NCEAS recently joined with other National Science Foundation-sponsored science and math synthesis centers to support "Empowering Innovation and Synergy Through Diversity", the 2011 national conference of SACNAS, a society dedicated to Advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
As part of the conference program, postdoctoral researchers from NCEAS, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) and National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) participated in a career mentoring session and presented at a symposium "Hot Topics in Ecology: Climate Change."
A new study published in the journal Science found that, at certain latitudes, both the speed and direction of climate change and shifts in the seasonal timing of temperatures are changing more quickly in the ocean than on land. This may introduce conservation concerns because the more rapid changes often occur in areas of high marine diversity.
The temperate forests of Canada or Northern Europe may have much more in common with the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia or South America than previously believed, according to a research group sponsored by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS).
Inheritors of a fire-prone planet Earth, humans have developed a complex and diverse relationship with fire throughout history. Better understanding of the role of humans in altering Earth's past, present and future fire regimes can help to clarify the respective influence of humans and natural dynamics.
A group of ecologists and economists find that non-native forest insects in the U.S. cost billions of dollars, and governments and homeowners pay the price.
[From ESA press release]: The Ecological Society of America 
Researchers find that methane emissions from inland waters offset 25% of the terrestrial carbon sink, making freshwater an important--but often overlooked--component of the global carbon cycle.
Researchers found that one billion people may face freshwater shortages by 2050, due to a combination of population growth and climate change. The shortages will likely impact freshwater flows, which can impair river ecosystem health as well as local fisheries.
By quantifying carbon loss from an unprecedented Arctic tundra wildfire, researchers find that an increase in Arctic tundra fires due to climate change could create a positive feedback that accelerates warming.
Dr. Frank Davis has been appointed as the new Director of NCEAS.
NCEAS Working Group finds that fruits and vegetables that provide essential vitamins and minerals to humans depend on pollinators. Without pollinators, the international interdisciplinary research team estimates that up to 40% of key nutrients provided by fruits and vegetables could be lost.
NCEAS Center Fellow John L. Sabo and other researchers revisit the 25-year-old claims of Marc Reisner's Cadillac Desert: The American West and its disappearing water. Using modern scientific tools and mapping technologies, the group found his conclusions for the most part to be accurate and scientifically correct. Their findings, "Reclaiming freshwater sustainability in the Cadillac Desert" were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A U.S. News & World Report article highlights the effectiveness and topical diversity of NCEAS' Network of Ecological Researchers. 
Science Magazine article considers mitigation of local causes of ocean acidification using existing laws.
Some species are moving farther and faster in response to climate change. The challenge is in predicting these range shifts to inform assessment and conservation efforts.
Contrary to the pattern in terrestrial species, this study found that smaller fish are as prone to overfishing as larger species.