A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic sites. The rich fossil discovery – the first such find in the Grand Canyon – includes tiny rock-scraping molluscs, filter-feeding crustaceans, spiky-toothed worms, and even fragments of the food they likely ate.

A study led by Associate Professor Kelton McMahon at University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography has found that food webs on tropical reefs are more fragile than we once thought. Instead of being part of a highly connected system where species can easily switch food sources, many reef creatures in these incredibly biodiverse ecosystems rely on surprisingly narrow, specialized energy pathways that link specific species to distinct sources of primary production.

Inspired by a hitchhiking fish that uses a specialized suction organ to latch onto other marine animals, MIT engineers designed a mechanical adhesive device that attaches to soft, slippery surfaces and remains there for days or weeks. The device could be used to deliver drugs in the GI tract or monitor aquatic environments.

Researchers at Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have taken a great stride in supporting earthquake prevention research by developing a system for seafloor position measurements with centimeter-level precision. Combining the Global Navigation Satellite System–Acoustic and an unmanned aerial vehicle, the proposed system eliminates the need for manned surface vessels.

This paper proposes a new theoretical content and research framework of multi-spheric interaction-driven hydrocarbon formation and enrichment through in-depth analyses of the Earth’s multi-spheric coupling mechanisms and cross-spheric cycling processes of volatiles. It establishes a novel theoretical paradigm for optimizing target prioritization of both mature field revitalization and frontier play assessment.