Environmental Biology (DEB) Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

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		'Gone Bats' Over Aeroecology New scientific discipline studies bats, birds, other animals in atmosphere closest to Earth's surface Released  October 28, 2008
		The Bizarre Creatures of Madagascar Paleontologist David Krause describes his search for the ancestors of mammals that live in Madagascar today Released  September 24, 2008
		Bones in Lava Tubes Reveal Hawaii's Natural History Michigan State University's Matthew Cimitile describes a Hawaiian adventure exploring lava tubes in search of bird bones from endangered and extinct species Released  August 22, 2008
		A Thousand Points of Light: Bioluminescent Fungi San Francisco State University Mycologist Dennis Desjardin Takes Readers Along on a Nocturnal Hike in a Brazilian Forest to Find Glowing Mushrooms Released  August 15, 2008
		Crumbling Walls of Ancient Chesapeake Bay Crater Threaten Regional Groundwater Supplies Saltwater intrusion into collapsing crater also allows microbes to flourish Released  August 12, 2008
		Methane Formation in the Oceans: New Pathway Discovered Significant importance for study of greenhouse gas production on Earth Released  July 10, 2008
		Beauty Is in the Genes of the Beholder New research on American pronghorns explains why not everything is about looks Released  July 3, 2008
		The Freaky Fishes of the Congo American Museum of Natural History ichthyologist Melanie Stiassny takes us on a journey down the Congo River to explore its rich fish diversity Released  May 20, 2008
		How to Capture Yellow Jackets (and Not Get Stung) Georgia Tech assistant biology professor Michael Goodisman on the thrill of collecting yellow jacket nests and why he studies these dangerous but important social insects Released  May 14, 2008
		Microbes to People: Without Us, You're Nothing! How tiny microbes run the world Released  April 21, 2008
		The World's Smallest Whistle-Blowers: Microbes Microbes warn of ecological damage Released  April 21, 2008
		New Species Found in Mysteriously Diverse Jungle Louisiana State University's Chris Austin describes his work studying the diversity of life on the island of New Guinea Released  March 17, 2008
		2007: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities reported last year Released  January 30, 2008
		Winter Ice on Lakes, Rivers, Ponds: A Thing of the Past? Records over 150 years show trend toward fewer days of ice cover Released  January 10, 2008
		Clams Convert Air Into Food Trait no longer the domain only of plants Released  January 10, 2008
		Stability and Diversity in Ecosystems Scientists say focus on stability Released  August 3, 2007
		Birds Follow Army Ants to Find Prey Crafty birds deep in the jungles of Panama have found a unique hunting strategy: following army ants and picking off prey that try to escape the crawling swarm. Released  June 1, 2007
		Sea Turtle Conservation Method Could Have Unintended Consequences for Sharks, Marlins Circle-shaped fishing hooks not a panacea for tuna, swordfish longliners Released  May 7, 2007
		2006: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported activities highlighted last year Released  January 9, 2007
		West Coast Kelp Forest Ecosystems At Risk Overfishing Has More Effect Than Nutrient Pollution Released  June 8, 2006
		Real Science for Younger Scientists Real scientific projects go beyond "cookbook curriculum" and engage students in the unknown. Released  November 8, 2004
		Stickleback Study Sheds Light on Species Formation As a boy growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Jeffrey McKinnon collected threespine stickleback fish. The biologist's fascination became a global scientific pursuit, which today is helping to explain how ecology drives species formation. Released  October 20, 2004
		Worldwide Biodiversity Threats Tied to Growth in Households Taking a fresh look at world population dynamics, scientists have uncovered evidence that increasing numbers of households -- even where populations are declining -- are having a vast impact on the world's biodiversity and environment. Released  July 30, 2004
		Bacteria May Thrive in Antarctica's Buried Lake Vostok Two investigations suggest that bacteria may thrive in Lake Vostok, a suspected lake thousands of meters below the Antarctic ice sheet -- and that microbes could thrive in similarly hostile solar system outposts, such as Jupiter's icy moon, Europa. Released  December 9, 2003