Purdue scientists: Genetically modified fish could damage ecology
The genetic modifications that improve animals for human consumption also could doom populations if released into the wild, according to a Purdue University research team.

How Healthy Is That Marsh? Biologists Count Parasites
Is that salt marsh healthy? To answer this, Sea Grant biologists are cracking open common marsh snails and counting parasitic worms. Their claim: the more parasites, the healthier the marsh.

Ecological alarm: Oceans turning to acid from rise in CO2
If CO2 from human activities continues to rise, the oceans will become so acidic by 2100 it could threaten marine life in ways we can’t anticipate, says scientist

Poison + water = hydrogen. New microbial genome shows how
Take a pot of scalding water, remove all the oxygen, mix in a bit of poisonous carbon monoxide, and add a pinch of hydrogen gas. It sounds like a recipe for a witch's brew. It may be, but it is also the preferred environment for a microbe known as Carboxy

Mosquitofish threaten amphibians
The mosquitofish is being distributed around the world to control mosquitoes--without regard for its effects on other aquatic species. New research shows that mosquitofish devour tadpoles just as readily as mosquito larvae and so can decimate native amphi

Can We Restore Wetlands And Leave the Mosquitoes Out?
When it comes to restoring nature, some members of the natural world are shunned for good reason. Restoring wetlands has a foreseeable and inevitable downside: the creation of mosquito habitat.

Oysters: The Natural Way To Protect Our Shores
Oyster reefs are self-sustaining, and are additionally attractive because they usenative materials, have the potential for long-term growth, andcontribute to overall ecosystem stability and quality.

More acidic seas pose new threat, scientists warn
The escalating level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the world's oceans more acidic, scientists say. They warn that, by the end of the century, the trend could devastate coral reefs and creatures that underpin the sea's food web.

Higher Carbon Dioxide, Lack Of Nitrogen Limit Plant Growth
Earth's plant life will not be able to "store" excess carbon from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as well as scientists once thought because plants likely cannot get enough nutrients, such as nitrogen, when there are higher levels of ca

Plants Become Green Mr. Clean To Combat Toxic Messes
The next big way to clean up toxic sites may be coaxing plants to become janitors, scientist says.

Researchers Clean Up Petroleum Spills With Plants
A husband and wife research team at Purdue University has pioneered the use of plants to help clean up soil contaminated with petroleum products.

Too much sugar not good for coral reefs
David Kline at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and colleagues find that bacteria on coral reefs grow out of control as the level of simple sugars in seawater increases.

Coral death results from bacteria fed by algae
Scientists have discovered an indirect microbial mechanism whereby bacteria kill coral with the help of algae. Human activities are contributing to the growth of algae on coral reefs, setting the stage for the long-term continued decline of coral.

Loss of the Salton Sea
The impact of ignoring the Salton Sea.

Phytoremediation - A Green Solution to Pollution
It's the flower power of the '90s: technically known as phytoremediation. For quite some time scientists have been aware of plants' ability to absorb, store or degrade contaminants found in their environments.