William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS has announced the first round of subawards for the National Fishing Trap Removal, Assessment and Prevention (TRAP) Program. Totaling more than $1.4M, the funding supports 11 projects focused on removing derelict fishing gear from coastal waters in nine U.S. states and Palau.

FAU researchers spent five years studying the gut microbiomes of Northern cardinals, a common backyard songbird known for its vivid red plumage. Their study explores how microbiome diversity impacts the birds’ health, body condition, and ornamental traits, such as their coloration. This research provides the first detailed insights into how gut microbiomes influence traits related to fitness in wild birds, addressing a gap in knowledge previously focused on captive animals.

A new study highlights the grave impacts of illegal ritualistic hunts in West Bengal, India, where thousands of hunters gather during cultural or religious festivals to kill wildlife using traditional weapons such as bows, catapults, and spears.

“With our method, not only can we nudge complex patterns around in the brain toward known ones, but also—for the first time—write directly a new pattern into the brain and measure what effect that has on a person’s behavior,” says Rochester brain and cognitive scientist Coraline Iordan.

Some of the world's smallest animals and their tiny poops could aid in the fight against climate change. A Dartmouth-led study reports that clay dust sprayed on the surface of seawater converts free-floating carbon particulates into food for zooplankton, which the microscopic animals later deposit deep into the sea as feces. The particulates are the remnants of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by marine plants that re-enters the atmosphere when the plants die. This new method redirects the carbon into the marine food chain.