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Science Snippets

Want some fun facts and interesting snippets of science? Then you came to the right place. Use an RSS reader, browser extension, or software to get updates when new Science Snippets are posted.

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Everything Old is New Again

“Everything old is new again” is a truism in fashion, but it can also be true in minerals science. Areas that were once mined for certain mineral...

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Bird Mortality at Renewable Energy Facilities have Population-Level Effects

A recent study shows nearly half of bird species studied were vulnerable to population-level effects from fatalities at renewable energy facilities. 

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History of Lake Powell Written in Sediment

Declining water levels in Lake Powell since 2000 provide a unique opportunity to study the sediments along previous shorelines. Researchers from the...

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Invasive Green Crabs Pose Threat to Washington’s Shellfish Industry and Tribal Culture

In recognition of National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 28-March 4), we wanted to call attention to a relatively new threat in the waters off...

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The Hidden Cost of Disease for Bighorn Sheep—Smaller Horns

Male bighorn sheep have spectacular horns, making them popular among hikers, photographers and hunters. However, disease threatens the magnificence of...

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The Case of the Misplaced Skunk

Curators’ Casebook is our ongoing series in which we look at some of the curious cases USGS curators at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural...

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Wetland Word: Blue Carbon

Coastal ecosystems, like wetlands, may be smaller in size when compared to say, a forest, but they have the ability to sequester more carbon per unit...

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Wetland Word: Sequestration

Scientifically speaking, sequestration refers to the capture and storage of an element, like carbon, in the environment.   

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Water Resources in Minnesota Significantly Improved by Land Restoration

Conversion of agricultural lands to wetland and native prairie greatly enhanced the quality of water resources, increased groundwater recharge and...

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Wetland Word: Hydrophyte

These water-dwelling plants are found in aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands.

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Wetland Word: Hydric Soil

Soil is more than just a substrate we walk on

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A Whale by Any Other Name

A new paper from the USGS and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History documents some of the first scientific descriptions and names given to...

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