The Chesapeake Bay forms the largest estuary in the United States. As such, it provides critical habitats and breeding grounds for thousands of species of fish, birds, mammals, and other wildlife. The changing climate has created new challenges for the Chesapeake that threaten to alter the entire ecology of the Bay.

We know global warming is heating the planet, but how do we know if something is happening right in our own backyards due to climate change? This new blog series will look at the local impacts of a global phenomenon.
Image: Maryland Science Center, courtesy: Michael Eckrich-Neubauer http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12916605

“Is that skin cancer?” Even experts can be confused by skin moles that might or might not be melanomas. But now diagnosing the aggressive skin cancer is about to become easier. As this ScienCentral News video explains, researchers have developed a new test for melanoma that could prevent it from being misdiagnosed.
Image courtesy: Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, UCSF

We know global warming is heating the planet, but how do we know if something is happening right in our own backyards due to climate change? This new blog series will look at the local impacts of a global phenomenon.
Image: Sunset on Baltimore Harbor

Some hollow bones are providing solid new evidence of how birds evolved from dinosaurs. Scientists have discovered a new carnivorous dinosaur that breathed like a bird.

The Exxon Valdez belched its errant oil onto the shores of Valdez, Alaska 20 years ago.
Ten years ago, I had a reporting crisis over the question: Had Valdez recovered?

Image courtesy: NOAA, pooled oil is shown stranded in the rocks.

A group of government agencies has just released “an easily readable document” consisting of the things you need to know in order to be literate about the science of climate change. It is a non-political review of the scientific facts and a must-read as far as we’re concerned.

Feeling like you’re suffering from brain drain and you can’t concentrate? Psychologists have now found out that taking some time to interact with nature, even in cold weather, can make you a bit smarter.

New research gives a possible explanation for why some of us are thrill seekers and others like to play it safe. The study found that some of us can’t control the release of a certain brain chemical.

A newly launched curriculum integrating study of the Holocaust with the science of DNA is a great free gift for teachers who believe in cross-curricular instruction but have few resources for practicing it.