http://ec.europa.eu//research/index.cfm?pg=whatsnew en Thu, 23 May 2013 14:29:37 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:29:37 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-procas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29934 The seas are Europe’s lifeblood. With the highest ratio of shoreline to land area of any continent, Europe is very much a maritime continent. Now, an EU-funded tool called EMIS (Environmental Marine Information System) allows policymakers and citizens to monitor those seas at the click of a button.]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-10:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-procas&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29934 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 Where better to enjoy a relaxing coastal trip than the Mediterranean? However, with large areas of this and the Black Sea basin under threat from environmental change, collaboration within the local scientific communities is more important than ever. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-pegaso&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29924 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 Known as the tiger of the sea, the bluefin tuna or Thunnus thynnus, can grow to more than half a tonne, glide at speeds of up to 70km/hour, and migrate over thousands of kilometres. But for many people, the bluefin’s majesty and grace in the water count for far less than the delicious taste of its rich, creamy red flesh: in January 2012, a 269kg bluefin tuna fetched a record 56.49 million yen (€564,000) at a Tsukiji market auction in Tokyo. Demand for the lucrative fish is driving it to extinction: despite global initiatives to limit the hunting, bluefin tuna populations have fallen an estimated 80% since 1970. ]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-03:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29554 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_11_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28173 Fish such as salmon are inextricably drawn back to the place of their birth so that they too can procreate and continue the cycle. Some fish follow specific migration routes, and those that inhabit rivers and estuaries impacted by dams and power plants are at risk. Research aimed at protecting these fish is being conducted at the University of Southampton, led by Dr Paul Kemp, from the university's International Centre for Ecohydraulics Research (ICER). This European science centre is fast making a name for itself around the world as it helps engineers develop hydropower to understand fish behaviour and come up with innovative ways to keep them away from turbines and intake systems.]]> Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-11-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_11_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=28173 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27573 Cod was once a staple diet across many European countries, and so important in fact that in the past some countries have even gone to war over this important resource. Their popularity, however, meant that they have become overfished in some areas leading to a shortage of large and old cod, which in turn has led to the fish becoming more sexually mature at a younger age. This, according to research conducted by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden has led to a serious change in cod stocks and could severely impact the fish's health, physiological ageing and reproductive capacity.]]> Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27573 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27433 Around 71 per cent of the Earth's surface is made up of salt-water oceans - that's 98 per cent of all water. The ecosystems that exist beneath their surface are diverse and vibrant. Their sheer scale, however, means that there is still a lot to be discovered. And that is exactly what an international team comprising scientists from Europe and the United States have done. Their new discovery - of a symbiosis between tiny single-celled algae and highly specialised bacteria in the ocean - will help scientists to better understand oceans and the important role they play in our lives.]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-10-12:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_10_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=27433 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_07_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26213 Researchers in Italy suggest that one of the main limits of spatially explicit forms of marine conservation, such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), is that they cannot protect areas from major threats, including coastal modifications and changes in hydrodynamic and sedimentary regimes, as well as the spread of exotic species. Alien species, in particular the green algae Caulerpa racemosa, have invaded the Mediterranean Sea and other MPAs, significantly impacting the feeding habits of demersal species, and in turn potentially affecting fish populations.]]> Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-07-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_07_19_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=26213 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-bluefin_tuna&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25253&numart=25253 The bluefin tuna is one of the world’s great voyagers. It must continuously swim in order to ventilate, generating enough heat to maintain its vital organs and elevate its body temperature above that of the water. Travelling 100km a day at speeds of up to 70km/hour, it is capable of crossing oceans in epic wanderings, but always returning to where it was born for spawning.]]> Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-06-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-bluefin_tuna&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=25253&numart=25253 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24673 Scientists have gained a new tool in their efforts to research the world's changing environment: the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas. This is the most comprehensive dataset of surface water carbon dioxide measurements for the world's oceans and coastal seas, made up of 6.3 million global observations generated from research vessels, commercial ships and moorings around the world since 1968. The information provides researchers with a 40-year record of CO2 accumulation in the surface ocean. The study was funded in part by the CARBOOCEAN and CARBOCHANGE projects, which received EUR 14.5 million and EUR 7 million under the FP6 and FP7 respectively.]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-04-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24673 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_20_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24653 Researchers in the Czech Republic, Spain and the United Kingdom have successfully identified the cellular components and mechanisms that play a role in the proliferation of myxozoa, tiny aquatic parasites responsible for diseases in commercially valuable fish. Presented in the journal PLoS ONE, the study's findings shed light on the motility of myxozoa's proliferative states and their reproductive process.]]> Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-04-20:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_20_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24653 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24513 Sea turtles are using marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect themselves from the threats of fishing and to forage for food, a new international study shows. Presented in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, the findings show that more than a third of the world's green turtles are found within MPAs. This figure is much higher than what they anticipated because just a small number of shallow oceans are designated as MPAs.]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-04-12:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_04_12_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=24513 http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?pg=pace_conference_2012 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-02-23:/iscp/index.cfm?pg=pace_conference_2012 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_02_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=23993 An international team of scientists has discovered that the effect of fishing for tuna and similar species since the early 1960s has led to a decline in these populations by around 60%. The study, presented in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was funded in part by the METAOCEANS ('Elucidating the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems through synethesis and comparative results') project, which clinched a Marie Curie Early Stage Research Training grant worth EUR 2.23 million under the FP6.]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-02-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_02_22_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=23993 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=69&item=Infocentre&artid=23654 Dalvik, in the north of Iceland, is a fishing port which supplies fish to destinations all over Europe including France. We follow a batch of cod which was caught well above the Arctic Circle. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-01-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=69&item=Infocentre&artid=23654 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&item=Infocentre&artid=23633 Bluefin Tuna is disappearing from the sea. Demand keeps prices high - which means people will keep fishing Bluefin Tuna until there is none left. Obviously this is an unsustainable situation. In Cartagena, in southern Spain, scientists from the EU's Selfdott research project are researching how to farm Bluefin Tuna. So every night in July they take a boat and go out to collect eggs from two cages containing 60 Bluefin Tuna. ]]> Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-01-19:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=326&item=Infocentre&artid=23633 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_01_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=23493 Can pregnant women help boost their children's brainpower by eating fish? The findings of a study, presented in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show how children born to women who consumed more fish during their pregnancies demonstrated improved outcomes in tests for verbal intelligence, fine motor skills and prosocial behaviour. The results are an outcome of the NUTRIMENTHE ('Effect on diet on the mental performance of children') project, which is backed under the 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology' (KBBE) Theme of the EU' Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to the tune of EUR 5.9 million.]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2012-01-09:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_12_01_09_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=23493