Some icy exoplanets may have habitable oceans and geysers
A NASA study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could.....»»
Citizen science collaboration yields precise data on exoplanet WASP-77 A b
A planet swings in front of its star, dimming the starlight we see. Events like these, called transits, provide us with bounties of information about exoplanets—planets around stars other than the sun. But predicting when these special events occur.....»»
Oceanic life found to be thriving thanks to Saharan dust blown from thousands of kilometers away
Iron is a micronutrient indispensable for life, enabling processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, and DNA synthesis. Iron availability is often a limiting resource in today's oceans, which means that increasing the flow of iron into them can in.....»»
Tropical cyclone intensity exacerbated by increasing depth of ocean mixed layer, finds study
Tropical cyclones can have severe consequences for both the marine and terrestrial environments, as well as the organisms and communities who inhabit them. In the oceans, there can be alterations in sea surface temperature that disrupt biological pro.....»»
Could interstellar quantum communications involve Earth or solve the Fermi paradox?
Thus far, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has used strategies based on classical science—listening for radio waves, telescopes watching for optical signals, telescopes in orbit scouring light from the atmospheres of exoplanets,.....»»
So where does the oceans" plastic waste come from?
In the form of bottles, tires, packaging and piping, millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped every year in the world's waterways, often ending up in the oceans......»»
Astronomers discover new feature in exoplanet distribution that"s between the Neptunian Desert and Savanna
Astronomers have uncovered the "Neptunian Ridge," a newly identified feature in the distribution of exoplanets. This discovery, led by an international team including members of the University of Geneva, The NCCR PlanetS and the Centro de Astrobiolog.....»»
Europa Clipper: 8 things to know about NASA"s mission to an ocean moon of Jupiter
The first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth, Europa Clipper aims to find out whether the ice-encased moon Europa could be habitable......»»
Lower shipping emissions may lead to higher global temperatures
Products that we depend on and use every day arrive by way of massive container ships to ports around the world. But the maritime shipping industry is also responsible for polluting the air and oceans with sulfur dioxide, which can negatively affect.....»»
Environment takes center stage as global summits loom
Global warming. Disappearing plant and animal species. Fertile land turning to desert. Plastic in the oceans, on land, and the air we breathe......»»
How the oceans" most abundant bacteria impact global nutrient flows
If you were to collect all the organisms from the ocean surface down to 200 meters, you'd find that SAR11 bacteria, though invisible to the naked eye, would make up a fifth of the total biomass. These bacteria, also known as Pelagibacterales, have ev.....»»
Sharks are abandoning stressed coral reefs in warming oceans, study finds
Gray reef sharks are having to abandon the coral reefs they call home in the face of warming oceans, new research finds......»»
The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year
The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people's bodies, according to a new study that also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Gl.....»»
New study reveals urgent need for "Blue Justice" in the emerging blue economy
A new study has highlighted a critical issue within the rapidly developing Blue Economy; the need for "Blue Justice"—a new concept that originated from this study. As countries and industries increasingly turn to the oceans for economic growth, thi.....»»
AI shines a new light on exoplanets
Researchers from LMU, the ORIGINS Excellence Cluster, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the ORIGINS Data Science Lab (ODSL) have made an important breakthrough in the analysis of exoplanet atmospheres......»»
Composite plastic degrades easily with bacteria, offers environmental benefits
Billions of tons of plastic waste clutter our world. Most of it has accumulated on the ground and in the oceans or disintegrated into tiny particles known as microplastics that pollute the air and the water, penetrating vegetation and the bloodstream.....»»
How vegetation could impact the climate of exoplanets
The term "habitable zone" is a broad definition that serves a purpose in our age of exoplanet discovery. But the more we learn about exoplanets, the more we need a more nuanced definition of habitable......»»
Investigation reveals global fisheries are in far worse shape than we thought—and many have already collapsed
When fish are taken from our oceans faster than they can reproduce, their population numbers decline. This over-fishing upsets marine ecosystems. It's also bad for human populations that rely on fish for protein in their diets......»»
A Rare Coincidence of La Niña Events Will Weaken Hurricane Season
The oceans have produced a rare coincidence of the Pacific and Atlantic Niñas, which will lessen the severity of the hurricane season—though 2024 still remains a highly active year......»»
Land-sea "tag-team" devastated ocean life millions of years ago, reveal scientists
Scientists have revealed how a "tag-team" between the oceans and continents millions of years ago devastated marine life—and altered the course of evolution on Earth......»»
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......»»