To reduce air pollution associated with ocean transport, the International Maritime Organization tightened restrictions on sulfur content in ship fuel, resulting in an 80% reduction in emissions by 2020.
Mineral Dust Accelerating Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet
Large-scale melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is irreversible and happening at a rapid rate, and now a new international study is the first to understand why.
Farm Waste Could Lock Away Carbon for Decades
Agricultural waste that is usually burned or left to rot could play a far bigger role in tackling climate change if it were instead used in long-lasting building materials, according to new research from the University of East London (UEL).
This spider’s “pearl necklace” was living parasites
What looked like a pearl necklace on a tiny spider turned out to be parasitic mite larvae. Scientists identified the mites as a new species, marking the first record of its family in Brazil. The larvae attach to juvenile spiders and feed on lymph through a weak spot in the...
Environmental DNA Breakthrough Will Aid Conservation Efforts
Forensics experts gather DNA to understand who was present at a crime scene.
Get Ready for Smokier Air: Record 2023 Wildfire Smoke Marks Long-term Shift in North American Air Quality
A new analysis of air quality data from the past 70 years shows that Canada’s record wildfire smoke in 2023 is part of a broader, continent-wide trend toward smokier skies across North America.
With Planning, Birds and Floating Solar Can Coexist
Solar panels on bodies of water in the northeastern U.S. might generate renewable energy but could also carry risks for birds, especially water birds.
Scientists finally explain Earth’s strangest fossils
The Ediacara Biota are some of the strangest fossils ever found—soft-bodied organisms preserved in remarkable detail where preservation shouldn’t be possible. Scientists now think their survival in sandstone came from unusual ancient seawater chemistry that created clay “cements” around their bodies after burial. This process captured delicate shapes that would...
A century-old Stonehenge mystery may finally be solved
Scientists have found compelling new evidence that humans, not glaciers, brought Stonehenge’s bluestones to the site. Using advanced mineral analysis, researchers searched nearby river sediments for signs glaciers once passed through the area—and found none. That missing signature strongly suggests the stones were intentionally moved by people. How they did...
New Data Show Reduced Overall PFAS Exposures in Subarctic Ocean
PFAS, or per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, are ubiquitous in modern life. First produced at the end of World War II, these chemicals are in everything from furniture and cosmetics to food packaging, non-stick pans and clothing.