Scientists in China Test Solar Panels That Work Underwater 10 Meters Beneath the Sea - ZME Science

Plants are the original solar panels, and they're very good at converting light into energy – red and blue light, that is. But what if a solar panel could co-exist with plants, capturing the light that they aren't using while allowing those red and blue wavelengths through? That's what a team led by Silvia Ma Lu of Mälardalen University in Sweden has tested in a new study, using semi-transparent, rose-tinted solar panels that let specific wavelengths of light through to plants growing below, while also capturing solar energy for electricity. They've presented their prototype in the scientific journal Cell Reports Physical Science. "The basic concept is quite straightforward," Ma Lu says. "The solar panels use part of the incoming sunlight to generate renewable electricity while allowing part of the light to pass through to the crops growing underneath. "Perhaps we could be harvesting sunlight more efficiently by allocating different portions of the solar spectrum to crop growth and electricity generation, she says. Broccoli growing under the magenta solar panels. (Silvia Ma Lu)The magenta panels tested in this study, however, are more like a prototype than the final product.

The UMC is an annual conference with representatives from over 25 countries. Since 1970, it has brought together a community of academic, government and commercial sector professionals. Two Eckerd students are joining Associate Professor of Marine Science Patrick Schwing ’06, Ph. D., at the conference this fall. “These are all the opportunities, if you were at an R1 institution, all of the grad students would be doing,” says Schwing. Over the past five to ten years, demand for lithium-ion and other battery components has risen. Nodules, a type of mineral that takes millions of years to grow on the seafloor, absorb basic metals needed to make batteries, Schwing says. Nodules are one of the mineral types being targeted for ocean mining. The impacts of deep-sea mining remain unknown, from climate to regulatory risks. Schwing and his student researchers are working to establish baselines.

ScienceA giant underwater wave of water connected to this year's El Niño weather pattern is making its way up the west coast of the Americas, raising alarm bells amongst scientists worried about how climate change is magnifying the impacts of the naturally-occurring phenomenon. El Niño phenomenon could worsen the effects of storm surges and high tidesListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Waves and debris crash into the breakwater in Victoria, B. C. in 2024. This year's El Niño will soon send more waves at B. C.'s coast. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)A giant underwater wave of water connected to this year's El Niño weather pattern is moving up the west coast of the Americas, raising alarm bells among scientists about how climate change is magnifying the impacts of the naturally occurring phenomenon. The so-called Kelvin wave is not unexpected. But like El Niño as a whole, it is happening on top of human-caused climate change that has already warmed the oceans and atmosphere.