Oyster reefs are on the decline, with over-harvesting and pollution reducing some stocks as much as 98 percent over the last two centuries.
With a growing awareness of oysters’ critical roles filtering water, preventing erosion, guarding coasts …
Dutch researchers have developed a computer model that calculates the rate at which salt and moisture penetrate reinforced concrete. The model can be used for both the design of new concrete structures as well as analysing the lifespan of existing ones. Sander Meijers from Delft University of Technology studied the relationship between moisture transport and salt penetration in concrete. Concrete structures such as bridges and dams are designed with as long a lifespan as possible. If these structures are built in the sea or are exposed a lot to gritting salt then the reinforcement rods in the concrete eventually rust over the course of time.
Entomologists have discovered that as adult gall wasps feed in warm weather, they change the ratio of plant chemicals so that males emerging after the winter season can recognize when they are on the right stems at the right time. The finding is the first to suggest that insects can alter the chemical composition of plants for the purpose of mate location.