contribute substantially to the transport of carbon from surface waters to deeper parts of the sea. A new study shows that their ability to form colonies and aggregates is an important factor determining how much of their biomass sinks.