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. According to a study published in Science Advances on May 15, global rivers are undergoing widespread and sustained deoxygenation driven by climate warming, among which tropical rivers are the most vulnerable ecosystems, with an urgent need to combat oxygen loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tropical-rivers-emerge-biggest-oxygen.html Environment Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:02 EDT news698070781 Ultrasonic tracking in Hiroshima Bay shows that male and female black sea bream move differently during the spawning season, offering a novel discovery into the reproductive behavior of a broadcast-spawning sparid fish in the wild. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-patrolling-males-females-reproductive-behavior.html Plants & Animals Fri, 15 May 2026 09:39:28 EDT news698056741 A new study published in the journal People and Nature reveals a significant gap in public awareness regarding one of the world's most widespread invasive species: the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii. Despite being present on six continents and well-documented by scientists in Europe, this unnoticed (cryptic meaning "under the radar") invader remains largely unknown to the public, a factor that researchers say may be hindering the development of early warning systems and effective environmental policy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-silent-invasion-widespread-freshwater-jellyfish.html Plants & Animals Thu, 14 May 2026 20:00:02 EDT news697975661 A recent Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report found that climate change could cost Minnesotans more than $20 billion a year by 2040. This is just the local cost of a global problem. Ecosystem stability is essential to agriculture, forestry, safe housing and infrastructure, carbon storage and more, but identifying which ecosystems are most vulnerable to climate shocks remains difficult. Anticipating climate change impacts and predicting recovery will be critical to minimizing human and economic disruptions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-resistance-climate.html Ecology Thu, 14 May 2026 16:37:36 EDT news697995421 Alaska's Cook Inlet was home to nearly 1,300 beluga whales in the late 1970s, but today the population hovers around 300. Despite almost two decades of recovery work, the whales aren't bouncing back. The Cook Inlet belugas are likely struggling under multiple pressures, including increasing human noise. Researchers are working on deciphering whale-whale communication to better account for the impact of noise on this vulnerable population. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-beluga-deciphered-bolster-efforts.html Plants & Animals Wed, 13 May 2026 11:55:41 EDT news697892101 The deadliest animals are not lions, spiders or snakes, but the tiny mosquitoes that suck our blood, make us itchy and infect us with disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mosquitoes.html Ecology Tue, 12 May 2026 06:10:01 EDT news697781276 Our gut is colonized by legions of bacteria, which supply us with essential nutrients and support our health. Among them are Akkermansia bacteria, which might be helpful in the management of conditions like obesity and diabetes. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ancient-bacterial-toolkit-links-human.html Ecology Tue, 12 May 2026 04:20:01 EDT news697777196 As we transition into spring, wildfires are on the minds of many Canadians. In fact, wildfires have already started in some parts of the country. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-highlights-wildfires-fish.html Ecology Mon, 11 May 2026 14:20:01 EDT news697716301 Metamorphosis, that profound transformation enabling certain animals to shift between habitats such as from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment, is generally viewed in terms of its benefits. A team of researchers from the University of Liège has now demonstrated that it also entails a direct and immediate cost for the individuals undergoing it, a cost that varies by sex and could influence long-term evolutionary trade-offs. The study is published in the journal BMC Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-metamorphosis-newts-sex-paying-heavier.html Plants & Animals Fri, 08 May 2026 13:40:07 EDT news697464901 When most people think about biodiversity in lakes and rivers, they imagine fish, plants, or perhaps birds and amphibians. But beneath the surface exists another world that often goes unnoticed: microscopic parasites that quietly shape aquatic ecosystems in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-uncover-hidden-parasite-diversity.html Ecology Thu, 07 May 2026 18:00:08 EDT news697365840 Pesky pests can wreak havoc on plants by chewing leaves, boring into stems, and sucking sap from trees. Beyond the direct damage, they also spread harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can infect and ultimately kill the crops. Every year, these destructive invaders are responsible for the loss of nearly 40% of global agricultural production. A friendly group of fungi, the Hypocreales, form symbiotic relations with plants and naturally protect them by antagonizing pests, acting as their personal biocontrol. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-fungi-secret-chemistry-greener.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 May 2026 13:20:04 EDT news697363290 A Curtin University-led study has revealed the extraordinary biodiversity hidden in deep underwater canyons off Western Australia's Nyinggulu (Ningaloo) coast, ranging from species previously undetected in the area, such as the elusive giant squid, to others thought to be new to science. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-giant-squid-rare-elusive-marine.html Ecology Tue, 05 May 2026 18:20:01 EDT news697209841 Heavy rains causing repeated river flood intrusions into Florida's freshwater springs are changing the function of the clear natural resource. Findings from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Paul Donsky and Matt Cohen reveal that these intrusions can cause flow reversal, worsening already present problems. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-reveals-florida-freshwater-resources.html Earth Sciences Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:02 EDT news697194122 Climate change undoubtedly affects lakes and the functioning of their ecosystems, but seasonal impacts are not always straightforward. An international team of researchers from York University in Canada, the Finnish Environment Institute and the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu investigated how lake autumn surface warming is associated with winter under-ice temperatures and ice phenology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-climate-rewriting-winter-lakes-glance.html Earth Sciences Mon, 04 May 2026 11:40:05 EDT news697109461 Not many scientific studies sound like a Bond film, but ours really does involve lasers, sharks and doctors (of research, not the evil kind). https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-lasers-age-sharks.html Plants & Animals Mon, 04 May 2026 07:40:03 EDT news697098002 Predators are typically larger, faster, and more powerful than the animals they hunt. Yet in nature, most attacks fail. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by researchers from the University of Amsterdam Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), asks: why do prey get away so often? The key, the researchers found, lies in something the original model overlooked: reaction times. