Planktonic foraminifera are tiny marine organisms, which are essential to the ocean's carbon cycle. A recent study conducted by the CEREGE research center in Aix-en-Provence,  Aix-Marseille University, the Center for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB) in Montpellier, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, reveals that these populations are shrinking at an alarming rate due to ocean warming and acidification. Elevated CO₂ levels and thus acidifying waters are making it harder for these single-cell organisms to form their shells, putting their survival at risk. Some foraminifera have begun migrating to cooler waters in an attempt to adapt, but environmental changes are occurring faster than they can keep up with.

Researchers at Oxford University have developed a new method to extract fluorine from fluorspar (CaF₂) using oxalic acid and a fluorophilic Lewis acid in water under mild reaction conditions.

This technology enables direct access to fluorochemicals, including commonly used fluorinating agents, from both fluorspar and lower-grade metspar, eliminating reliance on the supply chain of hazardous hydrogen fluoride (HF).

The findings are published today in the journal Nature.

North Carolina A&T and Lehigh University researchers, supported by a $1 million NSF grant, are partnering to improve flood damage assessments. Their AI-driven approach aims to enhance disaster response with faster, more accurate mapping.