Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Research on carpenter ants provides first example of a non-human animal severing limbs to curb infections It sounds like a scene from a Spielberg film: an injured worker undergoes an emergency amputation, performed by one of her colleagues, allowing her to live another day. But this is not a human story – it is behaviour seen in ants. While it is not the first time wound care has been seen in ants, scientists say their discovery is the first example of a non-human animal carrying out life-saving amputations, with the operation performed to treat leg wounds and prevent the onset or spread of infection. Continue reading...

Judge indicated that he expected states’ suit against Department of Energy to allow new LNG projects to succeed The Biden administration cannot delay consideration of projects aimed at exporting liquefied natural gas while a legal challenge by 16 Republican-led states plays out in federal court, a Louisiana judge said on Monday. US district judge James Cain Jr, a Trump appointee, sided with the states, granting a preliminary injunction that puts the Biden administration’s delay on hold. Continue reading...

Richard Forrest has spent half a century combing beaches for ammonites and other fossils. Along the Dorset coast, the constant shift of earth, rocks and sand continually reveals fresh evidence of life millions of years ago All photographs by Max Miechowski Read more in this series When Richard Forrest walks along the Lyme Regis beach on the Jurassic coast in Dorset, he carries in his small backpack a pointed pick, a geological hammer and an old kitchen knife. But he very rarely uses them until he is back home with a rock or two to work on. “The most important thing to take with you is your eyes,” he says. “And learn what it is you’re looking for.” Forrest is a fossil finder and has spent more than 50 years on Britain’s beaches hunting for evidence of the country’s prehistoric past. The Jurassic coast, stretching 95 miles (150km) across Devon and Dorset, is world famous for its treasure trove of ammonites and other fossils that lie, in many places, conspicuous beneath visitors’ feet. Others are hidden within the cliffs, only exposed after heavy rains bring on one of the regular landslips. “The best feeling is when you find something you think is potentially interesting and then you get it home and discover that wow, this is really interesting,” he says. “That feeling is amazing.” The view from Lyme Regis, looking east Continue reading...

Proposal would create first federal standard for workplace exposure to extreme heat, which kills dozens each year The Biden administration has unveiled a long-awaited proposal to protect workers from extreme temperatures. If finalized, the rule will establish the nation’s first-ever federal safety standard for excessive heat exposure in the workplace and protect as many as 36 million indoor and outdoor workers from heat-related injury. Continue reading...