Colony surveys of common murres, an Alaskan seabird, show the full effects of the 2014-16 marine heat wave known as “the blob.” Analysis of 13 colonies surveyed between 2008 and 2022 finds that colony size in the Gulf of Alaska dropped by half after the marine heat wave. In colonies along the eastern Bering Sea, west of the peninsula, the decline was even steeper, at 75% loss. No recovery has yet been seen, the authors write.

Oregon State University researchers have synthesized new molecules able to quickly capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, an important tactic in climate change mitigation.

Despite sea level rise in Western Indian Ocean, more than 60% of Aldabra Atoll's shoreline remained unchanged from 1960 to 2011, based on aerial and satellite image analysis. On average, the shoreline changed at a rate of 0.25 ± 0.36 meters per year, with significant localized erosion trends. The international team led by University of Zurich and Seychelles Islands Foundation researchers highlight Aldabra Atoll's resilience and its ability to maintain its shoreline despite the threats to reef island processes. They emphasize the key role of non-climate factors, such as sediment supply in driving changes to the shoreline. Additionally, they stress the importance of long-term monitoring and the critical role of Aldabra's protection status in preserving its natural dynamics.

Plastic pollution is a growing problem in Japan, prompting cleanup efforts to recover plastic litter from water bodies. However, research on recovery rates from different river basins remains limited. In a recent study, researchers from Japan conducted a nationwide analysis of plastic litter recovery in over 100 river basins, shedding light on the impact of climate change, population density, and natural disasters. Their findings will help inform future cleanup strategies and improve plastic management.

Climate and land use change have and will continue to alter streamflow regimes and water quality through the 21st century, with consequences for drinking water treatment costs, flood protection, and other ecosystem services, according to the new Southern Forest Outlook report. The report is designed to inform forest sector decisionmakers and the interested public about observed trends, anticipated futures, and critical issues based on authoritative synthesis and interpretation of existing science, data, and 50-year projections. 

New research has found hedgehogs living in the same, semi-rural area have wide variation in hibernation timing and pattern, with some entering hibernation as much as three months later than others. The researchers say this flexibility could help them adapt to climate change and urbanisation.

In April 2021, two tropical cyclones, Seroja and Odette, collided in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. Two researchers from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, have now studied how this rare phenomenon affected the ocean. According to their case study, the rendezvous caused an unusual cooling of the surface water and an abrupt change in the direction of the combined storm. Since the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones are increasing as a result of global warming, it is possible that such encounters – and thus more extreme air-sea interactions – will become more frequent in the future, they conclude.

- Geoscientists led by Universities of Leicester and Southampton create new climate record for early Antarctic ice ages

- Reveals that the early Antarctic ice sheet melted more rapidly than previously thought

- Improves understanding about the behaviour of the ice sheet, both in the past and the future