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. A new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka study reveals two vastly different life courses for one of Aotearoa New Zealand's least-studied penguin species. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-schrdinger-penguin-species-contrasting-outcomes.html Ecology Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:20:01 EDT news711877201 Thousands of Adélie penguins found dead in Antarctica in 2024 were primarily victims of avian cholera, not high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5N1) as researchers initially suspected, according to a study published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The findings highlight an underrecognized threat to Antarctic wildlife and the importance of comprehensive disease investigations, particularly as H5N1 continues to raise concerns for seabird and marine mammal populations. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-avian-cholera-major-penguin.html Plants & Animals Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:10:01 EDT news711214621 Zavodovski, a volcanic island in Antarctica, is silently witnessing a shift in the local ecosystem. Known as home to the world's largest penguin colony, this island has long been under the watchful eye of scientists. One such study has now led to a bittersweet discovery. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-world-largest-penguin-colony-title.html Plants & Animals Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:20:01 EDT news711014785 When Belgian American particle physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics "for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin," it was a reminder that for more than a century, scientists have treated Antarctica's environments as windows onto worlds beyond Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-physics-nobel-highlights-antarctica-role.html Astronomy Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:20:01 EDT news711018902 Can literature foster greater acceptance of LGBT people among elementary school students? This is the core question behind a study conducted by researchers Guillermo Soler, María Ribes and José Rovira-Collado from the Language and Literature Didactics area of the Department of Teaching Innovation and Training at the University of Alicante (UA). https://phys.org/news/2026-10-lgbt-stories-linked-inclusive-attitudes.html Education Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:20:06 EDT news710672028 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 Climate change is increasingly reshaping the polar oceans, with Arctic waters warming rapidly, sea ice shrinking and wildlife losing habitat at both ends of the planet, an annual report said Wednesday. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-polar-oceans-ice-habitats.html Environment Wed, 30 Sep 2026 13:00:01 EDT news709983456 This summer, Norwegian news has reported (in Norwegian) multiple stories about Lofoten residents who shot at drones out of sheer frustration. But not everyone exposed to approaching drones has a gun with which to defend themselves. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tech-solution-drone-wildlife-friendly.html Ecology Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:20:04 EDT news709298258 A record number of New Zealanders turned out at the polls this month, not for national elections but to vote for their Bird of the Year—the critically endangered black robin. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-zealanders-endangered-black-robin-bird.html Plants & Animals Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:08:42 EDT news709182498 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 New research led by the University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka shows some bird species may be taking advantage of natural geothermal "health spas." https://phys.org/news/2026-09-birds-basking-natural-saunas.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:20:01 EDT news708844741 The prediction that this season's El Niño phenomenon will be stronger than normal has alarmed the Ecuadorian scientific community, which has warned of its impact on the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands, home to the highest concentration of species not found elsewhere on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-stronger-el-nino-alarms-scientists.html Environment Thu, 10 Sep 2026 03:34:55 EDT news708230058 The color of penguin poop, as seen from space, is offering a new window into how Antarctica's ecology and environment are changing over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-satellite-images-penguins-diets-response.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:40:11 EDT news707656861 Researchers in Chile have designed an unlikely new garment for injured penguins—snug red vests threaded with copper and zinc that they hope will help the aquatic birds heal faster. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chile-penguins-sport-copper-vests.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:10:54 EDT news707627422 For the first time, geographers from Durham University have used freely available satellite radar images to track emperor penguins through the polar winter—giving a year-round view of their movements. Monitoring the endangered birds through Antarctica's dark months is important because this is a key stage in their breeding cycle. Emperor penguins rely on stable sea ice attached to the coastline for roughly nine months to breed and raise chicks. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tracking-emperor-penguins-space.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:20:03 EDT news707561703 We know from a wealth of research that children's picture books support language learning. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-children-picture-attitudes-languages-revitalization.html Education Tue, 01 Sep 2026 22:00:04 EDT news707474692 Scientists have often wondered about species that are unique to Antarctica. But the focus has mainly been on animals, like feathery penguins. CIRES researchers wanted to dig deeper—into the soils—believing tiny organisms could be unique to the continent, too. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-antarctica-home-microbes-earth.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:30:01 EDT news707414581 The tide came in last week carrying thousands of dead sardines onto South Africa's south coast, and by dawn, stretches of Gqeberha's shoreline were flecked with silver. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-deadly-virus-stalks-south-africa.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:10:01 EDT news707401631 The lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza is rapidly spreading along the coast of southern Australia, where it has killed thousands of wild birds and infected at least two long-nosed fur seals. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-expert.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:20:03 EDT news707378822 With their charming waddles, heat-conserving huddles and tuxedo-like plumage, emperor penguins are among the world's most recognizable animals. Recent satellite surveys estimate that hundreds of thousands of the flightless birds live in 66 colonies spread around Antarctica's inaccessible, frozen coastlines. But those numbers could fall in the coming decades because emperor penguins rely on landfast (or fast) ice—a type of sea ice attached to the shoreline—to breed, raise chicks and molt. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-emperor-penguin-colonies-reveal-decades.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:20:01 EDT news707048941 The deadly rabies virus was once common across Europe. A bite from an infected dog, wolf or fox could be fatal. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-iconic-australian-mammals-real-bird.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:00:02 EDT news707031902 When news broke over the weekend that Australia's first mainland case of bird flu in a mammal—the death of a long-nosed fur seal—had been detected, I felt deep sadness and dread for what's likely to come next. We should expect large-scale deaths of mammals, in addition to birds. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-australia-bird-flu-response-late.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:02 EDT news706776661 The companies fishing for Antarctic krill have harvested so much so quickly that the season had to close in August 2026, three months before it was scheduled to end. That's the second consecutive year of an early closing. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-antarctic-krill-fishing-exact-pattern.html Ecology Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:20:06 EDT news706522442 Hundreds of dead birds are now being reported as the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu begins to spread across Australia. Government reports show the virus is circulating in resident birds. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bird-flu-worst-australia-overseas.html Ecology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news706437961 Australian wildlife workers have launched an unprecedented effort to vaccinate wild populations of little penguins against the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-australia-shield-penguins-h5n1-bird.html Plants & Animals Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:50:03 EDT news706418479 A major push is underway to catch and vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins in Victoria to protect them against the virulent H5N1 bird flu. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-penguins-vaxxed-bird-flu.html Ecology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:40:05 EDT news706266782 When people think about climate change and animals, they might picture melting sea ice, drought-stricken landscapes or species struggling in the wild. Far less attention is given to the animals living in our care. Yet as heat waves become more frequent, intense and unpredictable, zoos may be facing one of the biggest animal welfare challenges of the coming decades. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-zoos-ready-climate.html Ecology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:40:05 EDT news706190821 A team of paleontologists from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) studying penguin fossils from Seymour Island off the Antarctic Peninsula have demonstrated how ancient bird bones can act as chemical archives of past climate change. The researchers used nondestructive X-ray mapping to examine the elemental composition of penguin remains spanning millions of years. They uncovered key insights into how Antarctica shifted from a warm, humid environment to a cooler world. The work is published in the journal Fossil Record. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-penguin-fossils-window-antarctica.html Earth Sciences Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:20:03 EDT news705759482 In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-unfamiliar-rattlesnakes-blackbirds-defending.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:40:03 EDT news705745921 In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you'd be like … 'can you not put two and two together?'" https://phys.org/news/2026-07-farce-climate-cruise-tourism-anymore.html Environment Sat, 25 Jul 2026 20:30:04 EDT news703863913