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Life Sciences - Environment - 12.10.2022

Atlantic salmon: catch and release may affect reproductive success
Under certain conditions, salmon caught and released have proportionally fewer offspring than salmon that were not caught by anglers Under certain conditions, catching and releasing a salmon would result in a decrease in the number of offspring it produces. This is what researchers from Laval University and their collaborators have shown in a study published in the journal Fisheries Management and Ecology .

Environment - Life Sciences - 11.10.2022

Climate change and deforestation may drive tree-dwelling primates to the ground
A large-scale study of 47 species of monkeys and lemurs has found that climate change and deforestation are driving these tree-dwelling animals to the ground, where they are at higher risk due to lack of preferred food and shelter and may experience more negative interaction with humans and domestic animals.

Environment - Chemistry - 06.10.2022

On-site reactors could affordably turn CO2 into valuable chemicals
New technology makes the process of turning CO2 into valuable chemicals economically viable for industrialization New technology developed at the University of Waterloo could make a significant difference in the fight against climate change by affordably converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels and other valuable chemicals on an industrial scale.

Environment - 05.10.2022

Logging down the value chain raises future forest sustainability concerns
Over a 50-year period, logging on B.C.-s Central Coast preferentially targeted the highest value locations on the landscape, according to new research from Simon Fraser University. The systematic depletion of high-value components of the environment raises concerns about future sustainability and intergenerational access to natural resources.

Health - Environment - 03.10.2022

Ambient noise associated with increased risk of stroke
A study supervised by Audrey Smargiassi of UdeM has found that environmental noise is associated with increased risk of stroke among people aged 45 and over in the Montreal area. Every 10-decibel (dBA) increase in outdoor noise raises the risk of stroke by 6% for people aged 45 and over living in the Montreal area.

Environment - 28.09.2022

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for temperature and salinity ’staircases’ in Arctic Ocean
Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified the mechanism responsible for the formation of temperature and salinity "staircases" in the Arctic Ocean, resolving a mystery that has confounded oceanographers and climatologists alike for more than half a century. Understanding how these vertical structures work promises to shed more light on the causes and consequences of rapid Arctic sea ice loss amid climate change.

Environment - Innovation - 28.09.2022

A new window into plants of the past
Researchers from Université de Montréal and the University of Minnesota have developed a fast, nondestructive way of estimating how millions of dried plant specimens interacted with their environment. CONTENU - Within the cabinets and drawers of the world's herbaria are nearly 400 million dried plant specimens.

Chemistry - Environment - 08.09.2022

Research team investigating ’forever chemicals’ in water systems
Researchers at Western's Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) a nd collaborators from academia, government and industry are identifying and treating 'forever chemicals' in water systems, an ever-increasing environmental concern which affects more than 2.5 million Canadians.

Environment - 08.09.2022

A sniffer bird
The great tit uses its sense of smell to find its way home We agree that the great tit will never be called upon to sniff out suspicious luggage at airports, but this species has more flair than we thought. In fact, a study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution by a team of researchers including Linda Nowack, a doctoral student in the Department of Biology and the Centre d'études nordiques at Université Laval, shows that this bird uses olfactory signals to guide its movements.

Environment - 01.09.2022

Global fish stocks can’t rebuild if nothing done to halt climate change and overfishing
Science, Health & Technology Alex Walls Global fish stocks will not be able to recover to sustainable levels without strong actions to mitigate climate change, a new study has projected. Researchers at UBC, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and University of Bern projected the impact that different global temperature increases and ranges of fishing activity would have on biomass, or the amount of fish by weight in a given area, from 1950 to 2100.

Computer Science - Environment - 31.08.2022

What deep learning algorithms can teach us about snow
Canadians think they know a lot about snow. It is practically a national pastime to discuss winter weather. But a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo is taking the Canadian obsession with weather to a whole new level. Fraser King is studying the ways machine learning can be applied to predicting patterns of precipitation, and especially annual snowfall and snowmelt in the context of climate change.

