Tag Archives: scientist

NSF Announces Major Awards for Biodiversity Research, WHOI Scientists Selected

By Guest PostNovember 1, 2011Sciencealvin, bigelow laboratory for ocean sciences, biogeochemical cycling of carbon, biogeochemistry, biologist, bosun patrick hennessy, catie craver, chemist, chemosynthesis, China, crab spa, craig taylor, deep sea hydrothermal vent, deep sea vent microbial communities, dimensions in biodiversity research, east pacific rise, ecosystems, france, Germany, hydrothermal vents, jeff seewald, mclane research laboratories, microbial interaction, microbiology, nadine le bris, national science foundation, nitrogen, photosynthesis, ramunas stepanauskas, rv atlantis, scientist, seaman kevin threadgold, stefan sievert, sulfur, woods hole oceanographic institution

The 1977 discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems that obtain energy through chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis greatly expanded the perception of life on Earth. However, an understanding of their underlying microbiology and biogeochemistry still remains elusive.

A newly funded project, one of several major awards announced by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Dimensions in Biodiversity research program, stands to change that through a multi-disciplinary, international collaborative research effort led by Associate Scientist Stefan Sievert of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (more…)

Over the Hump: Ecologists Use Power of Network Science to Challenge Long-Held Theory

By Guest PostSeptember 26, 2011Nature, Sciencealpine tundra, british ecologist, bugle lily, ecologists, effects of environmental change on biodiversity, elizabeth borer, emperor new clothes, global sampling, grime unimodal pattern, habitats, henry gholz, hump shaped model, j philip grime, mt gilboa, national science foundation, peter adler, plant and animal species, productivity of the habitat, scientist, South Africa, utah state university

*Global sampling of 48 sites on five continents yields unprecedented data set*

For decades, ecologists have toiled to nail down principles explaining why some habitats have many more plant and animal species than others.

Much of this debate is focused on the idea that the number of species is determined by the productivity of the habitat.

Shouldn’t a patch of prairie contain a different number of species than an arid steppe or an alpine tundra? (more…)

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