Kelp-eating microalgae offer huge potential
Researchers have been studying algae that eat kelp instead of making their own sugar. The findings open up new ways of making all kinds of useful things out of kelp.
Biology
LOADING CONTENT
Does adapting to a warmer climate have drawbacks?
When animals evolve to tolerate higher temperatures, those evolutionary changes might have other negative effects. Or maybe not.
Immediate action is a key factor for successful marine restoration
It could take up to 200 years for our degraded ocean habitats to fully recover if we just leave them alone. So, we must intervene. The good news is that it works.
High mercury levels found in Svalbard birds
Norwegian seabirds are struggling. Svalbard seabirds have mercury levels above the threshold for deleterious effects on reproduction, researchers have found.
The mysterious X in your cells
When your cells are about to divide, your genetic material folds into an X-shape. Why and how?
Why a groundbreaking discovery about tiny RNA molecules may be helpful for humans and wildlife
Short strands of genetic material called microRNA have implications for human health – but they could also revolutionize species identification, and perhaps even allow monitoring of wildlife health. Here’s how they work and the potential they offer.
PFAS: found 180 times more ‘forever chemicals’ in birds
These man-made toxic substances are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’. There are thousands of different variants, and researchers are finding more and more of them.
Can the stuff in cells we thought was junk help us understand virus reactions?
Previously, researchers thought that microRNA was a kind of useless residue in cells and blood. But these tiny threads are far more important than some imagined. Also for those who study wildlife.
Autonomous robots track plankton in the Arctic Ocean
Underwater robots, combined with simple instruments from 100 years ago, are helping researchers unlock the secrets of microscopic marine organisms called plankton.
Found hundreds of species using DNA barcoding
There are millions of species on Earth that we still know nothing about. Researchers call these species ‘biological dark matter’, but new methods can provide us with a better overview more quickly.
Uncovering the secrets of Norway’s largest lake
Engineers and biologists are standing shoulder to shoulder with philosophers, social scientists and historians to safeguard Norway’s largest lake for future generations.
Cracking the planetary code
Imagine if everyone were to agree to do everything they can to help the planet. Right now. What sort of state would we and the planet be in in 2050? And what would we have to do?
Are European vipers expanding their range?
Vipers (Vipera berus) are being observed in areas where no one has seen them ever before.
Svalbard: Non-native species are threatening vulnerable plant life
Non-native, invasive species are among the world’s biggest environmental problems. Svalbard has been unaffected – up until now.
Researchers work to promote phosphorus recovery and recycling
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.
Unlocking the secrets of evolution
We know that evolution works over many, many millennia, giving rise to everything from hippopotamuses to whales and more. A new study looks at the links between microevolution, or evolution over a shorter period, and macroevolution, or evolution over thousand or millions of generations.
Plastic food packaging contains harmful substances
Plastic food packaging can contain chemicals that affect your hormones, metabolism and the transmission of signals in your body.
Are animals able to cope with climate change?
Professor Jane M. Reid has received NOK 29 million in EU funding to investigate how animals adapt to rapid environmental change.
Development projects should be assessed according to the cumulative impact they have on nature
Does it matter if a small area of rare wetland is lost if a lot more of the same area remains intact? In Norway, it is impossible to say, because no-one can show how many such wetlands are being destroyed elsewhere at the same time.
How bats survive Norwegian winter nights
Bats hunt at night, navigating in the dark using echolocation to find insects and other food. During the winter, bats in Norway have to manage as best they can by hibernating, but until now, not much has been known about how they do this.
Jealousy – we understand our own sex best
Do you really know why your partner gets jealous? We understand a surprising amount about other people’s jealousy, but we understand our own sex best.
Norway needs to know much more before actually mining the deep sea
Norway’s law on mining seabed minerals is too unclear, the knowledge base too flimsy, and the Storting’s White Paper on seabed mining does not hold water.
New method identifies bacteria more easily
Researchers have developed a method that identifies bacteria easily, cheaply and more precisely than before. This can help reduce use of antibiotics.
Who should collect, manage and have access to data from the oceans?
Research institutions from Norway and other countries have collected a great amount of data from the northern oceans in recent years. Many people want access to this information.