Environment

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal energy regulators have given Oregon State University initial approval for a groundbreaking wave energy testing facility off the coast. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the PacWave South project is designed to facilitate and accelerate the development of wave energy technology. The technology harnesses the motion of the ocean to generate electricity.

Selectively cutting trees in riparian zones to aid forest restoration can be done without adversely affecting streams’ water temperature as long as the thinning isn’t too intensive, new research by Oregon State University shows.

Converting the ground under electrical transmission towers into spaces for wildlife can enable fragmented populations to connect with one another, increasing local biodiversity and providing animals around the globe an important tool for adapting to climate change, a new study found.

An international team of scientists, including two from Oregon State University, conducted a biological assessment of the world’s rivers — and the limited data they found presents a fairly bleak picture.