"The high latitude North Atlantic Ocean is a globally important ocean region, as it is a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and an area where deep water formation takes place, " Prof Achterberg observed.

BBC: Iceland volcano ash cloud triggers plankton bloom

By contrast, modest black-hole activity can stir things up and encourage the formation of the kinds of elements (carbon, oxygen and so on) that are essential for life as we know it.

WSJ: Book Review: Gravity's Engines

One key element in searching for life on Mars is the presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere As a simple carbon compound, methane is often a precursor to the formation of the complex organic chemicals that make life possible.

FORBES: Curiosity Sniffs The Martian Atmosphere But Finds No Sign Of Life

Part of the vision calls for flying jets in the same formation as a flock of birds, which would reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

ENGADGET: Inhabitat's Week in Green: GPS shoes, shape-shifting bicycle and a wheelchair helicopter