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U-M Scientists Awarded $250,000 Grant to Track Toxicity of Cyanobacterial Blooms in Lake Erie

ANN ARBOR--Efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus and other nutrients washing off farm fields and into Lake Erie shifted into overdrive after high levels of a bacterial toxin shut down the drinking water supply to more than 400,000 Toledo-area residents last August.

13 Apr 2015

Lake Erie's Dead Zones Greatly Affect Fish Distributions, Catch Rates

New research shows that Lake Erie's dead zones are actually quite active, greatly affecting fish distributions, catch rates and the effectiveness of fishing gear.

13 Apr 2015

Fishing May Worsen Population Collapses in Species of Forage Fish

A new study shows for the first time that fishing likely worsens population collapses in species of forage fish, including herring, anchovies and sardines. Some of the largest fisheries in the world target these species, and these "baitfish" are also a key source of food for larger marine animals, including salmon, tuna, seabirds and whales.

7 Apr 2015

Essential Biodiversity Variables Used to Analyse Gaps Between Policy Objectives and Available Data

Reporting under policy instruments to inform on the trends in biodiversity requires information from a range of different elements of biodiversity, from genetically viable populations to the structure of ecosystems. A new research looks into the Essential Biodiversity Variables as an analytic framework to identify ways in which gaps between biodiversity data and policy reporting needs could be bridged. The study was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

6 Apr 2015

Steroids Used on Livestock Affect Sexual Behaviours of Fish

A common growth-promoting hormone used worldwide in the cattle industry has been found to affect the sexual behaviours of fish at a very low concentration in waterways – with potentially serious ecological and evolutionary consequences.

3 Apr 2015

Oxygen Depletion, Hydrogen Sulphide Poisoning of the Ocean May Have Contributed to End-Triassic Mass Extinction

Changes in the biochemical balance of the ocean were a crucial factor in the end-Triassic mass extinction, during which half of all plant, animal and marine life on Earth perished, according to new research involving the University of Southampton.

3 Apr 2015

Computer Game Helps Experience and Explore Complexities of Sustainable Fishing

A new and innovative computer game has been developed that allows players to experience and explore the complexities of sustainable fishing. The game has been used as an interactive stakeholder communication measure by the EC-funded SOCIOEC project, an initiative that was dedicated to investigating the socio economic effects of fisheries management measures of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

3 Apr 2015