https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Nova Southeastern University An antibiotic treatment used in many parts of the Caribbean and on Florida's Coral Reef to combat stony coral tissue loss disease does not exhibit negative side effects, scientists at Nova Southeastern University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Florida and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), have confirmed. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-safety-antibiotic-treatment-stony-coral.html Plants & Animals Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:30:03 EDT news692965681 Scientists have published what is likely the first-ever scientifically recorded birthing migration for the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (sphyrna lewini). The satellite-tagged shark—an adult female displaying a clearly distended abdomen, strongly suggesting pregnancy—traveled between the Galapagos Islands, the coast of Panama and international waters to the west of the Galapagos. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-satellite-tagging-reveals-birthing-migration.html Plants & Animals Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:13:05 EDT news676631582 Marine biodiversity is in crisis around the globe. Climate change, overfishing, habitat destruction and other extractive industries are causing species losses at an alarming rate. Scientists, managers, and governments are taking steps to protect marine life, but this requires a network of protected areas that are ecologically representative, foster connectivity between habitats, and consider the dynamic nature of coastal and marine habitats. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-biodiversity.html Ecology Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:52:03 EST news627749521 New research from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is working towards understanding human infections and unlocking how bacteria "work together" to make these infections much more difficult to treat. Understanding this symbiotic relationship can lead to better ways to treat various ailments. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-bacteria-ways-infections-human-health.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 May 2023 16:11:59 EDT news602781117 To say studying sailfish is challenging is an understatement. These fish, often described as the "fastest fish in the world," exhibit some remarkable traits as they make their way through the oceans in search of their next meal. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-video-sailfish-view-reveals-behavior.html Plants & Animals Mon, 13 Feb 2023 08:48:04 EST news595500481 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose one of the greatest threats to global public health. In 2019, deaths due to antibiotic resistant bacteria outpaced deaths due to HIV and malaria. Given the lack of innovation in the discovery of new antibiotics, it is critical to determine the mechanisms by which bacteria tolerate existing antibiotics so that we can improve their effectiveness. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-treatments-infections.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 15 Dec 2022 16:49:21 EST news590345355 Blue marlin (one of the largest fish) and sailfish (one of the fastest fish) provide some of the most prized fights in the sportfishing world, making catching them with rod and reel one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences. Their distinctive elongated front-end bill gives them a built-in sword-like weapon for hunting, and thus the moniker "billfish". https://phys.org/news/2022-08-first-of-its-kind-tracking-sensors-billfish.html Plants & Animals Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:43:04 EDT news579444181 It's good to have friends. https://phys.org/news/2021-07-fish-friends-crisis.html Plants & Animals Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:03:03 EDT news546008578 In a year like no other, it's certainly fitting that we had hurricane season that followed suit. It seemed every time we turned around, there was a tropical disturbance brewing that eventually became a named storm. https://phys.org/news/2020-12-new-found-phenomenon-hurricane.html Earth Sciences Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:57:23 EST news526751836 They are some of the most iconic and unique-looking creatures in our oceans. While some may think they look a bit odd, one thing researchers agree on is that little is known about hammerhead sharks. Many of the 10 hammerhead shark species are severely overfished worldwide for their fins and in need of urgent protection to prevent their extinction. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-shark-endangered-species.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Sep 2020 10:46:52 EDT news519385609 We've all seen the documentaries that feature scenes of mass migrations on land. Those videos are pretty impressive showing all sorts of animals—birds, mammals and other creatures—on the move. What wasn't known was to what extent this was taking place in the deepest parts of our oceans. https://phys.org/news/2020-03-scientists-document-seasonal-migrations-fish.html Plants & Animals Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:27:50 EDT news504458866 As if you didn't already have enough to worry about to keep you up at night, a new study indicates that poor sleep can negatively affect your gut microbiome, which can, in turn, lead to additional health issues. Great. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-10-good-health.html Health Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:26:12 EDT news491487967 More than 1 billion people worldwide are living with vision impairment because they do not get the care they need for conditions like short and far sightedness, glaucoma, diabetes, and cataracts, according to the first-ever World Report on Vision issued by the World Health Organization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-10-professor-underpins-world-health-vision.html Ophthalmology Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:13:17 EDT news489841991 Rapid intensification is a serious challenge for the prediction of hurricane intensity. An example is Hurricane Maria in 2017, which intensified to a Category 5 storm within 24 hours and destroyed Puerto Rico. None of the computer models were able to predict it. A more recent example is Hurricane Dorian, which was predicted to become just a tropical storm, before it rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm and caused extensive damage in the Bahamas. https://phys.org/news/2019-09-hurricane-intensity-difficult.html Earth Sciences Thu, 26 Sep 2019 11:47:52 EDT news488717265 With the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program's first landing of humans on the moon, the eyes and hopes of the world turn skyward again. https://phys.org/news/2019-09-urges-microbes-space-colonization.html