/channels/taxonomy/term/3626/all en /channels/channels/news/you-are-what-you-eat-and-orcas-thats-bad-news-351786 <p>Researchers have known for decades that orcas across the North Pacific have harmful pollutants in their system.</p> Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:56:36 +0000 webfull 193712 at /channels /channels/channels/news/impact-wildfires-birds-canada-351114 <div class="bl-tpl">This was the worst year for Canadian wildfires on record and though fire season is not yet over, we can already start to see and look at some of the impact of fires on our ecosystems across the country. One population particularly affected by the fires this summer is birds.</div> Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:33:24 +0000 webfull 192918 at /channels /channels/channels/news/sollio-mcgill-join-forces-novel-coated-fertilizer-study-puryield-being-marketed-nutrient-uptake-349214 <p>Sollio Agriculture has partnered with Æ»¹ûÒùÔº to test the benefits of PurYield, a new coated fertilizer which enhances nutrient uptake by plants. Researchers will compare it to commonly used uncoated urea fertilizer to assess its impact on corn grain growth, yield, and quality, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Previous trials showed a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The new study aims to validate these environmental benefits over five years, with funding from Sollio and a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.  </p> Wed, 26 Jul 2023 18:34:18 +0000 webfull 190700 at /channels /channels/channels/news/mystery-vanishing-kestrels-whats-happening-flashy-falcon-348907 <p>The number of American kestrels has dropped sharply. That goes against the trend for birds of prey, broadly seen as a conservation bright spot.</p> <p>Hypotheses about the decline abound. In a newly published special issue on kestrels in The Journal of Raptor Research, Dr. Smallwood and David Bird, an emeritus professor of wildlife biology at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº in Montreal, list seven possible factors for kestrel declines that they argue merit more research, in no particular order.</p> Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:35:44 +0000 webfull 190352 at /channels /channels/channels/news/experts-radar-evidence-liquid-water-mars-288186 <p>"A Mars orbiter has detected a wide lake of liquid water hidden below the planet’s southern ice sheets. There have been much-debated hints of tiny, ephemeral amounts of water on Mars before. But if confirmed, this lake marks the first discovery of a long-lasting cache of the liquid." (<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mars-may-have-lake-liquid-water-search-life">Science News</a>)</p> Wed, 25 Jul 2018 16:04:03 +0000 webfull 139124 at /channels /channels/channels/news/new-technique-finding-life-mars-284005 <p>Researchers demonstrate for the first time the potential of existing technology to directly detect and characterize life on Mars and other planets. The study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02594/full?utm_source=G-BLO&utm_medium=WEXT&utm_campaign=ECO_FMICB_20180119_mars">Frontiers in Microbiology</a>, used miniaturized scientific instruments and  new microbiology techniques to identify and examine microorganisms in the Canadian high Arctic — one of the closest analogs to Mars on Earth.</p> Fri, 19 Jan 2018 17:16:01 +0000 webfull 134246 at /channels /channels/news/hot-press-macdonald-professor-recipient-prestigeous-steacie-fellowship-259105 <p>Professor <strong>Elena Bennett</strong>, of the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº School of Environment, is the recipient of a <a href="http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/Steacie-Steacie/Profiles-Profils/Bennett-Bennett_eng.asp" target="_blank">E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship</a>! The Fellowships are awarded by NSERC to enhance the career development of outstanding and highly promising university faculty who are earning a strong international reputation for original research.</p> Tue, 16 Feb 2016 20:57:14 +0000 webfull 116744 at /channels /channels/news/not-so-loony-why-grey-jay-soared-victory-canadas-would-be-national-bird-264499 <p>The Royal Canadian Geographical Society recently stunned many Canadians by choosing the grey jay over the common loon as the organization’s candidate to become Canada’s national bird. The announcement was made on Nov. 16, 2016, at the College of Fellows’ Annual Dinner in the Canadian War Museum. Op-ed by <strong>David M. Bird</strong>, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, Montreal Gazette.</p> <p><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/loony+gray+soared+victory+canada+would+national+bird/12440101/story.html">Read more</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:42:29 +0000 webfull 123391 at /channels /channels/news/bacteria-control-levels-dangerous-pollutant-seabirds-264795 <p>Despite ongoing global pollution, researchers have discovered that levels of mercury in seabirds off the coast of B.C. have remained relatively stable over the past 50 years. Surprisingly, mercury in seabirds is now actually slightly lower. This might appear to be good news, but unfortunately it is due to a decline in fish stocks near the surface which has forced seabirds to change their diet, and in the process to feed in areas low in bacteria (known as sulfate-reducing bacteria) which act to control the levels of mercury in their bodies.</p> Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:14:04 +0000 webfull 123775 at /channels /channels/news/personalities-spiders-254382 <p>Even jumping spiders have personalities scientists have discovered. A "shy" individual will not make the same choices as a "bold" individual. This means that some individuals, because of their personality type, will capture more prey than others, and will therefore have a larger effect on local ecosystems.</p> <p> Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:35:01 +0000 webfull 111562 at /channels /channels/news/pesticides-more-toxic-previously-thought-254401 <p>Insecticides that are sprayed in orchards and fields across North America may be more toxic to spiders than scientists previously believed. Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:35:06 +0000 webfull 111563 at /channels