https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Tiny single-celled organisms help keep lakes clear, but some can also contaminate the water. An international research team has analyzed DNA data from 362 lakes to create the first global genome atlas of these organisms. With the findings now published in Nature Communications, the new atlas lays the foundation for faster and more precise monitoring of lakes. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-global-genome-atlas-reveals-overlooked.html Ecology Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:00:05 EDT news710602924 Penguin poop is fertilizing snow algae blooms along the Antarctic Peninsula, feeding dense green algae patches along the coastline, a new study shows. These expanding stretches of green snow melt faster than clean, white snow, potentially speeding up the spread of snow- and ice-free areas of Antarctica. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-penguin-poop-antarctic-algae-green.html Earth Sciences Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:00:15 EDT news710409722 Disease and heat pose a deadly combination for coral reefs, according to a new University of Georgia study published in the journal Coral Reefs. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-florida-keys-reveals-fourfold-death.html Plants & Animals Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:20:17 EDT news710424301 The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to U.S. psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their pioneering work in the neuroscience field of optogenetics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-german-trio-medicine-nobel-optogenetics.html Other Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:32:02 EDT news710400687 From a drone flying above the waves to a camera just inches from the seafloor, University of Miami researchers are transforming how scientists observe coral reefs and measure changes that were once difficult, costly or time-consuming to document. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-imaging-technologies-clearer-view-coral.html Ecology Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:00:01 EDT news709898082 High sea temperatures driven by the climate crisis damage corals, bleaching them ghostly white and killing them. While restoration of dead reefs is possible, it's difficult and expensive, and restored corals are vulnerable to future heat waves. Finding ways to stop or slow the damage to existing reefs is crucial. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-underwater-umbrellas-coral-reefs.html Plants & Animals Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:07 EDT news710063041 A new research paper published in Zootaxa describes five new species of freshwater mussels in the southern U.S., providing the scientific foundation for protecting the most imperiled group of animals in North America. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-species-freshwater-mussels-southern-uncovered.html Plants & Animals Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:30:01 EDT news710092442 A single-celled green alga from the sand dunes of the Negev Desert has, within just a few years, become a key model organism in modern photosynthesis research. Chlorella ohadii helps researchers better understand plants' adaptability to extreme environmental conditions. These findings could help make crops more resilient to heat, drought, and other consequences of climate change in the future. Haim Treves, a professor of plant metabolism at RPTU, has been studying the desert alga since its discovery. His findings have now been published in the journal New Phytologist. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-alga-reveals-fast-growth-resistance.html Plants & Animals Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:20:12 EDT news710072896 A team of marine scientists led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has developed a new approach to predicting harmful algal blooms (HABs), changing how oceanographers track these hazardous marine events. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ocean-predator-chemical-cues-early.html Ecology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:10:07 EDT news710006402 While insects provide an essential food source for many vertebrate species, they're more than just a protein-laden snack. Chimpanzees use them to sterilize wounds, and herons use them as fishing bait. Sloths rely on moths to maintain the algae in their fur, which they then eat. Birds and reptiles lay their eggs inside the temperature-controlled sanctuary of termite mounds, while some desert frogs reside in ant nests because of the humidity. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-insects-essential-vertebrate-life-food.html Plants & Animals Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:10:01 EDT news709901461 To boost corals' resilience amid rising sea temperatures and the spread of disease, KAUST researchers have found that controlled, low-level exposure to dead pathogenic cells can help corals resist future infection. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-corals-vaccine-responses-pathogen-exposure.html Ecology Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:20:06 EDT news709314541 Gloeotrichia echinulata is a type of cyanobacterium that draws scrutiny because it tends to bloom in clear lakes, forming thick mats of visible green or white puffballs in otherwise clean water. Because of the slew of toxic compounds cyanobacteria can produce, blooms (historically called "blue-green algae") are of growing global concern. Yet, a new study by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Oregon State University suggests this particular species might not deserve its maligned reputation. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cyanobacterium-lakes-toxic-potential.html Ecology Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:20:04 EDT news709220942 Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed at deeper levels, they were never seen near deep-sea hydrothermal vents until 2024, when a group of oceanographers observed them there for the first time. The team's new study, published in Communications Biology, describes the discovery and why the team thinks pregnant krill may actually be spending a lot of time near hydrothermal vents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-deep-sea-hydrothermal-vents-hot.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:17 EDT news708863182 Physicists at Leipzig University and Charles University in Prague have developed a method for changing the swimming style of tiny artificial microswimmers in real time. They can make a single microscopic particle switch at will between modes of swimming inspired by bacteria and algae. The researchers have thus turned a property that was previously fixed during production into a programmable parameter. They believe their findings pave the way for an evolutionary approach to the development of synthetic active matter. Their study has now been published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microswimmers-bacteria-algae-propulsion.html Nanophysics Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:20:02 EDT news708781981 Lichens colonize trees and rocks all over the world. They are symbiotic communities between fungi and photosynthetically active green algae or cyanobacteria, in which both partners benefit from each other: The fungal partner relies on the algae for a supply of carbohydrates and, in return, it protects the algae from UV radiation and other environmental influences. The contact zone where the fungal cells and algal cells touch is crucial for transferring nutrients between the two symbiotic partners. Detailed investigations, particularly a three-dimensional understanding of this area between the cells, have been lacking until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-3d-scans-reveal-lichen-fungi.html Ecology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:40:06 EDT news708767821 Two-thirds of a century after Jane Goodall observed "David Greybeard" break off a twig to fashion a fishing rod for termites, researchers following in her footsteps have found that adult chimpanzees in Senegal literally hand youngsters the tools for learning. