332 articles from THURSDAY 21.5.2020

NASA’s Citizen Science Experts Live on Reddit

Eyebrow: Citizen Science NewsBody: May 22nd, 1-3pm EST to Answer Questions from the Public! You can do real NASA science right now, from your own home. We are here to answer your questions! Link: Learn...

NASA’s Citizen Science Experts Live on Reddit, May 22nd, 1-3pm EST to Answer Questions from the Public!

You can do real NASA science right now, from your own home. Just join one of NASA’s citizen science projects! From projects designed to study our planet’s biodiversity, to studying the sun, comets, and finding planets outside of our solar system, our citizen science projects harness the collective strength of the public to analyze data and conduct scientific research. NASA-funded citizen...

Low-severity fires enhance long-term carbon retention of peatlands

High-intensity fires can destroy marshy peatlands and cause them to emit huge amounts of their stored carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, but a new study finds low-severity fires spark the opposite outcome. By creating a decay-inhibiting crust on clumps of moist soil particles within the peatland, the smaller surface fires help protect the stored carbon and enhance peatlands' long-term...

CRISPR a tool for conservation, not just gene editing

The gene-editing technology CRISPR has been used for a variety of agricultural and public health purposes -- from growing disease-resistant crops to, more recently, a diagnostic test for the virus that causes COVID-19. Now a study involving fish that look nearly identical to the endangered Delta smelt finds that CRISPR can be a conservation and resource management tool, as well. The researchers...

NOAA selects Univ. of Washington to host regional institute for climate and ocean research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has selected the University of Washington to host a Pacific Northwest research institute focusing on climate, ocean and coastal challenges, supported by a five-year award worth up to $300 million. The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, or CICOES, will be a collaboration involving UW as well as the University of Alaska...