Get free monthly e-alerts to the latest Stanford Earth Matters stories
Making marine management as dynamic as the sea
Fisheries managers today protect species by creating static areas that fishers must avoid. New software can help locate productive fishing spots while avoiding species such as sea turtles and dolphins.
How an overlooked process in bacteria could shed light on ancient environments
Geologists assume when they find molecules called sterols in soils or rocks they indicate the presence of plants, animals or fungi in ancient environments. But discovering how some bacteria also produce and modify sterols could change those interpretations.
Editing coral DNA in search for keys to survival
Stanford scientists and their colleagues have used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system to modify genes in coral, a key step toward pinpointing natural gene variants that may help corals survive in warmer waters.
Swarms of tiny organisms churn ocean waters
Zooplankton may have an outsize influence on their environment, creating enough turbulence to influence global nutrient cycles and climate models.
Stanford researchers learn why aquatic mammals need to be big, but not too big
Examining body sizes of ancient and modern aquatic mammals and their terrestrial counterparts reveals that life in water restricts mammals to a narrow range of body sizes – big enough to stay warm, but not so big they can’t find enough food.
Stanford law and water quality experts discuss possible offshore oil expansion
If federal plans move ahead, most U.S. coastal waters would be open to offshore oil drilling. Stanford professors look at the issues from California's perspective.
Learning through fieldwork in Palau
Undergraduates study links between human and natural systems in a program that puts them up close with corals. Stanford Earth professor Rob Dunbar is a lead instructor.
21st-century Earth science is computer intensive and data driven
If asked to imagine a geologist, you might envision a tanned and dusty figure, hardy and weathered like the ancient rocks that he or she spends days studying out “in the field."
First oceans may have been acidic
A model of ion flux in the oceans shows carbon dioxide driving ocean acidity.
Poor outlook for biodiversity in Antarctica
A comparison of Antarctic biodiversity and its management with global trends finds that it is more similar to the rest of the world than previously believed.
New Study Reveals Strong El Niño Events Cause Large Changes in Antarctic Ice Shelves
Matthew Siegfried, a postdoctoral researcher working with Dustin Schroeder in the Stanford Radio Glaciology Group, co-authored a study showing oscillations of water temperature in the tropical Pacific Ocean can induce rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves.
Q&A: Loss of protections for marine sanctuaries could threaten oceanic environment and fisheries
Researchers who have studied marine national monuments and adjacent areas discuss their value and the potential impacts of a change in protected status.
Q&A: The history and future of the global plastics economy
Stanford chemist Robert Waymouth discusses changes in incentives and technologies to create a more sustainable future for plastics.
Greenland’s summer ocean bloom likely fueled by iron
Iron-rich meltwater from Greenland’s glaciers are helping fuel a summer bloom of phytoplankton.
Frozen secrets: Geophysicist explores glaciers with radar
Stanford Earth’s Dustin Schroeder researches new ways of observing, understanding, and predicting the configuration of ice sheets using ice-penetrating radar data.
How China is poised for marine fisheries reform
China has introduced an unprecedented policy platform for stewarding its fisheries and other marine resources.
Does the new La Niña forecast mean a dry winter for California?
Stanford Earth's Daniel Swain explains that the expected La Niña could end up being fairly weak and open up the possibility for normal rainfall in Southern California.
Protecting Coral Reefs with Bubbles
Bubbles – yes, bubbles – could help protect coral reefs, oyster farms, and other coastal ecosystems from increasing ocean acidification, according to new Stanford research.