For the shellfish industry, high fecal counts detected in areas where shellfish such as oysters are harvested can mean long — and costly — closures. The fecal matter is associated with human-borne viruses, like norovirus, but the tests that are typically used to measure the fecal matter don’t distinguish between different types of animals, including … Read more
As It Happens6:05Spider webs catch more than prey. They’re also jam-packed with animal DNA Josh Newton probably isn’t very popular with spiders. After all, the Australian scientist has a tendency to go around undoing their hard work. “I liken it to when Princess Fiona in Shrek makes some cotton candy for Shrek from spider webs, where … Read more
The Rocky Mountains conjure up images of grey rugged peaks capped with white. But within the upper reaches of the harsh mountain landscapes, a rosier hue often blooms. Watermelon snow, also known as glacial blood, is caused by algae that turns the snow a startling shade of red. The algae blooms in summer, forming on … Read more
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are killed annually by malaria and other diseases spread through the bite of mosquitoes, insects that date back to the age of dinosaurs. All of these bites are inflicted by females, which possess specialized mouth anatomy that their male counterparts lack. But it hasn’t always been that way. Researchers … Read more
