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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: Cheryl Dybus Contents of this News Tip:
U.S. INTERAGENCY UV MONITORING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED AND OPERATINGA network of ground-based instruments that detects the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun and reaching Earth's surface, is now operating. The network will help determine how the amount of UV light may be changing. The network, set up by the U.S. Global Change Research Program and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies, will provide information about the flux of UV radiation at Earth's surface for atmospheric science studies, and for research on UV human health and ecological effects. The network uses three types of instruments -- broadband radiometers, narrow-band filter instruments, and spectrophotometers -- and has a total of 66 instruments at 55 locations. The need for UV data is a result of the recognition that ozone depletion induced by human activity could lead to increased amounts of UV radiation reaching Earth's surface, especially if other atmospheric parameters, such as cloudiness and aerosol loading, remain unchanged. Atmospheric observations have shown conclusively that total ozone amounts have been decreasing over much of Earth's surface, in response to increasing concentrations of industrially produced halogens in the atmosphere. Thus far, however, the ground-based data record does not confirm long-term surface UV increases. The new network, scientists hope, will shed light on whether the amount of UV light reaching the planet's surface is in fact steadily increasing. [Cheryl Dybas] NSF GRANT STATISTICS PAINT STABLE PICTURENSF's grant statistics for fiscal 1998, which incorporate new merit review criteria as of the start of that fiscal year, remain largely static when compared to recent history. The funding rate for proposals during the year remained unchanged from the previous year, at 33 percent. Meanwhile, award size increased somewhat while the number of proposals received decreased slightly. The statistics are included in the annual report on NSF's merit review system, presented recently to the National Science Board at its March meeting. During fiscal 1998, NSF received about 28,300 proposals - a slight decrease from the roughly 30,000 received annually in the previous five years. NSF funded about 9,300 of those proposals, or about one-third, which is consistent with recent history and is equal to a five-year maximum reached in 1994. Award size increased to an average of $105,400 and a mean of $61,666. Most 1998 proposals were reviewed by a combination of mail and panel methods. NSF received a total of 244,000 reviews last year, for an average of 8.6 reviews per proposal. [Mary Hanson] INCREASING CARBON DIOXIDE THREATENS TROPICAL CORAL REEFSTropical coral reefs could be directly threatened by the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) entering the oceans, and some reefs may already be declining, say scientists. According to Joan Kleypas of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), "I believe that these findings represent the first evidence of a direct negative impact of increased CO2 on a marine ecosystem." NSF is NCAR's primary sponsor. The team's findings apply primarily to coral reefs located in surface waters within 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south of the Equator. However, the authors predict that reefs in greatest danger are those where the production and destruction of calcium carbonate are closely balanced. These include some higher latitude reefs, such as: those off Bermuda; those in areas where colder, deeper waters rise to the surface, like those off the Galapagos Islands; or many reefs already stressed by human activity. A coral reef is the accumulation of calcium carbonate produced by the corals and other calcium-secreting organisms, such as coralline algae. If calcium production declines, coral and algal skeletons will weaken and reef building may slow or stop. The reef then becomes more vulnerable to erosion. Ongoing calcium production depends on the saturation state of calcium carbonate in surrounding surface waters. This saturation state declines as CO2 enters tropical surface waters. This is one of the first studies to examine how CO2 increases may affect the chemistry and biology of ocean ecosystems. [Cheryl Dybas]
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