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. Marine heat waves and extreme ocean acidification events are each damaging on their own. But when both stressors hit simultaneously, their individual effects can be exacerbated. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-marine-acidification.html Earth Sciences Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:40:01 EDT news706803421 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have found that most coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific may struggle to grow fast enough to keep pace with accelerating sea-level rise. Their study found that 76% of the reef sites surveyed do not have the capacity to keep pace with projected sea-level rise under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario, threatening coastal protection and marine habitats. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-quarters-indo-pacific-coral-reefs.html Environment Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:20:01 EDT news706274341 A 113-million-year-old marine murder mystery may finally be solved. Using chemical clues locked inside microscopic fossils, Northwestern University scientists found evidence that ocean acidification drove one of the largest extinction events in the history of planktic foraminifera—tiny shell-building organisms that help regulate Earth's carbon cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-fossils-cretaceous-cold-case.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:12 EDT news704476501 A new review in Limnology and Oceanography led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns that the rapid loss of oxygen from the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems is pushing Earth toward an "unsafe space," with consequences that could be irreversible on human timescales. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-underwater-oxygen-loss-threatens-earth.html Earth Sciences Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703501039 When most people hear the phrase "ocean acidification," they think of coral reefs, shellfish or declining fisheries. Those concerns are real. But while working on our recent research, I found myself asking a different question: What if ocean acidification is telling us something much bigger than the health of marine ecosystems? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ocean-acidification-emerging-planetary-linking.html Earth Sciences Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:00:04 EDT news703232476 A new Stanford-led study offers the clearest picture yet of how some ocean life survived our planet's biggest mass extinction while most animals did not. About 252 million years ago, 96% of marine species and 70% of land animals died off during the Permian–Triassic extinction event, known as the "Great Dying." Not all branches of the evolutionary tree were affected evenly, however. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-link-mass-extinction-dominant-marine.html Evolution Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:42:09 EDT news702888087 Seagrass meadows play a largely overlooked role in providing nutrition for coastal communities, a new study published in Cell Reports Sustainability has found. The research, led by scientists at Project Seagrass and Stockholm University, found that fish living in seagrass meadows can provide a richer mix of essential nutrients than fish living on nearby coral reefs. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-seagrass-meadows-nourish-millions.html Ecology Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:30:03 EDT news702638409 An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe brain shrinkage appears to be most pronounced in the areas that interpret visual information, correlating with significant reductions in normal feeding behaviors and suggesting serious consequences for the future of squid and other cephalopods. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ocean-acidification-brains-world-intelligent.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:05 EDT news702630449 When an animal's environment changes faster than the animal can adapt, its chances of survival can flatline. The same is true for populations and even entire species. Now, scientists at MIT and the University of Leicester have found that this connection between evolutionary adaptation and the pace of environmental change holds up at the global scale as well—and can determine life's susceptibility to mass extinction. The researchers have developed a theoretical model of this phenomenon, which they present in a paper published today in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-environmental-outpaces-life-ability.html Evolution Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:40:03 EDT news701532659 Coral reef ecosystems, widely seen as a climate change bellwether, are more complex than previously understood. A new international study by the universities of Bristol, Wuhan in China, and Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany reveals that the evolutionary advantage of coral-algae symbiosis is not fixed; it depends entirely on environmental context. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-million-year-fossil-reveals-corals.html Evolution Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:40:07 EDT news701433193 One of the most devastating extinctions in Earth's history is best known for what didn't die—dinosaurs. But the end-Triassic extinction 201 million years ago wiped out roughly 60% of Earth's species, and scientists are still piecing together how it unfolded. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-oceans-began-suffocating-millions.html Earth Sciences Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:20:04 EDT news699523261 A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ocean-acidification-reef-fishes-social.html Plants & Animals Fri, 22 May 2026 13:40:02 EDT news698667602 As ocean temperatures rise and marine ecosystems change, scientists are working to understand how valuable species like the American lobster will respond. New research from William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS suggests that one source of resilience may come from the microscopic bacterial communities living on lobster embryos. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-lobster-embryo-microbiomes-resilient-future.html Ecology Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:01 EDT news697991220 From color-changing skin to jet-propelled motion, squid and cuttlefish have long fascinated scientists. To understand the origins of their unique characteristics, many attempts have been made to define their evolutionary history. However, the limited fossil record and incomplete genomic information have made it impossible to confidently order the evolution of these enigmatic creatures, until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-million-years-evolutionary-fuse-lit.html Evolution Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:00:10 EDT news693828311 A new study, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Columbia University, identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth's carbon cycle. While scientists know that carbon is moved through an invisible network of phytoplankton and other microbes in the surface ocean, the specific compounds have long been a mystery. These compounds are small, chemically difficult to detect in salty seawater, and are rapidly consumed by other organisms almost as soon as they are produced. