New “Genomic Microscope” for the Microbiome Discovers Carbon Dioxide-Eating Microbes Living in Superheated Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents
Cutting-edge proximity ligation sequencing technology identifies and tracks microbial communities thriving in East Pacific Ocean plumes
Earth is our hearty oasis in the cosmos. Yet our planet also harbors some environments so harsh and hostile that they could easily be mistaken for another planet.
Image credits: NOAA.
Few spots on Earth appear less Earth-like than deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Along these swathes of the seafloor, the forces of plate tectonics have ripped our planet open, unleashing jets of superheated water that strip chemicals rich in sulfur, iron and other elements from surrounding rock and release them into the ocean.
Tracey Hall, BRLT
Spotted salamanders swim amid egg mass. Courtesy of Dr. John Burns
Spring has arrived on the Boothbay peninsula and our local vernal pools are a flurry of activity. These seasonal bodies of water are a desirable place for some species of frogs, salamanders and insects to reproduce, as they lack the egg eating fish found in ponds and streams. For portions of the year vernal pools dry up, but each spring they fill with snow melt and rain. Each spring, amphibians migrate from the surrounding forest to mate and lay their eggs in dense jelly masses.
Many of us on the Boothbay peninsula live within walking distance of a vernal pool with its many sights and sounds. If you have never looked closely at a vernal pool, this is the time to do so. Locally wood frogs, spring peepers, and spotted salamanders are finishing up mating, and their eggs are visible in the pools waters. Frog calls can also be heard on warm nights some from miles away, so be sure to crack your windows
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Joe Gelarden Wed, 04/21/2021 - 7:00am
Like most launchings, it started with a groan as gravity, and a pull from a tug, began to pull the steel vessel from the shed where she was born. Slowly at first, then a bit quicker, she slid down the greased ways until her stern dunked into the Damariscotta River.
As the bulk of the 154 foot-long craft left the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard and took her first gentle roll, she became alive. Christened
Capt. Richard G. Spear, she became the latest to be crafted and launched from the shores of East Boothbay.
Your tax money paid $10.9 million to build the 465-ton ferry that will soon sail to Rockland, where she will carry up to 250 passengers and 23 vehicles to Vinalhaven.
Frederick Fritz Freudenberger, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Thu, 04/15/2021 - 2:30pm
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences recently installed eight electric vehicle plugins this spring. The plugins are available for public use on the organization s campus in East Boothbay. Courtesy of Kevin Guay, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations is one important part of making the Boothbay region’s future more environmentally friendly. This spring, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences installed eight plugins on its campus in East Boothbay, which are now available for public use.
“We try to walk the talk of environmental sustainability and are always looking for ways to support our community,” said Deborah Bronk, Bigelow Laboratory president and CEO. “Encouraging the use of electrical vehicles and providing charging stations is one small way to do both.”