The Emerald Review
The effects of climate change are threatening the world’s coral reefs, prompting scientists and governing bodies to propose a number of approaches to restore and increase the resilience of these vulnerable ecosystems. Warming sea temperatures increasing the risk of coral bleaching, rising carbon dioxide levels causing ocean acidification which hinders coral’s ability to form their […]
After a difficult period combatting the Covid pandemic, the looming fear of another virus potentially terrorizing the globe has left people on edge. Before the bird flu became the topic of the time, there was monkeypox. Visibly, it has become easier to stay in touch with new strains of diseases and their spillover across country […]
In November of 2024, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced that a $6 million grant by the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) would be awarded to support wetland restoration in former cranberry bogs. With Massachusetts cranberry farming on the decline due to economic constraints and climate change, the state’s initiative will fund projects to convert unused […]
With the recent abundance of major weather events, like Hurricane Helene and Oscar, people are understandably concerned about the destruction and death these events cause. They are right to be worried, especially as climate change is causing larger and more frequent major weather events. But one factor that few consider, which is a cause of […]
The mounting pressures of global warming have brought mitigation strategies to the forefront of atmospheric research, but a growing number of experts are searching below the Earth’s surface. Some suggest that the world’s soils can trap and remove enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to offset a significant portion of fossil fuel emissions thanks to […]
In 2016, the world experienced the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures nearly exceeding 1°C above pre-industrial levels. The World Health Organization estimated that over 60 million people were affected by drought, heatwaves, and extreme precipitation events that year, leading to devastating food insecurity, outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, and lack of fresh water. […]
The accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is nothing new. But with other symptoms of climate change becoming increasingly forceful, processes we rely on, such as carbon sequestration, are becoming less dependable. Carbon sequestration is responsible for storing carbon in different sinks during the carbon cycle. After a long period of time, that carbon […]
Continuously confronted with land-use change, sea-level rise, nutrient and sediment pollution, invasive species, and overharvesting, the Chesapeake Bay has endured a rough few decades. As the largest and most biologically diverse estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay is home to more than 3,600 plant and animal species, with a watershed that supports 18 […]
Located 155 miles northwest of the Hawaiian Archipelago lies one of the world’s largest marine protected areas: Papahānaumokuākea National Monument. Only recently overtaken by Antarctica’s Ross Sea, the monument boasts a large, tropical, and biodiverse community. The fishing exclusion zone of Papahānaumokuākea covers 583,000 square miles, an area larger than all national parks in the […]
While many consider plants to be passive organisms, the reality is quite the opposite. Plants are in constant motion, moving with purpose to detect and respond to their fluctuating environmental conditions. Not only do plants transmit hormonal signals, known as phytohormones, from root to leaf, but they communicate with their neighbors, too. New research in […]