Environment - 29.08.2022

New research pavilion will advance understanding of extreme weather events and ecosystem effects
Inauguration of a research facility at Gault Nature Reserve will help connect seven research stations throughout the Saint Lawrence River Valley to study the earth system The new Adaptable Earth Observation System (AEOS) research facility at the Gault Nature Reserve in Mont-Saint-Hilaire is open for business for those conducting cutting-edge research on extreme weather conditions.

Environment - Life Sciences - 25.08.2022

Mushrooms serve as ’main character’ in most ecosystems
A team of Western mycologists (fungi experts) spent the past two summers digging deep in Newfoundland dirt to investigate the might of mushrooms and found what lies beneath truly is 'the main character' in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fungi, which produce mushrooms, are critically important in most earthbound ecosystems as they provide life-sustaining mineral nutrients to plants while decomposing their remains, and recycling both organic and inorganic byproducts throughout the biome as they grow and reproduce.

Astronomy / Space Science - Environment - 25.08.2022

Signs of CO2 in a planet beyond our solar system
Showing how precise it can be, the James Webb Space Telescope detects the first definitive carbon dioxide signature in an exoplanet atmosphere. In a remarkable display of its precision and accuracy, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, has captured definitive evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years away.

Environment - Social Sciences - 22.08.2022

Vulnerable communities face a higher risk of socio-economic injustice due to flood hazards
Traditionally-recognized socially vulnerable groups in Canada bear a disproportionate burden of flood risks Socially vulnerable groups are at greater risk from climate-change-caused flooding because of systemic disadvantages, according to a new study. The study also reveals that neighbourhood-level racial or ethnic, economic, social, and demographic factors play a significant explanatory role in the distribution of flood risk across Canadian neighbourhoods.

Environment - Social Sciences - 18.08.2022

Greenland’s Indigenous population favours extracting and exporting sand from melting ice sheet
An increasingly globalized Arctic Indigenous population wants to be involved in decision-making about adapting to accelerated Arctic changes A national survey of close to 1000 adults in Greenland (where approximately 90% of the population is Indigenous) conducted by a McGill University-led research team has found that a surprisingly large majority - 3 out of 4 Greenlanders - support extracting and exporting sand left by the melting ice sheet.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 16.08.2022

Earth sciences researchers locate billion-year-old groundwater in South Africa
An international team of researchers has discovered groundwater that is more than a billion years old deep below Earth's surface - only the  second time such a discovery has been made. The water, which is 1.2 billion years old, was recovered from a goldand uranium-producing mine in Moab Khotsong, South Africa, confirming that groundwater of such a vintage is more abundant than previously thought.

Environment - 11.08.2022

Stormwater management ponds may not hold the solution for depleting wetlands
Researchers recommend that protections be strengthened for wetlands of all sizes Relying on stormwater management (SWM) ponds to restore the depleting wetlands is not sustainable and lacks the critical ecosystem services vital for biodiversity, a new study found. With the continued losses of wetlands projected in the near future and emphasis on the underestimation of provincial wetland loss, the study captures the contributions of SWM ponds in a changing network of water bodies and the effects of land use and land cover in this change.

Environment - Campus - 10.08.2022

Opportunity for inclusivity in recreation planning for Protected Areas
Many socio-demographic groups are underrepresented among visitors to Protected Areas Many socio-demographic groups, such as those with disabilities and minority ethnic communities, are underrepresented among visitors to Protected Areas due to institutional barriers, a new study found. Protected Areas (PA) provide many benefits to visitors, including mental and physical health and environmental knowledge.

Environment - 09.08.2022

Building resilience for a future of climate change
Political scientist Daniel Henstra speaks to AMO on how Ontario municipalities can prepare for climate impacts By Jon Parsons University Relations Climate change is such a huge issue that it can be difficult to even know where to start. It involves sophisticated science and mountains of data, as well as social, political and economic implications that intersect with various academic disciplines.