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. The first study to measure the full economic value of bottom trawling in Europe's waters calculates that the destructive fishing practice imposes up to €16 billion annually in net costs to society. The research is published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-europe-seafloor-fishing-profitable-societal.html Environment Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news696615361 It might be a divided lobster, but it has united New Englanders in fascination. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rare-lobster-caught-fishermen-cape.html Ecology Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:31:14 EDT news696562234 Amber from the Kachin region of Myanmar has preserved a wealth of fossils, offering insights into the diversity of the Cretaceous fauna of a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem. The site continues to yield previously unknown species. LMU researchers have now discovered the fossil of a true bug (Heteroptera) with an unusual morphological feature for insects—large claws on its front legs which recall the grasping appendages of crabs. These so-called chelae, which function like pincers or forceps, are extremely rare in insects. The finding is reported in the journal Insects. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-amber-reveals-true-bug.html Evolution Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:30:03 EDT news696093481 Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rank among the most powerful explosions in the universe, releasing immense energy in intense flashes of gamma rays. The most distant GRBs originate from the era when the first stars and galaxies formed. Detecting them allows astronomers to probe the early universe and understand how the first heavy elements formed and how the earliest stellar populations lived and died. Missions like HiZ-GUNDAM, a satellite planned for launch in the 2030s by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aim to detect these distant explosions in real time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-distant-gamma-ray-explosions-precisely.html Astronomy Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news695404202 Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to be developed. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-painkillers-pain-responses-norway-lobsters.html Plants & Animals Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:20:02 EDT news695289050 Researchers from the University of Maine, in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), are analyzing more than 20 years of fishery survey data from the Gulf of Maine to examine how environmental change is reshaping marine ecosystems. The work aims to understand how changes impact the effectiveness of long-running DMR surveys that inform fishery management. It will also provide a model for evaluating and adapting survey methods to inform effective, science-based assessment and management of culturally and economically important marine resources like lobster, herring, and shrimp. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-analysis-tracks-years-coastal-species.html Ecology Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:00:03 EDT news694260961 Solutions for a sustainable future can sometimes be found in centuries-old traditions. Indonesia's Blue Economy Roadmap is about driving economic growth through the sustainable use of ocean resources, while protecting marine ecosystems for the future. One promising way to achieve this goal is to integrate regional fishing practices based on Indigenous knowledge. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-indigenous-wisdom-indonesia-efforts-sustainable.html Ecology Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:00:03 EDT news693050801 Jie Wu, an engineering graduate student, was studying a type of striking white beetle found in Southeast Asia and attempting to figure out how to mimic its brilliant color when an unexpected discovery upended the experiment. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-biodegradable-plantbased-packaging-natural-fibers.html Materials Science Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:40:01 EDT news692969582 When she was growing up, Sophie Adenot plastered her childhood bedroom with posters of rockets launching from Cape Canaveral. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sophie-adenot-french-woman-fly.html Space Exploration Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:30:01 EST news690207044 Some lobster mothers produce offspring that are far more likely to survive—in findings that could help safeguard lobster diversity. University of Exeter researchers, working in partnership with the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) in Cornwall, studied European lobsters that survived the first few weeks of life. The paper, published in the journal Aquaculture, is titled "Hatchery lobster releases risk genetic bottlenecking via survival skews with maternal effects." https://phys.org/news/2026-02-lobster-hatcheries-safeguard-genetic-diversity.html Ecology Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:10:01 EST news690205633 On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe (EP) space telescope detected an exceptionally bright X-ray source whose brightness varied rapidly during a routine sky survey. Its unusual signal immediately set it apart from ordinary cosmic sources, triggering rapid follow-up observations by telescopes worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-einstein-probe-black-hole-white.html Astronomy Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:27:44 EST news689941621 Cold spray whipped off the ropes as a diesel engine throbbed in the background. One by one, empty shellfish pots came over the side of the fishing boat, occasionally containing the remnants of crab and lobster claws and carapaces. Something strange was going on. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-octopus-uk-south-west-coast.html Plants & Animals Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:40:04 EST news688743285 Governance arrangements that fit social-ecological context help support fishery sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-context-role-fishery-sustainability-foundation.html Agriculture Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:47:23 EST news688736822 A new report has revealed that a dramatic population bloom of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) off the South West coast is having significant effects on fisheries and marine ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-reveals-scale-consequences-uk-south.html Plants & Animals Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:08:34 EST news688734481 A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading down nearly 1,000 meters in search of new species, plastic-eating microbes and compounds that could one day make medicines. