Spring cold snaps harm nesting tree swallows, but some show resilience

Reef sharks are observed less frequently on Caribbean reefs that have high levels of diving activity and greater coastal development, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Even recreational activities that are often considered low impact are associated with fewer sharks on these reefs. Reef sharks play an important role in maintaining healthy reefs by helping to keep the ecosystem in balance.

How can we predict species' responses to always-arising changes in our world? A long-term ecological study from Yokohama National University researchers suggests the answer may lie in a few small simple biological traits. Their findings offer a framework for better anticipating biodiversity change and improving proactive conservation strategies. The results were published in Nature Communications on March 14.

New evidence suggests that a disease-causing tapeworm that has been spreading across the United States and Canada has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The tapeworm, called Echinococcus multilocularis, lives as a parasite in coyotes, foxes and other canid species and can cause severe disease if passed to domestic dogs or humans.

Most people think of diamonds as high-end adornments. Not Ania Bleszynski Jayich. The UC Santa Barbara physicist sees diamonds, which she grows in the UC Quantum Foundry, as a potentially powerful foundation for quantum sensors. Sensors are currently much farther along in their development than other potential quantum applications. Diamond sensors are particularly promising because diamonds require relatively few quantum bits (qubits) to operate, whereas a quantum computer, for instance, require