Ecology Mon, 23 Sep 2019 15:51:37 EDT news488472687 When it comes to finding one's way, Garmin, Tom-Tom and Google Maps have got nothing on Mother Nature. https://phys.org/news/2019-07-tagged-whale-shark-ongoing-nsu.html Ecology Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:05:21 EDT news482767512 The great white shark is one of the most recognized marine creatures on Earth, generating widespread public fascination and media attention, including spawning one of the most successful movies in Hollywood history. This shark possesses notable characteristics, including its massive size (up to 20 feet and 7,000 pounds) and diving to nearly 4,000 foot depths. Great whites are also a big conservation concern given their relatively low numbers in the world's oceans. https://phys.org/news/2019-02-great-white-shark-genome-decoded.html Ecology Mon, 18 Feb 2019 15:00:02 EST news469709952 Nova Southeastern University (NSU) researchers recently discovered that by testing the level of NER (nucleotide excision repair) gene expression, pediatric oncologists can determine the likelihood of early relapse (less than three years) in their acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. This is a critical finding because NER gene expression levels can now help guide doctors in their rationale for appropriate treatment targeted to each patient's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-12-uncover-genetic-marker-predictor-early.html Genetics Thu, 13 Dec 2018 17:07:35 EST news463943242 For one week every year people seem glued to their televisions watching program after program about sharks. After that week, the spotlight on sharks seems to fade – but not for the researchers who are studying these apex predators all 52 weeks of the year. https://phys.org/news/2018-08-tagged-shortfin-mako-shark-caught.html Ecology Wed, 01 Aug 2018 06:00:02 EDT news452321438 Already the world's largest shark species, male whale sharks can swim around the ocean for up to 130 years, according to a recently published study by scientists at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) and collaborators from the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme. https://phys.org/news/2018-07-approach-whale-shark-ages-waywhile.html Ecology Wed, 18 Jul 2018 11:43:38 EDT news451133007 More bad news for sharks. https://phys.org/news/2017-08-ocean-fastest-shark-threatened-fishing.html Ecology Mon, 07 Aug 2017 11:37:54 EDT news421324664 Bacteria are everywhere. And despite widespread belief, not all bacteria are "bad." However, to combat those that can cause health issues for humans, there has been an over-reliance on the use of antibiotics - so much so, that many of them are now proving ineffective due to bacteria developing increased resistance to them. https://phys.org/news/2017-04-disrupt-bacteria-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 12 Apr 2017 11:50:36 EDT news411216626 As the old saying goes: "You can't put the genie back in the bottle." https://phys.org/news/2017-02-lionfish-gulf-mexico-threat-reef.html Ecology Thu, 16 Feb 2017 06:45:17 EST news406449905 A male mako shark named Hell's Bay has broken a record, traveling more than 13,000 miles, equal to over half-way around the planet, in 600 days. It is the longest track ever in the Atlantic Ocean by a mako shark tagged by researchers in Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) https://phys.org/news/2017-01-tagged-mako-shark-amazing-mile.html Plants & Animals Mon, 30 Jan 2017 06:46:29 EST news404981180 A new genomics study of shark DNA, including from great white and great hammerhead sharks, reveals unique modifications in their immunity genes that may underlie the rapid wound healing and possibly higher resistance to cancers in these ocean predators. This research brings us a few steps closer to understanding, from a genetic sense, why sharks exhibit some characteristics that are highly desirable by humans. https://phys.org/news/2017-01-sharks-immune-cancer-related-genes.html Ecology Mon, 30 Jan 2017 02:32:55 EST news404965957 Diabetes has become one of the top causes of vision loss around the world, according to an article published on August 23, 2016 in Diabetes Care journal by a global consortium led by researchers at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale/Davie, Florida, and the Vision and Eye Care Unit at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, United Kingdom. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-08-vision-loss-due-diabetes-globally.html Ophthalmology Tue, 23 Aug 2016 11:20:01 EDT news391168188 When it comes to long distance relationships, it seems the barnacle has it all figured out. That's because if they fancy a mate who is far away, the male can simply make his penis longer to meet the need. https://phys.org/news/2016-07-unique-anatomical-characteristic-barnacle.html Plants & Animals Tue, 26 Jul 2016 12:41:55 EDT news388755700 In fairytales, it's usually the damsel who is in distress. When it comes to the marine world, however, it seems it's the damsel that can cause some distress. https://phys.org/news/2016-01-potential-invasive-species-gulf-mexico.html Ecology Tue, 19 Jan 2016 13:17:38 EST news372431856 Researchers at Nova Southeastern University (NSU's) Genome Bioinformatics Center the announced the release of a reference genome sequence of the African cheetah, (Acinonyx jubatus,) a critically endangered species that informed, even empowered, the field of conservation genetics. Working with collaborators at Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics, St. Petersburg State University in Russia, BGI-Shenzhen in China (a genome sequencing powerhouse) and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Otjiwarongo, Namibia (a premier global conservation organization,) the 35-author team accomplished a detailed innovative analysis that illuminates our understanding of both the successes and perils of this unrivalled evolutionary creation. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-genetics-african-cheetah.html Ecology Thu, 10 Dec 2015 11:35:35 EST news368969727 We've all seen the stories - lionfish derbies and other efforts are ongoing in the United States and Caribbean, all with the goal of helping to decrease the number of highly invasive and ecologically devastating lionfish in our oceans. A new analysis published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series now suggests that unfortunately, the existing typically localized and intermittent derby efforts are barely making a dent in reducing overall lionfish numbers and containing their spread. This is because the culling effort is too small and locations for culling are chosen without taking into consideration direction of currents which can carry lionfish larvae to downstream regions far away. https://phys.org/news/2015-08-strategic-culling-lionfish-invasion.html Ecology Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:36:56 EDT news358519008