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.....»»
Study concludes ocean acidification in the Mediterranean is already affecting the calcification of marine plankton
The acidification of the oceans caused by human activity is already altering the production of marine plankton shells in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the worrying conclusion of a study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of.....»»
Subglacial water could extend the classical habitable zone of exoplanets, says study
Professor Amri Wandel, from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has unveiled research that promises to redefine our comprehension of habitable exoplanets. In a recent study published in The Astronomical Journal, Professor Wandel introduces the concept of.....»»
New microfossils suggest earlier rise in complex life
Microfossils from Western Australia may capture a jump in the complexity of life that coincided with the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and oceans, according to an international team of scientists......»»
This is a first: An exoplanet in a polar circumbinary disk surrounding two stars
We live in an age of exoplanet discovery. One thing we've learned is not to be surprised by the kinds of exoplanets we keep discovering. We've discovered planets where it might rain glass or even iron, planets that are the rocky core remnants of gas.....»»
A new trail to exoplanets: Team successfully detects ammonia isotopologues in atmosphere of cold brown dwarf
They reveal the origin of wine, the age of bones and fossils, and they serve as diagnostic tools in medicine. Isotopes and isotopologues—molecules that differ only in the composition of their isotopes—also play an increasingly important role in a.....»»
How global warming shakes the Earth: Seismic data show ocean waves gaining strength as the planet warms
As oceans waves rise and fall, they apply forces to the sea floor below and generate seismic waves. These seismic waves are so powerful and widespread that they show up as a steady thrum on seismographs, the same instruments used to monitor and study.....»»
TESS finds eight more super-Earths
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered most of the confirmed exoplanets that we know of. But its successor, TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), is catching up. New research announces the validation of eight more TESS candidates, and they'r.....»»
Arctic Ocean soundscapes reveal changes in mammal populations in response to climate change
While the sounds of our oceans may be familiar to us through the lens of nature documentaries, from the haunting calls of whales to the barks of some fish, this acoustic environment can provide a wealth of knowledge to scientists regarding the comple.....»»
Can we eat our way through an exploding sea urchin problem?
Longspined sea urchins are native to temperate waters around New South Wales. But as oceans heat up, their range has expanded more than 650km, through eastern Victoria and south to Tasmania. Their numbers are exploding in the process, clear-felling k.....»»
Researchers report mass bleaching of coral reefs in warming Florida oceans: "Like a forest without trees"
Peering over the edge of research vessel Coral Reef II as it sailed through the Florida Keys, Shedd Aquarium postdoctoral fellow Shayle Matsuda saw white......»»
Discovery of three novel Minorisa species, the smallest predatory marine picoplankton
Minorisa, a group of unicellular eukaryotes (protists), is renowned as one of the smallest predators in the world. These microorganisms are widely distributed in oceans, with a particular abundance in coastal regions, where they are believed to play.....»»
Civilizations are probably spreading quickly through the universe, researchers claim
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has always been plagued by uncertainty. With only one habitable planet (Earth) and one technologically advanced civilization (humanity) as examples, scientists are still confined to theorizing where.....»»
Toxic diets: Canadian orcas face high risks of pollution-related health effects
Killer whales, also called orcas, are known for their intelligence and striking presence. They are also enduring a silent but persistent threat beneath the surface of our oceans......»»
Uranus aurora discovery offers clues to habitable icy worlds
The presence of an infrared aurora on the cold, outer planet of Uranus has been confirmed for the first time by University of Leicester astronomers......»»
Bizarre new fossils shed light on ancient plankton
A scientist from the University of Leicester has discovered a new type of fossil that reveals life in the oceans half a billion years ago. The tiny organisms, detailed in a new study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Scien.....»»
Doing laundry by hand sheds just as many microfibers as machine washing—new research
Between 6,500 and 87,000 tons of microfibers are shed during domestic laundering every year in the UK. Many of these minuscule fibers end up in rivers and oceans, with devastating consequences for aquatic animals and environments......»»
Genomic stability: A double-edged sword for sharks
Sharks have been populating the oceans for about 400 to 500 million years. While our planet and many of its inhabitants have undergone massive changes several times during this period, this basal group of vertebrates has remained somewhat constant. T.....»»
New exoplanet-informed research sets clearer bounds on the search for radio technosignatures
In a new study published in The Astronomical Journal, researchers used the known population of exoplanets and extrapolated to the much larger, unknown population of exoplanets to set better thresholds for planetary effects on signals from ETIs (extra.....»»
Do red dwarfs or sunlike stars have more Earth-sized worlds?
Earth is our only example of a habitable planet, so it makes sense to search for Earth-size worlds when we're hunting for potentially-habitable exoplanets. When astronomers found seven of them orbiting a red dwarf star in the TRAPPIST-1 system, peopl.....»»
Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain
The decline of one of the rarest whales in the world appears to be slowing, but scientists warn the giant mammals still face existential threats from warming oceans, ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear......»»