Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Ancient nanoscale seawater pockets have been found in iron pyrite from upstate New York

Science

Seawater trapped in ancient rocks opens a window into past ocean chemistry

By using advanced microscopes and imaging technology to study tiny pockets of liquid trapped in ancient minerals, scientists have gained new insights into how seawaters have changed over time, and how they might do so in the future.

The ELAT tag (directly above ruler) beneath a juvenile American eel

Science

World's smallest fish tag will track baby eels and lampreys

If you're going to check how fish are affected by hydroelectric dams, it's particularly important to monitor tiny, delicate individuals. That's why US scientists have developed what is claimed to be the world's smallest fish-tracking tag.

The RHT turbine is designed to be built into new hydroelectric projects, or retrofitted into existing ones

Environment

Blunt-bladed hydro turbine packs fish-friendliness into a small unit

Hydroelectric turbines may indeed be a non-polluting source of electricity, but their spinning blades can nonetheless kill larger fish that are passing through. A new type is designed not to do so, while maintaining a compact form factor.

According to the study, our forests aren't what they once were

Environment

Earth’s forests are getting shorter and younger as the climate shifts

A new study has determined that Earth’s forests are transforming in response to a combination of human actions and natural processes such as wildfires, causing them to lose their oldest trees and grow shorter.

Sometimes scientific accidents aren't such a bad thing.

Science

Spidey senses and super-strong metal: 2016's accidental discoveries

While not quite as significant as the one-time accidental discovery of penicillin, 2016 did have its share of chance findings in the scientific community. Here we take a look at five of them.