Simulated deep-sea mining affects ecosystem functions at the seafloor
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 29 April 2020
A study shows deep-sea mining causes lasting harm to seabed ecosystems. In the DISCOL area, microbial activity stayed low even 26 years after simulated mining. Researchers urge strict environmental rules before any mining starts.
Keywords: cience Advances, Antje Boetius, Tobias Vonnahme, MiningImpact, Peru Basin, biogeochemical function, environmental impact
Beavers gnawing away at the permafrost
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 30 June 2020
Beavers are moving into Alaska’s tundra as it warms, with dam numbers near Kotzebue rising 5,000% since 2002. Their dams form lakes that thaw permafrost and release greenhouse gases, further driving climate change.
Keywords: Kotzebue, Baldwin Peninsula, tundra ecosystems, methane emissions, water bodies, landscape engineers, greenhouse gases.
New method for gauging methane release from Arctic lakes
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 11 May 2020
A German-American team led by UAF and AWI developed a radar satellite method to estimate methane emissions from Arctic lakes. This enables monitoring of over 5,000 lakes, enhancing large-scale data and improving climate model accuracy.
Keywords: SAR remote sensing, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Melanie Engram, Guido Grosse, greenhouse gases, , methane bubbles
