Artificial light spilling into coastal waters from cities, ports, roads, and hotels is disrupting sleep in coral reef fish and is associated with changes in markers linked to brain health, according to a new study from Bar-Ilan University.

An international team of researchers have discovered a remarkable new spider species in the rainforest of north Queensland that spins an ingenious and powerful spring-actuated snare to catch a single species of ant – one ant at a time – in what they describe as “the ultimate specialisation”. 

The study, conducted on the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, shows that macrophages detect nutritional stress caused by a high-sugar diet and send a signal to the endocrine system to delay development.

This mechanism delays metamorphosis, giving the larvae time to grow and reach a functional, well-proportioned adult stage.

Published in Current Biology, the study opens up new questions about how nutrition, immunity, and hormones coordinate during development.

A multi-institutional team of researchers have successfully conducted the first comprehensive exploration of the intertidal and subtidal rocky ecosystems of Inútil Bay. The expedition, supported by the Marine Program of Rewilding Chile, brought together specialists from CADIC-CONICET and the Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) to conduct the first survey of benthic macroalgae in a region that had never been systematically studied before.

Researchers have named four newly discovered chameleon species after Jane Goodall, Rosalind Franklin, and the concept of "vanishing",  honouring scientific pioneers while sounding an alarm about disappearing habitats. A fourth species rounds out the discoveries, each found on a different isolated rainforest mountaintop in northern Mozambique. The findings were recently published in the open-access journal Vertebrate Zoology by Prof. Krystal A. Tolley and Dr. Werner Conradie.

Turning carbon dioxide into clean fuels just got more efficient. A new study in Engineering explores a promising technique that removes water vapor during CO₂ hydrogenation, helping reactions run better at lower pressures. The method supports methane, methanol, and dimethyl ether (DME) production using green hydrogen and captured CO₂. While challenges in materials and reactor design remain, this approach could make low-carbon synthetic fuels more practical for industry and energy transition.

Eight units of the high-frequency bird-deterrent system Bird Sonic were installed at Narita International Airport on May 19, expanding deployment to 10 airports across Japan. Developed by T.M.WORKS and evaluated by researchers at Okayama University of Science, the system emits multiple high-frequency sound patterns to deter birds from approaching runways. The installation aims to reduce bird strike incidents and improve aviation safety at one of Japan’s busiest international airports.