A new study is opening a rare acoustic window into the hidden world of underwater predators. Using machine learning and underwater recordings, researchers developed a system that can detect and classify shell-crushing feeding events by whitespotted eagle rays as they prey on clams, oysters and other shellfish. The technology delivers near-deep learning accuracy with far less computing power, paving the way for real-time, large-scale monitoring of predator behavior and the health of coastal ecosystems.

The ranking, compiled by Isidro F. Aguillo at the Cybermetrics Lab of the Institute of Public Goods and Policies of the Spanish National Research Council (IPP-CSIC), aims to increase the visibility of women researchers through open-access platforms such as Google Scholar, ORCID and OpenAlex, which provide broader coverage than other bibliometric sources, including subscription-based databases. It also seeks to promote open infrastructures through the wider use of personal ORCID identifiers and institutional ROR identifiers.

The 2026 edition of the ranking includes a total of 12,110 researchers ranked according to the global impact of their research, 122 of whom belong to the public university of Castelló. The full ranking can be consulted in the author’s publication.