New research published in Science shows spaceborne satellite altimetry can detect two-dimensional tsunami wave patterns near the earthquake’s source, offering critical insight for coastal risk evaluation and preparedness planning. The study highlights three key implications for hazard science: dispersive modeling is remarkably useful for characterizing tsunamis near their source; satellite altimetry can add unique constraints when it observes tsunamis close to where they begin; and wide-swath altimetry provides a transformative tool for understanding earthquake rupture and improving tsunami hazard assessments.

A new study revealed that the Hawaiian bobtail squid benefit from their symbiosis with bioluminescent bacteira in ways that extends far beyond light-production. The bacteria were found to play a vital role in the healthy development of the squid. 

Oyster reefs off the U.S. Atlantic coast remove more nitrogen and provide greater economic value than previously estimated, and their restoration may be effective in maintaining water quality and improving marine ecosystems

A UN-led initiative launched today at COP15 zeros in on domestic hunting, fishing and use, now identified as a major driver of decline for 70% of species accorded strict protection by an international treaty. By targeting the root causes -- from weak enforcement to rising local demand -- the Global Taking Initiative aims to close a critical gap in conservation efforts that have long focused on international trade while overlooking the far larger impact of everyday exploitation.

Feeding the global population currently requires clearing vast forests for soy plantations or heavily depleting the oceans for fish meal. What if the agricultural industry could bypass the farm and the sea entirely, opting instead to brew high-quality food from a problematic greenhouse gas? A rigorous new life-cycle assessment demonstrates that cultivating methane-consuming microbes is far more than an experimental concept—it is a highly lucrative, environmentally superior reality.

Driving this evaluation are corresponding authors Yanping Liu and Ziyi Yang from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Their latest work, appearing in the journal Carbon Research, stacks microbial protein directly against conventional agricultural staples. The verdict leans heavily in favor of the bioreactor over traditional harvesting.

The research team modeled three distinct supply chains: soybean meal, fish meal, and protein derived from methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB). The legacy methods carried expectedly heavy environmental baggage. Soy production was dominated by massive land footprints and agricultural chemical inputs. Meanwhile, the fish meal industry demanded extensive fuel consumption and inflicted severe stress on marine ecosystems.

Scientists have pinpointed, for the first time, exactly when key oil- and gas-forming rocks developed in northwest China. By precisely dating tiny zircon crystals preserved in ancient volcanic ash, researchers built a high-resolution timeline for Carboniferous–Permian source rocks in the Junggar Basin and nearby regions. The study shows that these source rocks formed during three distinct time windows and that the shift from marine to land-based environments occurred at different times across the region. These findings resolve long-standing geological debates, support a step-by-step, “scissor-like” closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, and provide a crucial time guide for future energy exploration.

A major new UN assessment finds that the world’s great freshwater fish migrations are rapidly collapsing, threatening ecosystems, fisheries, and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. Being released by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) at its COP15 in Brazil, the Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes identifies 325 species requiring coordinated international conservation action, their declines driven by dams, habitat fragmentation, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Migratory freshwater fish populations have fallen by about 81% since 1970, making them among the most imperiled wildlife on Earth. Because many species migrate across national borders through shared river basins such as the Amazon, Mekong, Danube, Nile, and Ganges–Brahmaputra, the report stresses that effective protection depends on countries managing rivers as connected systems. At CMS COP15, governments will consider new basin-scale action plans, conservation listings, and other initiatives to protect iconic long-distance migrant species such as the massive Amazonian catfish.

University of Cape Town researchers have discovered that the 2023-2024 El Niño triggered the largest sea level surge ever recorded across Africa's marine domains. A rare convergence of climate patterns amplified the event, causing sea levels to rise faster than the global average and placing over 15 million coastal residents at heightened flood risk. The study is published in Communications Earth & Environment.

A single-celled predator maintains stolen chloroplasts with its own proteins, linking the host cell and stolen organelles at the molecular level. This process, now supported by biochemical evidence, may offer clues to early steps in the evolution of plant cells.