After nearly five years of collaborative work, the European Horizon 2020 REST-COAST project convened for its final consortium meeting in Barcelona in early February. On the agenda were the main results that demonstrate how nature-based solutions (NbS), operational tools, business plans and policy insights can support evidence-based decision-making across Europe to reduce coastal risks, restore ecosystems and biodiversity, while improving the well-being of citizens.

The United States government is rolling back conservation policies in a way that demonstrably risks accelerating already at-risk coral reefs around its island territory Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Part of the issue is the way the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is defined. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, University of Guam, University of Technology Sydney and Cornell University strongly suggest broadening key species categories such that reefs are more generally protected. At present, overly specific terminology means anything outside key categories doesn't fall under the ESA and is therefore open to further human interference. 

17 February 2026 / Kiel / Las Palmas. Yesterday, an international team of researchers from various disciplines set off aboard the German research vessel METEOR for an expedition along the west coast of Africa, led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The expedition focuses on two poorly understood phenomena: the Benguela upwelling system off the coasts of Angola and Namibia, which partly operates independently of the wind, and the recurring marine heatwaves known as Benguela Niños, which have a significant impact on the local climate and cause flooding in Angola and Namibia.

Beneath the ice of West Antarctica lie natural records of past climate variability, containing sediments deposited during warmer periods when the region was partly or entirely ice-free. 

An international team co-led by a researcher from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has now retrieved the longest sediment core ever drilled from beneath an ice sheet, using a custom-designed drilling system. 

The 228 metre-long core contains geological evidence and fossils of marine organisms that indicate a previously open, ice-free ocean. This archive provides new insights into how sensitive the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is to a warming climate. 

A 40-year study using field data from Projeto Lontra reveals that Neotropical otters act as "living sensors" of ecosystem degradation, with 66% testing positive for land-based pathogens like Toxoplasma gondii carried by runoff. This research, published in Estuarine Management and Technologies, led to the creation of the Otter Health Index (OHI), a low-cost toolkit designed for muncipalities and NGOs to better monitor estuarine health through simple metrics.

Research from The University of Osaka highlights a new model of a gyroscopic wave energy converter. The device was shown to be capable of absorbing up to half of incoming wave energy across a wide range of frequencies, meaning it could achieve the theoretical maximum efficiency. These results provide important design insights for more efficient and adaptable wave energy technologies.