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For more information on these science news and feature story tips, please contact the public information officer at the end of each item at (703) 292-8070. Editor: Bill Noxon Contents of this News Tip:
NAVIGATION SATELLITES TRACK YEARLY GROWTH OF MOUNTAINSIn a landmark space-based study of the motions of Earth's crust, geologists have used the same satellite navigation system that guides motorists and boaters to monitor the movement of an entire continent. They have recorded the yearly growth of the Andes Mountains in South America to within a fraction of an inch. The finding is funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It holds promise for improved earthquake hazard estimates by showing that satellite data can help geologists calculate the accumulating stresses along fault lines as the plates of Earth's crust slide over each other. Researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and from several other universities used NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to measure movements at locations across the South American continent over a two-year period. Previously, geologists have had to rely on data that traced accumulated plate motions over millions of years. "We're in a whole new world where we can actually look at geology in real time," says Seth Stein, a geologist at Northwestern University and principal investigator on the study. "GPS has changed this field from a historical approach to a present-time approach." [Cheryl Dybas] STUDENTS FLY WITH ALBATROSSESBiologist David Anderson normally does his studies of seabirds in the wild without much company, but that soon will change. This month, the Wake Forest University researcher will begin satellite-tracking two species of albatross that nest on Tern Island in Hawaii. His help will come from thousands of elementary school classrooms in the U.S. linked to his work. Supported by an NSF grant, Anderson's albatross project is expected to not only spark students' interest in science, but to also shed light on such questions as how the availability of food affects the seabirds' reproduction, and how their populations can be protected from declines attributed to longline fishing fleets plying Pacific waters for tuna and other fish. "My motivation for doing this project is three-fold," says Anderson. "First, there are basic science questions that the data will help us answer about declining albatross populations worldwide. Secondly, this project seemed the perfect opportunity to engage school-age kids in science. And thirdly, albatrosses have long been of interest to evolutionary biologists because of their extremely slow reproduction, which makes it hard for them to sustain losses and recover quickly." Anyone can participate in the study by typing "subscribe albatross" in the body of an e-mail message to listserv@wfu.edu. Or they can click on "Join the Project" at The Albatross Project's web site at http://www.wfu.edu/albatross. [Cheryl Dybas] OCEANOGRAPHERS STUDY TOXIC ORGANISM THAT CONTAMINATES SHELLFISHOceanographers at the University of Rhode Island in Narragansett are studying blooms of toxic "red tide" organisms with a grant from NSF. The microscopic organisms, dinoflagellates in the genus Alexandrium, create neurotoxins responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning, which in turn often leads to closure of shellfish beds. The neurotoxins produced by the dinoflagellates are accumulated by filter-feeding shellfish, then passed on to humans consuming such "tainted" shellfish. The Rhode Island team, led by marine scientist Edward Durbin, hopes to determine whether some marine species avoid feeding on Alexandrium because of the presence of toxins. Durbin also wants to learn more about possible threats to higher levels in the marine food chain. The researchers will look at "hot spots" along the coast of Maine from April to June to determine toxin levels. Each of these locations has a unique set of environmental and oceanographic conditions that determine the timing and extent of its "red tide" bloom. The award is part of NSF's ECOHAB, or Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms, program. [Cheryl Dybas]
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