Friday, 25 May, 2012

As Asian carp approach the Great Lakes, ecologists seek to forestall a devastating invasion. Electric fish barriers on Chicago’s canals — built to dump wastewater into the Mississippi — are blocking carp from reaching Lake Michigan. Many scientists prefer closing the canals, but the shipping industry objects. Who’s right?

Plain-tailed wrens in the Andean cloud forest sing a complex, two-part song, where timing is everything. New research shows that both parties keep a memory of the full song in their brain, even though they only sing half of it.

Bacteria can help or harm their hosts. Now we hear how one genus of bacteria can multiply fly reproduction. In this symbiosis, both parties benefit. This bacterium also alters insect immunity, and could lead to new tactics for killing horrific parasites.

Three gross “biotherapies” are gaining medical attention, and two already have FDA approval as “medical devices” (?) ! Leeches can suck excess blood after surgery, and maggots remove dead tissue and kill bacteria in hard-to-heal wounds. Parasitic worms might fight ulcerative colitis — a widespread bowel disease. Maybe.

To hide from hungry fish, this animal houses luminous bacteria. But what prevents the bacteria from reproducing and killing the squid? At last, a genetic a balancing mechanism is revealed.

Imitation is a social glue in human society. We like people who imitate us. We call them friend. We will even tip them better! A new study finds similar responses in monkeys…

Scientists are proving that intestinal bacteria can help health — but for what conditions? Should you take probiotic supplements or eat foods with beneficial bugs? What does the science say — and not say?

Three giant new reserves, extend 50 miles out from shore, will protect coral reefs, fish, clams, and other life forms. But how effective are marine protected areas?

Along the coast of Baja, California, a new study finds that parasites outweigh top predators. What does this mean for ecology, and what is the story with “castrating parasites”?

Minute sand dollar larvae, tasty morsels in a sea of famished fish, have a clever way to help ensure their genes are passed to the next generation.