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chimpanzees-youngsters-tools-tricky-techniques.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:02 EDT news708597361 Deep in the ocean, brown algae and diatoms produce a complex carbohydrate molecule called fucoidan, which helps form their protective outer layers. The fucoidan molecule is very difficult for microbes to break down because its chemical structure may include dozens of different linkages and branching patterns that vary from one algal species to another. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-marine-bacteria-team-ocean-toughest.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:04 EDT news708689641 Like all other snakes, sea snakes shed their skin as they grow. But because they live near the surface of the open ocean, they don't have the benefit of removing their old skin by slithering against a hard surface. Instead, they wriggle into a pretzel and use the friction generated by their scales to get the job done. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-planes-snake-scientists-crab-species.html Plants & Animals Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:40:02 EDT news708335546 An international team of scientists has recreated a 1,000-year timeline documenting ecological changes and human impact on the area surrounding Crawford Lake, the famed location of the proposed Anthropocene. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ancient-dna-reveals-years-human.html Ecology Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news708155881 Marine heat waves are a consequence of climate change and are increasingly altering marine and coastal regions worldwide. An international study led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon now shows that many coastal seas absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere during these extreme events than under normal conditions. The effect is particularly pronounced in polar and subpolar shelf seas of the Northern Hemisphere, where sea ice is declining as temperatures rise. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-marine-boost-coastal-uptake-analysis.html Earth Sciences Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:20:06 EDT news708077221 Well before I start collecting coats, keys or shoes, my dog always knows when we're about to leave. By picking up on subtle cues, he anticipates our next movements, reminding me he's smarter than he often shows. But anticipation isn't always about brains. Our new research reveals that even an animal with no brain at all can anticipate what's coming next. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-brainless-sea-sponges-sunset-metamorphosis.html Plants & Animals Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:20:01 EDT news707733181 Relatively few people have been to the Arctic, and even fewer have set foot in Antarctica. Most people rely on imagination and the media to visualize these landscapes and the ways they are changing. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-arctic-season-week-longer-1980s.html Earth Sciences Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:00:06 EDT news707664112 Climate change continues to threaten the world's coral reefs, which support at least a quarter of all marine life. Though probiotics have been shown to rehabilitate corals in aquarium experiments, demonstrating the efficacy of such microbial therapy in the ocean is difficult. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports on Sept. 3, researchers establish that both live probiotic and inactivated postbiotic treatments improve coral health—while the animals are under thermal stress during a natural marine heat wave. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-probiotic-postbiotic-treatments-revive-stressed.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:08 EDT news707490570 Stickleback fish can change their social behavior to help them find food in cloudy water, according to a new University of Bristol study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-muddying-stickleback-fish.html Plants & Animals Tue, 01 Sep 2026 19:10:01 EDT news707388482 An international team of more than 100 scientists has taken a major step toward unlocking the secrets of some of Earth's tiniest but most important organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-diatom-sequencing-genetic-differences-microscopic.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:09 EDT news707405161 As one moves north, Maine's kelp forests are being overtaken by dense mats of carpet-like turf algae. The steady decline of kelp and transition into this new state are altering the ecosystem all the way down to the microbial level, according to a new study in PNAS from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-loss-kelp-forests-reverberates-microbial.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:08 EDT news707389502 Corals that partner with heat-tolerant algae may be better equipped to survive warming oceans—but that resilience comes with an unexpected trade-off, according to a new study from Boston University published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tolerant-corals-vulnerable-disease.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:50:01 EDT news707069821 Sea turtles are famous for being prodigious wanderers. Guided by Earth's magnetic field, ocean currents and the sun, they tend to crisscross the seas in search of food, returning to the region of their birth every few years to breed. So when scientists discovered a population of sea turtles that appear to be very much homebodies, they were taken aback. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-galpagos-yellow-sea-turtles-homebodies.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:01 EDT news706880270 Why do some lakes remain plagued by harmful algal blooms even after phosphorus pollution has been reduced? Part of the answer lies beneath the surface. A new Concordia study has uncovered a previously overlooked chemical process that can help trap phosphorus in lake sediments, preventing it from returning to the water, where it can fuel excessive plant and algal growth. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hidden-chemical-pathway-phosphorus-fueling.html Earth Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:40:01 EDT news706534441 In the vast, nutrient-poor regions of the world's oceans, there is a constant struggle for survival. Yet tiny organisms known as Collodaria have thrived there for millions of years. These Collodaria host microscopically small algae that are essential for survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ocean-plankton-reveal-sugar-nutrients.html Ecology Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:20:07 EDT news706533781