Predators | Common News Update

Mar12021 by adminNo Comments

Climate change threatens food chains, top predators

Science

March 1 (UPI) -- As the planet continues to get hotter, new research suggests food chains will become less efficient, funneling less and less energy from the bottom to the top. For the study, researchers at the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London measured the effects of temperature on the movement of energy from single-celled algae, or phytoplankton, to the microscopic organisms -- called zooplankton -- that eat them. Advertisement The findings, published Monday in the journal Nature, showed an increase of 4 degrees Celsius reduced the energy transfer from phytoplankton to zooplankton by 56 percent. "These findings shine a light on an under-appreciated consequence of global warming," study co-author Gabriel Yvon-Durocher said in a press release. "Phytoplankton and zo...

Feb192021 by adminNo Comments

Coral reef predators get 70% of their energy from the open ocean

Science

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Food webs anchored by coral reefs extend much farther into open waters than scientists previously thought. According to a new study, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, more than 70% of the caloric energy consumed by reef predators is sourced from the open ocean. Advertisement Open surface waters in the tropics are low in nutrients and typically thought to be relatively unproductive, but the latest research these environments are more ecologically valuable than scientists previously estimated. For the study, scientists used isotopic analysis to examine the diets of four grouper species captured near coral reefs in the Maldives, an island chain a few hundred miles southwest of India. The analysis showed all four predatory fish rely on open ocean resources. S...

Mar182020 by adminNo Comments

Study: Small predators get ambushed at kill sites of larger predators

Science

March 18 (UPI) -- Small animals scavenging at kill sites of larger predators are often killed when top predators return, according to a "fatal attraction" theory published this week. It notes that smaller predators, like coyotes and foxes, are drawn to the kill sites of large predators like bears and wolves in search of leftover scraps, but the scavengers may be killed themselves if the larger animals return to the scene, according to the new study, published Tuesday in the journal Ecology Letters. The study focused on scavenging carnivores and their possible demise from larger animals, and comes as populations of grizzly bears, wolves and cougars have been declining in North America, while deer and other prey is rising, causing an imbalance in many areas. "We initially thought maybe sma...

Jun172019 by adminNo Comments

Plankton species uses bioluminescence to scare off predators

Science

June 17 (UPI) -- At least one species of dinoflagellate plankton uses its bioluminescence for defensive purposes. Researchers determined the species Lingulodinium polyedra uses its glow-in-the-dark abilities to scare off copepod grazers, the species' primary predator. According to the new study -- published this week in the journal Current Biology -- the bioluminescent cells sense low concentrations of copepodamides, polar lipids emitted by copepod grazers, a group of small crustaceans. "This in turn helps to better protect them from their grazers, letting them survive longer to reproduce and therefore compete better within the plankton," Andrew Prevett of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said in a news release. Researchers used low-light, high-speed cameras to observe the behavior...

Mar282019 by adminNo Comments

Nashville Predators sign first-round pick Dante Fabbro to entry-level deal

Sports

March 27 (UPI) -- The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday. The Predators selected Fabbro with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. He could make his professional debut when the Preds visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at PPG Paints Arena. Fabbro had 33 points (seven goals, 26 assists) in 38 games during his junior season in 2018-19 with Boston University. He was named a Hockey East second-team All-Star for the second straight year. He finished his three-year collegiate career with 80 points (22 goals, 58 assists) in 112 games.FABBRO SZN. #Preds | @17Fabbro https://t.co/tKlftITGay— x - Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 27, 2019 The 20-year-old defenseman has represented Cana...