New research explains why more than 200 weedy seadragons were found dead on beaches in the Sydney, Australia region.

A team from the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, studied the sediments that Hurricanes Fabian (2003) and Igor (2010) transported from the Bermuda carbonate platform -- a shallow-water reef refuge for marine life – and deposited to the deep ocean. They found significant effects on the deep ocean environment that lasted for weeks. Hurricane Fabian delivered as much sediment to the deep ocean in just two weeks as would normally take a full year to accumulate. These sediments -- carbonate-rich material that forms in the thriving ecosystem on reef platforms -- have major effects on the ocean environment. If they get buried in deep sediments, they can sequester carbon for millennia or more. They can also provide a buffering effect to help offset ocean acidification, a consequence of rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. The scientists, from the MBL's Oceanic Flux Program, published their data in Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans.

Combining solar energy and farming can be enhanced by smart tracking to adjust the position of solar panels based on weather conditions, crop types, and growth stages. This approach ensures an optimal balance between light available for photosynthesis and for electricity production, as demonstrated by a recent study published in the Journal of Photonics for Energy (JPE). The study explores optimized solar panel positioning in agrivoltaics, using apple orchards in southwestern Germany as a case study. Introducing tailored tracking strategies and specific irradiation targets to improve agricultural yields while maintaining energy production, the study addresses critical yield-loss thresholds. Results showed that optimized control can deliver 91 percent of the required light to apple trees with only a 20 percent reduction in energy generation. These findings and subsequent field tests will advance the understanding of the impact of agrivoltaic systems on crop growth and energy efficiency.

An international team of scientists from Australia and China has unveiled the first chromosome-scale genome of a wild barley species, with their findings offering direct implications for more sustainable agriculture and significant yield improvements for Australian grain production. An international team of scientists from Australia and China has unveiled the first chromosome-scale genome of a wild barley species, with their findings offering direct implications for more sustainable agriculture and significant yield improvements for Australian grain production.