Whale poop pumps up ocean health

ScienceDaily (2010-10-12) -- Whales carry nutrients, especially nitrogen, from the depths where they feed back to the surface via their feces. This waste strongly enhances productivity of fisheries, scientists have found. They've called their discovery a "whale pump," reversing the assumption that whales accelerate loss of nutrients to the bottom. This nitrogen input in the Gulf of Maine is more than the input of all rivers combined, 23,000 metric tons annually.

How marine animals survive stress: Findings indicate how wildlife responds to environmental and ecological disasters

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Research of how Galapagos marine iguanas respond to El Niño could provide insight into how wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico will respond to the current oil spill. In emergencies, animals secrete corticosterone to help them cope. However, prolonged hormone production can also be lethal.

Huge parts of world are drying up: Land 'evapotranspiration' taking unexpected turn

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- The soils in large areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including major portions of Australia, Africa and South America, have been drying up in the past decade, a group of researchers conclude in the first major study to ever examine "evapotranspiration" on a global basis.

Using buildings for flood protection

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Buildings, car parks and roads could, alongside their 'regular' functions, have a role to play in protecting the rest of the city from flooding. This concept could be very useful for the Dutch cities along the River Rhine, for example.

New understanding of bizarre extinct mammal: Shares common ancestor with rodents, primates

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- Researchers presenting new fossil evidence of an exceptionally well-preserved 55-million-year-old North American mammal have found it shares a common ancestor with rodents and primates, including humans.

When in Rome: Study-abroad students increase alcohol intake, study finds

ScienceDaily (2010-10-11) -- For most American students, spending a semester or two studying in a foreign country means the opportunity to improve foreign language skills and become immersed in a different culture. For others, studying abroad is more like a prolonged spring break. In a new study, researchers report that American study abroad students doubled how much they drank while they were away.

Children's agitation after surgery may be preventable

ScienceDaily (2010-10-10) -- Temporary combativeness after surgery -- a complication affecting up to half of anesthetized children -- may be preventable with drugs that decrease epinephrine production, according to a pediatric anesthesiologist.