MARUM researchers Hana Camelia and Thomas Felis examining cores of tropical coral colonies. Photo: Patrick Pollmeier, University of Bremen. Credit: Patrick Pollmeier, University of Bremen
Why do some coral reefs weather marine heat waves better than others? A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that the answer may lie not only in local ocean conditions, but also in climate patterns that span entire ocean basins. By combining long-term ocean observations with chemical records preserved in coral skeletons, the researchers reveal how large-scale climate oscillations regulate the natural cooling that can help protect coral reefs during marine heat waves. First author Dr. Hana Camelia and Dr. Thomas Felis from MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen led the study.
More than 50 years ago, physicist Sir Roger Penrose proposed a remarkable idea: under the right conditions, it might be possible to extract energy from a rapidly spinning black hole. In his concept, a particle entering the black hole's ergosphere, a region where spacetime is dragged along by the object's rotation, could split into two. One fragment would fall into the black hole while the other escaped carrying away more energy than the original particle. Later, physicist Yakov Zel'dovich expanded on this concept, predicting that waves interacting with an object rotating fast enough could also gain energy and become amplified.
Friend or pest? Humans domesticated pigeons to live alongside us, but now consider them filthy nuisances.
They have been our meat and our messengers, a source of fertilizer and a religious symbol: while pigeons are now mostly reviled as dirty city pests, they long played an important role in human society.
Plastic bottle cap. (A) Entire view of the cap after removal of attached organisms. (B) Interior of the cap filled with the polychaete (Eunice bipapillata) tube. (C) Lateral view of the cap. (D) Rear view of the cap. (E) Polychaete emerging from its tube. (F) Complete view of the polychaete. Credit: Marine Pollution Bulletin (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120051
Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, including a polychaete worm not found in Japanese waters before. The findings, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, show that when species that significantly shape their environments (ecosystem engineers) colonize plastic debris, entire micro-communities can be transported over extended periods, with implications for invasive species risk and marine biodiversity conservation.
The justice system in England and Wales is failing to meet people's needs, with cuts to legal aid forming part of a wider pattern of declining investment and support, warns a new UCL–led report. The findings present a stark picture of a system under strain, with austerity and sustained underfunding having far-reaching consequences.
Dan Sobien (at left), Feras Batarseh (at right), and graduate students tour a water facility. Credit: Noah Frank for Virginia Tech
As drought strains water supplies across much of the United States, Virginia Tech researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to help policymakers manage growing competition between agriculture and semiconductor manufacturing. Feras Batarseh, associate professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and the project's lead researcher, said the recent explosion of AI queries via language learning models and the increased need for chip production are increasing pressure on already-strained water systems in many parts of the country.
Local newspapers serve as a vital check on public institutions, including law enforcement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management. Published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, the study examines the societal cost of the ongoing decline in local journalism, including its impact on the accountability of local police agencies to the public and the integrity of data reported by law enforcement and related officials, such as medical examiners and coroners.
A team at the Applied Physics Lab is working to understand the complex science behind predicting invisible threats that can quickly cripple electric grid infrastructure on Earth.
Bumblebees may be small, measuring only about an inch long, but they play an enormous role in global agriculture. About one third of the world's food production relies on pollinators such as bees. At the same time, these vital insects face growing pressure from pesticides and other environmental threats.
