Determining whether invasive European green crabs were directly responsible for declining clam populations in Willapa Bay is trickier than it sounds. But DNA-based analysis helped investigate this mystery, described in a new paper in PLOS ONE.
Read more »Navy Growler jet noise over Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people’s health
New research from the University of Washington shows that the noise from Navy aircraft isn’t just disruptive — it presents a substantial risk to public health.
Read more at UW News »Marine Cloud Brightening Program studies clouds, aerosols and pathways to reduce climate risks
Clouds play a particularly powerful role in the climate system since they can change rapidly and have a strong effect on Earth’s reflectivity. That’s why researchers are working to better understand clouds, and how both inadvertent and possibly intentional changes to atmospheric particles affect clouds.
Read more »Cryptic carbon: UW study finds hidden wetlands in the forest
When it comes to climate change, an important question is not simply how can humans stop emitting greenhouse gases, but how can we remove the greenhouse gases that we’ve already released? Many of Earth’s natural processes are already taking significant amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and our wetland ecosystems are some of the most effective at this work.
Read more »El Niño shows us the true face of climate change
Though the El Niño period we’re in is natural and relatively predictable, its impacts on the global environment and economy have been significant — from sweltering heat in Australia to deep freezes across the southern U.S. El Niño may be giving us a glimpse of what’s to come if climate change is not soon curtailed.
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