Environment

When an orca hunts salmon, it clicks and buzzes. It sends a beam of sounds from its nasal passages into the murky depths in hopes that the sound waves will bounce back and reveal the location of its next nutritious meal. Those hopes are often dashed when noise from passing vessels drowns out orcas’ sonar signals. Jennifer Tennessen, senior research scientist at the UW Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, is quoted.

Volcanoes spewing carbon dioxide 250 million years ago heated the climate so much that extreme El Niño events became the norm, pushing most life on Earth past its limits. Peter Ward, professor of Earth and space sciences and of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Mia Bennett, University of Washington assistant professor of geography, will spend a week this month in Norway as part of the orientation for the Fulbright Arctic IV Initiative. Bennett is one of 20 scholars selected to collaborate on multi-disciplinary research over the next 18 months.

New research led by the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revealed how underwater noise produced by humans may help explain why southern resident orca populations have not recovered from historic lows. In a paper published Sept. 10 in Global Change Biology, the team reports that underwater noise pollution â from both large and small vessels â forces northern and southern resident orcas to expend more time and energy hunting for fish. The din also lowers the overall success of their hunting efforts. Noise from ships likely has an outsized impact on southern resident orca pods, which spend more time in parts of the Salish Sea with high ship traffic.

"The Starbucks saga reminds us that we live in an era of heightened climate sensibilities, where corporate reputations are tarnished by small acts of CEO’s perceived climate transgressions," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

Researchers say males can see other mosquitoes flying around, but give chase only when they hear female buzzing. Saumya Gupta, a postdoctoral researcher of biology at the UW, is quoted.

A ‘mosquito flight simulator’ reveals a potential weakness in one species that carries malaria. Saumya Gupta, a postdoctoral researcher of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Spraying pesticides can have unintended impacts on important pollinator species. Jeff Riffell, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

An international team led by researchers at the University of Washington has uncovered surprising details about mosquito mating, which could lead to improved malaria control techniques and even help develop precision drone flight. In a paper published Aug. 30 in the journal Current Biology, the team revealed that when a male Anopheles coluzzii mosquito hears the sound of female-specific wingbeats, his eyes âactivateâ and he visually scans the immediate vicinity for a potential mate.

Why denying the science of climate change is no longer politically tenable. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

The overlap between humans and animals will increase substantially across much of the planet in less than 50 years due to human population growth and climate change, according to a collaborative study by scientists at the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and University College London. By 2070, the overlap between humans and more than 22,000 vertebrate species will rise across nearly 57% of Earthâs land, according to the team.

New research shows that galaxies in denser parts of the universe are usually larger than those that are more isolated. Aritra Ghosh, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

This weekend, NASA said to keep your eyes peeled for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower runs from July 14 through Sept. 1, but will peak on the night of Sunday, Aug. 11. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

The brainy machines are predicting global weather patterns with new speed and precision, doing in minutes and seconds what once took hours. Chris Bretherton, professor emeritus of atmospheric sciences and of applied mathematics at the UW, is mentioned.

About one-fifth of all electricity customers in Washington will be eligible for a $200 energy credit this summer, funded through the state’s landmark climate law. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.