SUSTAINABILITY

Will climate change strengthen tsunami-like floods in Europe?

26-10-2020 | © istockphotos.com

By the end of the 21st century, sea levels are estimated to rise between 40 and 60 centimetres worldwide. Coping with this will be a major challenge for many European coastal communities. ERC grantee Jadranka Šepić at the University of Split in Croatia is investigating how climate change will affect the strength and frequency of tsunami-like flooding events along European coastlines. Her research could help coastal communities prepare better for future challenges.

The online world of food sharing

10-09-2020 | © Getty Images | Yesim Sahin

How can researchers successfully engage with citizens to improve their scientific outputs? To find out, we talked to ERC grantee, Anna Davies of Trinity College Dublin, the winner of the first ERC Public Engagement Award in the online and social media category. Her project set out to map urban food-sharing practices and discovered early on that they would need the help of citizen scientists.

Bacterial biofilters could cut greenhouse gas and clean water

10-09-2020 | © Mykola

Highlighted research projects: Starting Grant 2020

03-09-2020 | © picture

Projects and researchers awarded ERC Starting Grants in 2020 were, as usual, extremely varied. This year we selected seven examples to give you a taste of the new research avenues that will be explored

Busting the myths about ocean plastic

01-09-2020 | @ Aike Vonk

There is much more to marine plastic pollution than meets the eye. In his quest to set the record straight about this litter, Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at Utrecht University, is garnering international interest from the public, media, schoolchildren and policymakers alike. His passion for public outreach has led him to become one of the first laureates of the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award. We interviewed him to find out more about his winning media relations strategy and the benefits public engagement has brought to his research.

Understanding the role of bacteria in leguminous plants

23-07-2020 | ©J. Stougaard

Beans, peas, lentils and other legumes are key elements in a balanced diet as they are a source of high-quality proteins. ERC grantee Jens Stougaard leads one of the most prominent research groups in legume science whose results may have long-term implications for sustainable agriculture and food security.

Turning up the heat: how land management impacts heatwaves and droughts

16-06-2020 | © Toini Lindroos, Blick 2012

New hope for coral reefs

Corals are one of the most beautiful and fascinating ecosystems in the world. However, due to rising sea temperatures, pollution and ocean acidification, they are also one of the most threatened. Pioneering work of ERC grantee Tali Mass shows that corals might be less vulnerable to some of these changes in their environment than previously thought, bringing new hope for their conservation.

Blue tits provide climate change clues

The liveliest of our feathered garden visitors, the little acrobatic blue tit, and her close cousin the great tit, can tell us a lot about how birds adapt to climate change, urbanisation and other changes in their environment. To mark this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, we bring you the story of ERC grantee Anne Charmantier who studies how these songbirds are adapting to their fast-changing habitat and what that could mean for their long-term survival.

The evolution of biodiversity: ever-increasing or did it hit a ceiling?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
next ›
last »

You are here

SUSTAINABILITY