Coccolithophores are microscopic marine algae that use carbon dioxide to grow, and release carbon dioxide when they create their miniature calcite shells. These tiny, abundant planktonic microorganisms could therefore be ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 15, 2019
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76
Ling Li, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, has found insights into building stronger and tougher ceramics by studying the shells of bivalve mollusks.
Nanomaterials
Jan 6, 2021
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70
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sea urchins dig themselves hiding holes in the limestone of the ocean floor using teeth that don’t go blunt. Weizmann Institute scientists have now revealed their secrets, which might give engineers insights ...
Plants & Animals
May 4, 2009
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An international research team, with Spanish participation, has discovered a new species of mollusc, Polyconites hadriani, in various parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The researchers say this species, which is the oldest in ...
Archaeology
Feb 22, 2011
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2
An international team of scientists have shed new light on the world's history of climate change.
Earth Sciences
Aug 29, 2012
9
0
Tiny creatures tens of millions of years old may affect the size of the next destructive earthquake in the Hikurangi subduction zone.
Earth Sciences
Oct 10, 2022
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37
Scales are the material of choice for animals from pangolins to fish: They're customizable, water-friendly, strong but flexible, and easy to fix when damaged.
Materials Science
Jan 26, 2018
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63
Using single calcite crystals with varying surface roughness allows engineers to simplify the complex physics that describes fault movement. In a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers show ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 2, 2022
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90
(Phys.org)—For the first time, a team of Australian engineers has modelled the microscopic mechanics of a sea urchin's spine, gaining insight into how these unusual creatures withstand impacts in their aquatic environment.
Materials Science
Oct 3, 2012
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0
Many marine organisms, including corals, build skeletons from calcium carbonate -- in the form of calcite or aragonite. The current composition of seawater favors the formation of aragonite -- but soft corals have a specific ...
Biochemistry
Aug 16, 2011
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