Ocean conditions have always changed with the wind, but the last decade has seen exceptionally dramatic shifts along the Oregon coast. Crabbers, salmon fishermen and whale watchers see the impacts. OSU oceanographer Jack Barth and colleagues are revealing the forces at work.
Nearly every evening, a river of cool air slides down a valley in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest east of Eugene. It pools in low spots like water behind a dam. By analyzing this exhaled forest breath, OSU scientists are learning to diagnose the health of mountain ecosystems. (01-30-08)
The mixed messages blare at every grocery checkout: supermodels smiling seductively from magazines that push chocolate-cake recipes and weight-loss tips on the same page. No wonder millions of American females struggle with food and body image, laments OSU Professor Melinda Manore.
Despite a troubled economy, community leaders in southwestern Oregon’s Coquille Valley see hope for the future. Their optimism has inspired OSU’s Rural Studies Program and provided a learning opportunity for students in a class on rural sustainability.
