Humpback whales as bioindicators of Antarctic mercury pollution
A Griffith University-led study provided the first evidence of mercury accumulation in humpback whales and screened levels in other marine megafauna foraging in the Southern Ocean......»»
Plastic pollution hotspots pinpointed in new research—India ranks top due to high levels of uncollected waste
We have used machine learning to identify the biggest plastic pollution hotspots across more than 50,000 towns, cities and rural areas worldwide. Our new global model reveals the most detailed picture of plastic pollution ever created with the highes.....»»
BepiColombo"s best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has successfully completed its fourth of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, capturing images of two special impact craters as it uses the little planet's gravity to steer itself on course to enter orbit around Merc.....»»
Unraveling the evolutionary secrets of how whales and dolphins adapted their backbones for aquatic life
If you've ever seen a dolphin swim, you may have wondered why they undulate their bodies up and down when swimming, instead of side to side as fishes do. Though they have a fishlike body, cetaceans (a group comprised of whales, dolphins, and porpoise.....»»
Soil pollution surpasses climate change as top threat to underground biodiversity, study finds
Earthworms, insects and mites are all at risk from soil pollution, and scientists are worried that we know very little about the damage it's causing......»»
City light pollution is shrinking spiders" brains, new study finds
As darkness falls, the nocturnal half of the animal kingdom starts its day. Nocturnal species are perfectly adapted to navigate and survive the dark of night that has existed for countless millions of years......»»
Last voyage of an ocean drilling ship? Here"s why scientists don"t want to see the JOIDES Resolution mothballed
My favorite place in the world isn't a fixed location. It's the JOIDES Resolution, an internationally funded research ship that has spent its service life constantly on the move, from deep in the Antarctic to high in the Arctic......»»
People eating beef are less likely to live near the industry"s pollution
Anyone who's researched ways to lower their environmental impact has likely heard they should eat less meat, particularly beef. Even at scale, cows are an inefficient way to feed people—it takes nearly four tons of water to recoup one ton of beef,.....»»
NASA mission gets its first snapshot of polar heat emissions
NASA's newest climate mission has started collecting data on the amount of heat in the form of far-infrared radiation that the Arctic and Antarctic environments emit to space. These measurements by the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experim.....»»
Fourth Mercury flyby begins BepiColombo"s new trajectory
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked continuously over the past four months to overcome a glitch that prevented BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The ESA/JAXA mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will ta.....»»
Q&A: Scientist discusses the MESSENGER mission to Mercury
Twenty years ago, the MESSENGER mission revolutionized our understanding of Mercury. We sat down with project head and former Carnegie Science director Sean Solomon to talk about how the mission came together and the groundbreaking work it enabled......»»
Understanding how human activity impacts zooplankton is essential for managing and protecting lakewater
Freshwater ecosystems are impacted by human activities, including climate change, pollution and invasive species......»»
New species of Antarctic dragonfish highlights its threatened ecosystem
A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has been discovered in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The species, named in ho.....»»
First fuel spill clean-up targets identified for Macquarie Island
Australian scientists have developed the first environmental standards for fuel contamination in soils, for sub-Antarctic environments......»»
"More than just numbers:" Statistics expert uses data to predict extreme weather, financial downturns
Using data and numbers, a West Virginia University statistician is exploring new methods that could predict and model extreme patterns in weather events, financial turmoil and pollution levels......»»
California legislature passes controversial “kill switch” AI safety bill
Governor will balance worries about "over-regulation" with calls from AI luminaries. Enlarge / California governor Gavin Newsom will likely soon face a decision on whether to sign SB-1047. (credit: Ray Chavez/The Mercury News via.....»»
The impact of human activity on air quality: A look at aerosol pollution before and after the Industrial Revolution
A recent study led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds new light on how human activities have altered the composition of the atmosphere over time, particularly focusing on secondary organic aerosols (SOA)......»»
Athens faces new dangers as forest fires edge closer
With the smell still lingering in its suburbs after Greece's worst wildfire this year, floods and pollution now threaten Athens, experts say......»»
Study shows pollution affects the growth and behavior of aquatic organisms
Research at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, reveals that size-based selection, as happens in fishing, may impact the stress tolerance of fish, which in turn has a significant impact on the condition and coping of fish in changing environments.....»»
Extreme weather threatens survival of seabirds and seals
Scientists have identified the Australian and Antarctic marine predators most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and it will help focus conservation efforts for species under threat......»»
Cultured zooplankton provide new avenue to monitor and rid oceans of microplastic pollutants
Testing for levels of microplastic contamination in marine plankton aims to help develop new ways to assess and manage the rising global pollution problem, Flinders University experts say......»»