Young Bewick's swans only survive their first spring migration if they stay with their parents long enough. If they lose their parents in winter, they leave later and are unable to keep up with the rest of the population. As a result, there is a greater chance that they will die in their first year of life. This is shown in new research by biologists from the UvA and NIOO-KNAW, together with American and German colleagues, which was published on Aug. 20 in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

Offshore wind farms are a key pillar of the energy transition. The European Union plans to massively expand offshore wind capacity in the North Sea by 2050. A new study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon indicates that a very extensive expansion could influence regional precipitation patterns: while precipitation over the sea could increase, it could decrease in coastal regions. The research provides comprehensive insights into the potential regional climate impacts of future offshore wind farms, which, the researchers emphasize, must always be planned in harmony with the environment. The study was published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment.

Researchers of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have discovered that fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) significantly impairs the ability of plants to efficiently use water and absorb carbon dioxide. The findings reveal that PM2.5 pollution weakens the vital carbon-water coupling of vegetation, highlighting that mitigating air pollution is not only a public health priority but also a critical climate action imperative.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has successfully secured the hosting rights for the 2028 Magnetospheres of Outer Planets (MOP) Conference. As the premier global symposium in space physics, MOP has been held biennially since the 1970s and will make its historic debut in Hong Kong in 2028, more than half a century after its inception. Jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (HKIAA) and the Laboratory for Space Research (LSR) at HKU, this landmark event marks a major milestone in establishing Hong Kong’s leadership in space and planetary sciences across the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

A study led by Professor Jimmy Jiujiu JIAO from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Professor Meng LI from Shenzhen University has identified microbial fermentation as the likely main pathway for ammonium production in sediments beneath the Pearl River Delta, helping to explain the region’s exceptionally high natural groundwater ammonium levels.

Two SUNY Potsdam geoscientists have been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to investigate the chemistry of ancient waters preserved in sedimentary rocks across Atlantic Canada, research that could shed new light on the evolution of life on land and the distribution of energy and mineral resources. 

A U of A study maps recoverable phosphorus in U.S. soil, manure and agricultural waste and charts a path toward supply resilience before domestic reserves are exhausted.