A new study has shown that although the UK has suitable climate and habitat for the yellow-legged hornet, also known as the Asian hornet, effective action has prevented it from establishing in the country. The EU-funded research was led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University showed that agricultural land preserved around river confluences can help mitigate floods. They make a case for Eco-DRR, an approach that uses existing environmental resources to improve resilience against flooding. Statistical analysis showed that municipalities with agricultural land in areas with high water storage potential suffered fewer floods, with stronger correlation when agricultural land was situated near river confluences. The team hope their findings inform effective land usage.

Researchers at the Marine Genomics Unit at the Okinawa Institue of Science and Technology (OIST) and their collaborators at the University of the Ryukyus and NTT Communications, have established a robust system to monitor mesophotic coral ecosystems using a combination of underwater robots and eDNA barcoding. Their findings have been published in the journal Coral Reefs. By collecting and analyzing genetic material that corals naturally release into the water – environmental DNA or eDNA – multiple species present in these deeper-water environments can now be identified without direct observations, using these robots. This makes it easier to study previously hard-to-access biodiversity hotspots.