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-reveals-hidden-chemical-currency-fueling.html Environment Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:40:06 EDT news693063361 A recent report on global tipping points warned that coral reefs face widespread dieback and have reached a point from which they cannot recover. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-tolerant-corals-reefs-persist-erode.html Ecology Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:00:01 EDT news691754275 Florida's Indian River Lagoon (IRL), one of the state's most ecologically productive estuaries, is facing a growing but invisible threat that could reshape its marine ecosystems. Over the past decade, the lagoon has suffered severe degradation caused by nutrient pollution, excessive freshwater runoff, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and declining water quality. These changes have led to the loss of tens of thousands of acres of seagrass and have negatively impacted shellfish, fish, dolphins, manatees and other key species. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-shellfish-uncovers-acidic-indian-river.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:59:39 EST news689335141 Sharks are the most feared predators in the sea, and their survival hinges on fearsome teeth that regrow throughout their lives. But changes in the ocean's chemistry could put those weapons at risk. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sharks-famous-fearsome-teeth-ocean.html Plants & Animals Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:50:03 EST news687782961 By 2100, Australian and global coral reef communities will be slow to recover, less complex, and dominated by fleshy algae, as high carbon dioxide changes ocean chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-volcanic-fate-coral-acidic-seas.html Ecology Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:07:04 EST news683197621 A team of international researchers led by the University of Vienna have investigated the development of shark and ray biodiversity over the past 100 million years. Their surprising results show a continuous decline in diversity since the Eocene, 45 million years ago, which contradicts previous assumptions that biodiversity was either stable or increasing. This study, recently published in Scientific Reports, provides crucial insights for modern marine conservation. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-shark-ray-diversity-declining-previous.html Ecology Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:52:04 EST news682854722 More than 30,000 teeth, bones and other fossils from a 249 million-year-old community of extinct marine reptiles, amphibians, bony fish and sharks have been discovered on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. These record the earliest radiation of land-living animals into oceanic ecosystems following cataclysmic extinction and extreme global warming at the dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-oldest-oceanic-reptile-ecosystem-age.html Ecology Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:45:44 EST news682270828 New research from the University of St Andrews has found that some coastal areas will become much more acidic than previously anticipated. With added atmospheric CO2, these areas are acidifying more quickly than thought, posing an existential threat to coastal economies around the world. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-coastal-ocean-acidification-advancing-faster.html Earth Sciences Thu, 13 Nov 2025 05:00:05 EST news682172161 This summer, it was all over the media. Driven by the climate crisis, the oceans have now also passed a critical point: The absorption of CO2 is making the oceans increasingly acidic. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-qa-future-corals-rays.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:10:05 EST news682182188 A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ancient-plankton-hint-steadier-future.html Earth Sciences Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:00:10 EDT news678616381 Corals, the foundation of ocean biodiversity, are threatened by climate change. But new research suggests that these organisms might be more resilient than previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-corals-climate.html Plants & Animals Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:10:05 EDT news678549714 A large proportion of the carbon dioxide emissions that are currently being released into the atmosphere by human activities are absorbed by the surface ocean, making it more acidic. As a result, the tiny organisms (plankton), which lie at the base of the marine food web and make the surface ocean their home, are at risk. The fossil record can tell us how these plankton responded during ancient intervals of climatic change that were similarly associated with increased carbon dioxide emissions. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-deep-sea-sediment-cores-reveal.html Earth Sciences Wed, 01 Oct 2025 14:50:04 EDT news678549002 Temperatures in the Mediterranean are currently rising to record levels. Instead of a refreshing dip, holidaymakers in places like Greece, Italy, and Spain, among other places, are now facing water temperatures up to 28° C or even higher. With an average water temperature of 26.9° C, July 2025 was the warmest since records began for the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Copernicus Earth Observation Service. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-climate-mediterranean-sea.html Environment Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:18:06 EDT news676293481 Each year, billions upon billions of tons of CO2 are pumped into the atmosphere. A significant proportion of this ends up in Earth's oceans, where it can react with water to form carbonic acid, which causes ocean acidification. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-mechanism-reveals-carbon-dioxide-reacts.html Earth Sciences Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:20:03 EDT news674922001 Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean at the surface and has been increasing the acidity of Pacific waters since the beginning of the industrial revolution over 200 years ago. A new study, led by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa oceanographers, revealed that the ocean is acidifying even more rapidly below the surface in the open waters of the North Pacific near Hawai'i. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-north-pacific-acidifying-rapidly-surface.html Earth Sciences Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:19:03 EDT news674817541 The Gulf of Maine—home to commercial fisheries for oysters, clams and mussels—has unexpectedly avoided an increase in seawater acidity, helping to preserve the health of its fisheries. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-gulf-maine-ph-defying-ocean.html Earth Sciences Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:09:05 EDT news673110537