Environment & Ecology News

TAU research finds antibiotics and laxatives in corals at a depth of 40 meters

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at the university detected traces of ten common medications in coral samples collected from both shallow and deep sites in the Gulf of Eilat. Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used for respiratory and urinary tract infections, was found in as many as… Read More

TAU research finds that sponges employ an original tactic to warn off predators

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) found that sponges in the Gulf of Eilat have developed an original way to keep predators away. The researchers found that the sponges contain an unprecedented concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum. In addition, they identified the bacterium that enables sponges to store such high concentrations… Read More

New TAU research enables biofuel production from organic waste

An innovative development by a team of Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers allows for the conversion of the wet raw waste that we throw in the trash into liquid and solid biofuels, without the need to dry the waste. The researchers assess that fuels produced from organic waste can meet about a third of Israel’s… Read More

International study led by TAU reveals climate-related decline in fish species

An extensive international study led by researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) found a decline in the abundance of marine fish species that move rapidly toward the poles to escape rising sea temperatures. Many animal species are currently moving toward cooler regions as a result of global warming, the researchers say, but the velocity of… Read More

TAU study finds that most biodiversity is found in rainy regions

In the most comprehensive study to this date on species richness of land vertebrates, an international research group led by Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev explored patterns in the number of species all across the world using comprehensive data for tens of thousands of species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and… Read More