Coral reefs around the world are under threat because of climate change, overfishing, pollution, and more. Now, researchers reporting in the journal One Earth on September 17 offer the first comprehensive global look at what these impacts on coral reefs mean for ecosystem services, the ability of the reef to provide essential benefits and services to humans. Overall, the findings show that the significant loss in coral reef coverage has led to an equally significant loss in the ability of the reef to provide basic services, including food and livelihoods.

For the first time, scientists have assembled a quantitative assessment for agriculture sustainability for countries around the world based not only on environmental impacts, but economic and social impacts, as well. The Sustainable Agriculture Matrix, or SAM, provides independent and transparent measurements of agricultural sustainability at a national level that can help governments and organizations to evaluate progress, encourage accountability, identify priorities for improvement, and inform national policies and actions towards sustainable agriculture around the globe.

European experts and policy makers will join forces between 27-30 September within the 2021 EU Pollinator Week to discuss a new EU deal for pollinators.

According to the authors of “Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition in the 21st Century: A Report from the 22nd Annual Harvard Nutrition Obesity Symposium,” “there are vast opportunities to ensure that food systems produce healthy and safe food in equitable ways that promote environmental sustainability, especially if the world can come together at the UN Food Systems Summit in late 2021 and make strong and binding commitments towards food system transformation.”

New Western Australian research is using high-tech 3D facial scans to give us a better understanding of the genetic causes of autism.

Researchers have demonstrated an antibiotic coating that can be applied to orthopedic implants minutes before surgery and eliminates the chances of infection in experimental animals. In early trials, the coating prevented all infections, even without infusions of antibiotics into the bloodstream. After 20 days, the coating did not reduce the bone’s ability to fuse with the implant and was completely absorbed by the body.