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bigger-faster-outfoxed-prey-predators.html Plants & Animals Fri, 01 May 2026 13:00:04 EDT news696853861 Graceful, brown-eyed, and a staple of local folklore, the roe deer is one of Romania's most iconic forest dwellers. But behind the serene image of these animals lies a hidden crisis: a new study reveals the roe deer is the most frequently poached mammal in the country, a finding made possible by turning to an unlikely source of scientific data: the local news. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-headlines-local-news-wildlife.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news696760381 Microplastics are now widely distributed throughout the environment—in water, in the air, in the soil and even inside living organisms, including marine life. However, most studies to date have focused on adult fish, including those used for human consumption. The history of these microplastics, however, remained unknown. It was not clear exactly when this contamination begins throughout the life cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microplastics-fish-larvae-shortly-hatching.html Ecology Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:07 EDT news696678759 Artificial light at night not only alters the landscape, but also profoundly disrupts natural ecosystems. A recent study by the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau shows that light pollution can significantly disrupt the exchange of energy and nutrients between bodies of water and their surrounding habitats—sometimes even more than non-native species. Thus, lighting along riverbanks or streams can have far-reaching ecological consequences. These results are published in Functional Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pollution-food-webs-riverbanks.html Plants & Animals Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:20:07 EDT news696605522 A new peer-reviewed study conducted by researchers at The University of Toledo and University of Missouri provides some of the first rigorous experimental evidence that goldfish—one of the world's most popular pets—can dramatically change freshwater ecosystems when released or they escape into the wild. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pet-pest-invasive-goldfish-reshaping.html Ecology Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news696595982 Every time you go for a swim, some of your sunscreen gets left behind. An estimated 25% of applied sunscreen washes off during recreational water activities, releasing some 5,000 tons annually in reef areas alone, according to a study in Environmental Health Perspectives. That's equivalent to the weight of about 1,000 elephants, and many of those chemicals are toxic to corals. Some researchers argue that may be a low estimate, noting the experiment did not replicate the friction caused by swimming, which could cause more sunscreen to rub off. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sunscreens-corals.html Ecology Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news696588304 Reed, an invasive alien plant that is abundant on the banks of many rivers, ponds and canals, can encourage the growth of common mosquito populations in the absence of natural predators. When the plant's litter accumulates, the chemical properties of the water and the composition of the biological communities in the environment change radically, and this facilitates the development of mosquito larvae in freshwater ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-reeds-boost-mosquito-rivers-ponds.html Plants & Animals Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news696179101 For more than 270 million years, trilobites were among the most successful and diverse creatures on Earth, with over 22,000 known species spanning the Paleozoic Era. Yet, despite their abundance in the fossil record and their presence on every continent, one of the most fundamental questions about their survival has remained a subject of intense scientific debate: how did they breathe? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-life-ancient-mystery-trilobite-respiratory.html Evolution Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:00:12 EDT news695979862 A new study led by researchers from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin reveals how the loss of large mammals can ripple through ecosystems in unexpected ways, even affecting amphibian larvae living in temporary ponds. By examining changes in nutrient dynamics over more than two decades, the researchers show that declines in large herbivores are associated with a system-wide reduction in nitrogen isotope values in aquatic habitats, highlighting how disruptions in terrestrial wildlife populations can cascade across ecosystem boundaries. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-large-mammal-declines-reshape-nutrient.html Ecology Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:20:06 EDT news695923441 Maintaining connections between natural habitats may support beneficial microbes that help wildlife defend against disease. In a new study of tropical amphibians, a team led by Penn State biologists found that amphibians in connected natural forests and aquatic habitats were more likely to host beneficial skin microbes that inhibit a deadly fungal pathogen. But when these habitats become spatially separated due to planted crops, infrastructure development or other human land use, those microbial defenses weaken and pathogen infection levels can increase with potentially deadly results. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-habitats-frogs-microbes-curb-deadly.html Ecology Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news695915581 UK researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind bespoke AI system designed to assess coral health and detect early stress, helping to prevent restoration projects from failing. Led by PhD research student at the University of Derby, Nicole Yeomans, and marine scientist Professor Michael Sweet at the University of Derby, the system, named BlueBiome, is reimagining coral reef care by applying the same principles of preventive, precision health commonly used in human gut health. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unveil-ai-driven-coral-reef.html Ecology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:20:06 EDT news695378942 Like a naughty pet Labrador, the Australian lungfish has little restraint when it comes to food. "We had 360 sqm of aquatic plants growing inside enclosures; but, once the fences were removed, lungfish and other aquatic animals feasted on the plants, and most of the vegetation was gone within 21 days." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ungrateful-lungfish-focuses-sustainable-food.html Plants & Animals Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:02 EDT news695363402 After months of relentlessly miserable weather for most of the UK, spring brings renewed enthusiasm for spending time outdoors hiking, wild swimming, paddling, or on walks. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rivers-polluted.html Environment Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695031901 It had been a long day of teaching for Rudy Lerosey-Aubril. As a reward, he returned to cleaning an intriguing Cambrian arthropod fossil he had recently received for review. At first, the specimen showed all the expected characteristics of its time—yet, something was off. In place of an antenna, there appeared to be a claw. "Claws are never in that location in a Cambrian arthropod," said Lerosey-Aubril, "It took me a few minutes to realize the obvious, I had just exposed the oldest chelicera ever found." https://phys.org/news/2026-03-million-year-clawed-predator-rewrites.html Evolution Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:14 EDT news694164841 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