A study published in Science China Earth Sciences (Issue 9, 2025) has quantitatively reconstructed changes in nitrate availability in the Early Triassic ocean by systematically integrating global nitrogen isotope records and applying a nitrogen cycle box model. The research reveals significant temporal evolution and spatial variability in nitrate availability during this period. By correlating multiple paleoenvironmental proxies, the study uncovers the underlying mechanisms of the evolution of nitrate availability and suggests that prolonged nitrate depletion likely played a key role in delaying the recovery of marine ecosystems after the end-Permian mass extinction. These findings provide new insights into the processes governing ecosystem recovery following major extinction events, offering a clearer understanding of past environmental challenges.

New tool combines 360° video with spatial audio recording to accurately identify fish through sound.

Recordings are the most extensive bank of natural fish sounds published to date, including many sounds that have never been identified.

These sounds can be used to interpret soundscapes to monitor the health of threatened coral reefs to a new level of detail.

The project will transform sponge restoration in Florida Bay using advanced genetic tools to build ecological resilience. By analyzing genetic diversity in four key sponge species, the research aims to strengthen restoration efforts that currently rely on clonal transplants with limited adaptive potential. This marks the first genetic assessment of sponge recovery in the region, with broad implications for ecosystem health and fisheries. Sponges are essential to water quality, habitat structure, and the survival of economically important species like the spiny lobster.

Typhoons and their Atlantic counterparts—hurricanes—can develop into massively destructive storms that can take a severe toll on both infrastructure and human life. To date, collecting in situ tropical cyclone data has been too dangerous and cost prohibitive to routinely collect on a larger scale. Researchers have just developed a submersible vehicle, the “Blue Whale,” designed to withstand the adverse conditions of these storms and collect the in situ data necessary for more accurate typhoon intensity forecasts and marine condition warnings.

Sea foam is a common sight along the coastline as breaking waves churn up air and algae. Now, a study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that sea foam from several beaches along North Carolina’s coast contain higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compared to the water below. Some foam samples had more PFAS than what is allowed in drinking water, highlighting the need to clean up and reduce environmental PFAS pollution.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions and lacks effective treatments due to safety concerns, cost, and growing drug resistance. In a recent study, researchers from Japan discovered that onnamides, compounds isolated from marine sponges in Okinawa, exhibit potent anti-leishmanial properties. These molecules showed high efficacy and low toxicity in laboratory tests, offering a promising foundation for new therapies targeting leishmaniasis and other protozoa-derived infections.

A team from the University of Liège has developed novel equations to estimate the size of large marine reptiles from the dinosaur Era known from incomplete skeletons. This work, published in Biology Letters, paves the way for a better understanding of the evolution and ecology of these marine predators.