Because organisms synthesize component molecules at rates that reflect those molecules' adaptive utility, we expect a population of biota to leave a distinctive chemical signature on its environment that is anomalous given the local (abiotic) chemistry. We observe the same effect in the distribution of computer instructions used by an evolving population of digital organisms, and we characteriz...

Recently, the studies on the antiviral activities of marine natural products, especially marine polysaccharides, are attracting more and more attention all over the world. Marine-derived polysaccharides and their lower molecular weight oligosaccharide derivatives have been shown to possess a variety of antiviral activities. This paper will review the recent progress in research on the antiviral...

Many studies have examined the effects of surface topography on the settlement behaviour of marine organisms and this article reviews these investigations with more emphasis on the effects of topography scale. It has been observed that macro topographies (1-100 mm) are generally favoured by marine fouling taxa and are unsuitable for antifouling applications. This is because macro topographies a...

or no-till. Those who oppose this notion argue that no-till is equated with an abusively high use of herbicides and even genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are synonymous with unsustainable agriculture, with no-till taking all the blame. Unfortunately, both sides are right, and therefore, to get closer to the answer of the initial question, we have to take a deeper look into no-tillage syste...

Until recently, little attention has been paid to the existence of kin structure in the sea, despite the fact that many marine organisms are sessile or sedentary. This lack of attention to kin structure, and its impacts on social evolution, historically stems from the pervasive assumption that the dispersal of gametes and larvae is almost always sufficient to prevent any persistent associations...

Economics is defined so broadly in the textbooks that an economist would not be outside the profession’s domain to answer the two main policy questions of this conference: 1. how should the benefits of biotechnology be shared with providers of genetic resources and/or associated knowledge (commonly known as access and benefitsharing, ABS)? 2. how should society handle genetically modified organ...

Doug Gurian-Sherman is a senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Food and Environment Program. UCS is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. The goal of the UCS Food and Environment Program is a food system that encourages innovative and environmentally sustainable ways to produce high-quality, safe, and affordable food, whil...

The natural barriers to species invasions that exist in isolated marine environments such as Hawaii are overcome by anthropogenic influences on the dispersal patterns of marine organisms. This creates a situation where the marine habitats of the Hawaiian Archipelago are more readily exposed to marine non-indigenous species. A case study of a particular anthropogenic dispersal mode, maritime ves...