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-submersibles-revealing-deep-sea.html Earth Sciences Mon, 26 Jan 2026 02:08:01 EST news688615583 Around the world, wildlife and environmental crime is surging. It is estimated to be the fourth largest organized transnational crime sector, and to be growing at a rate two to three times faster than the global economy. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-crime-wildlife-surging-australia-reforms.html Ecology Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:00:01 EST news688042485 In the shallow waters of the Florida Keys, juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters are unwittingly meeting their doom by stumbling into naturally occurring ecological traps, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-juvenile-lobsters-fall-deadly-natural.html Plants & Animals Fri, 02 Jan 2026 11:10:01 EST news686572696 Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have already leveraged the vast troves of geolocation data from vessel-tracking systems to pinpoint where whales and other large marine species are endangered by ship traffic and industrial fishing. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-fishing-fleet-tracking-reveal-shifts.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:00:03 EST news685359002 When a ship sinks, it is often in tragic circumstances. Beneath the waves, however, a different story unfolds: shipwrecks become the foundations of new life. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-shipwrecks-islands-life-barren-seas.html Ecology Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:43:26 EST news685622582 Scientists are trained to be professional skeptics: to always judge the validity of a claim or finding on the basis of objective, empirical evidence. They are not cynics; they just ask themselves and each other a lot of questions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-climate-america-skepticism-dogmatism-personal.html Environment Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:49:24 EST news685284542 Silence used to prevail in the forest of a private Caribbean islet until environmentalists transformed it into a love nest for the critically endangered Lesser Antillean iguana. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-uninhabited-caribbean-islet-blossoms-critically.html Ecology Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:04:39 EST news685253030 Oxygen tank strapped to his back, Michael del Rosario moves his fins delicately as he glides along an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, proudly showing off the "coral babies" growing on metal structures that look like large spiders. The conservationist enthusiastically points a finger to trace around the largest corals, just starting to reveal their vibrant colors. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reefs-coral-fertilization-dominican-republic.html Ecology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:37:13 EST news685103704 As fishery management practices struggle to keep up with warming waters, the insights of local lobstermen provide an invaluable understanding of changing dynamics, new research shows. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-local-lobstermen-coastal-habitats.html Ecology Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:41:31 EST news684592862 A habitat-building coralline algae that provides a vital nursing ground for marine species and an important blue carbon ecosystem has been genetically mapped around south-west Britain in a first-of-its-kind study. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-scientists-genetic-maerl-algae-south.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:19:04 EST news682611541 Food brings people together. It serves as a tool to communicate political stances, to cultivate cross-cultural comprehension or, if necessary, create tensions. Menus can reflect these intentions by using food to create specific psychological effects and convey symbolic messages. But how exactly is it done? https://phys.org/news/2025-11-years-menus-food-diplomatic-tool.html Social Sciences Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:01 EST news682238761 In the inky depths of the Central Pacific Ocean, nearly 2,400 meters below the surface, scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea limpet clinging to a sunken log. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-depths-discovery-tiny-limpet-reveals.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:26:04 EST news681643561 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported a spike in entangled whales off California in 2024, leading scientists and marine mammal biologists to worry about how this year will go as winter fishing seasons get underway. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-noaa-spike-whale-entanglements-latest.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:06:06 EDT news681030332 When people travel, they aren't just looking for historic sights—they're also looking for new flavors that captivate and connect them to the place they're visiting. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-gastronomy-tourism-evolved-international-identity.html Social Sciences Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:10:04 EDT news680443543 A group of man-made chemicals are accumulating across the River of Grass—raising questions about potential impacts to water quality and ongoing restoration efforts. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-chemicals-miccosukee-reservation.html Environment Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:22:04 EDT news679832521 Another rare lobster is making a splash at Northeastern University's Marine Science Center in Nahant. The brilliantly colored orange and black lobster is called a calico, and the odds of catching one are believed to be only one in 30 million, says Sierra Munoz, outreach program coordinator at the Marine Science Center. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-rare-calico-lobster-splash.html Plants & Animals Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:19:55 EDT news679573187