Author

Moriah Skiles

How do mysterious “sky pits” form in China?

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

The deepest sinkhole on the planet was discovered in Chongqing (PRC) back in 1994. It was named “Heavenly Pit”. The depth of the formation reaches 511-662 meters, and the cross-section – about 540 meters. The volume of the failure is more than 119 million cubic meters. During precipitation, impressive waterfalls rush down its walls.

The structure of the funnel revealed two separate “bowls” forming as if two layers, each over three hundred meters deep.

Within the “Heavenly Pit” researchers counted almost 1.3 thousand species of flora, forming a unique ecosystem. It is also possible to meet there and rare representatives of fauna, for example, the smoky leopard, of which there are no more than ten thousand on Earth today.

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Nature

Why is the pink lake in Australia the color of chewing gum?

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

What gives a pink lake in Australia the freakishly bright color of chewing gum was pondered before it was even invented. In 1802, Matthew Flinders was the first to suggest that the pink color of Lake Hillier was due to its salinity, but over the next few hundred years, science has shown that this is only part of the story.

With the help of Ken McGrath of Brisbane-based microbial genomics company Microba and a team of researchers, they collected samples and analyzed them using metagenomics. This approach effectively allows scientists to make sense of the microbial environment by isolating individual genomes to identify the entire ecosystem.

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Nature

Experts reveal coffee’s unexpected harm to the environment

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

In the course of long-term observations, researchers have found that caffeine particles entering lakes, rivers and seas through wastewater disposal systems can have a detrimental effect on the life of the inhabitants of water bodies, as well as pollute the water area.

The fact is that some species of microorganisms feed on caffeine and decompose it.

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Nature

Experts believe Antarctic glaciers could melt completely

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

Experts noted that its DNA contains data on the past of an entire population. As demonstrated by the analysis, 125 millennia ago, the mixing of populations living in different parts of the West Antarctic ice sheet began. However, it is emphasized that this would only have been possible with its total destruction.

The route used by the octopuses was located about 1.5-2 thousand meters below the top of the current ice sheet.

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Nature

Alpine slopes in Switzerland are overgrown with cacti

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

In the Swiss canton of Valais, invasive cacti belonging to the Opuntia family have begun to proliferate on mountain slopes. They were introduced from outside and have begun to aggressively suppress the local flora. All the more so due to global warming, which has already made the Alpine climate milder.

Regional authorities claim that in some areas, the low vegetation cover is already almost one-third opuntia.

These cacti first appeared in the area at the end of the 19th century, when they were brought here from North American territories.

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Animals

Can raw meat be fed to dogs? Scientists have conducted a study

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

According to scientists, to reduce the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant E. coli entering the body, it is necessary to switch to a different diet and subject meat to heat treatment.

In addition, it is necessary to choose for natural feeding the meat of animals raised on farms without the use of antibiotics.

In addition, experts believe that it is necessary to implement stricter rules in the industry.

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Animals

Oxford has proposed giving animals the right to vote

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

According to author Ioana-Radu Motoarcae, although the idea seems ridiculous at first, what is really meant is the possibility for people to advocate on behalf of animals and to vote as representatives of fauna. In fact, it would be an extension of a practice that already exists: in the United States, for example, federal lawsuits with animal plaintiffs can be found. The author also reminds us that humans often represent the rights of children and incapacitated citizens.

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Animals

Sea otters help algal forests survive

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

Brown algae form entire “thickets” in the oceans. They are important because they provide shelter and food for marine life and help protect shorelines from erosion.

For a century, the population density of calanas has been a major predictor of changes in algal prevalence. In regions where calanas are present, there has been an increase in algal forest. In particular, this trend has been documented in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska and Canada southward to the waters of Baja California in Mexico.

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Animals

In the US, an angler was jailed for catching an 80-year-old sturgeon

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

A man was sent to jail because of an incident that happened in 2022. Anglers who were fishing on the bank of the Columbia River told police officers about poachers catching sturgeon from a boat and not releasing them back, which is a violation of local regulations.

Law enforcement officers followed the offenders for a couple days and then inspected the boat. A large white sturgeon was found there, 4 more live fish were in the water on fishing lines tied to the sides. As it turned out, among them was a 2-meter sturgeon aged 80 years.

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Animals

It became known where the thick-billed ara flies away for the winter

by Moriah Skiles

written by Moriah Skiles

Specialists from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance have determined where the endangered Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha species, known as the fat-billed ara, whose primary nesting habitat is pine forests in northwestern Mexico, go to winter. According to a publication in Global Ecology and Conservation, these animals make the migration to the southern part of the Western Sierra Madre range every October. There, according to the researchers, these birds spend a little less than half a year.

The researchers pointed out that only 8.5% of the territories where the thick-billed ara is overwintering are currently protected. As noted by experts, the rest of this territory is threatened by logging for timber harvesting and agricultural development. In total, according to scientists, only 20% of the entire habitat of this endangered species is protected.

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