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. Australia's coral reefs are in relatively good condition compared with coral reefs globally, although coral cover on Australian reefs has declined over the past 40 years—reflecting the global trend, a major new report has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-australia-reefs-trend-global-coral.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 20:20:01 EDT news707400194 Ocean plastic pollution is accidentally on the menu for southern giant petrel chicks. Even small nibbles of it may affect their physiology during development, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and Argentina's National Research Council (CONICET). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-small-amounts-ocean-plastic-affect.html Plants & Animals Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:20:06 EDT news707410981 Jupiter hosts more than 100 moons, with most attention focused on the four Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. This is primarily due to their active geology, including Io being the most volcanically active planetary body in the solar system and Europa having a vast subsurface liquid-water ocean beneath its icy crust. However, Jupiter's smaller, lesser-known moons could provide astronomers with key insights into the history of the solar system because they have remained largely unchanged, unlike the Galilean moons. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-esa-juice-probe-dark-jovian.html Space Exploration Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:40:05 EDT news707400639 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 Despite protections, blue whales remain endangered, primarily because of the risk of collisions with ships. MBARI's Blue Whale Observatory uses a suite of technologies to study these animals and their primary food source, krill, in the Monterey Bay region. The findings from this body of research can help resource managers protect these majestic animals. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-precise-giants-reveals-blue-whales.html Plants & Animals Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news707399617 Emissions from aircraft that use leaded aviation gasoline are a significant source of environmental pollution in neighborhoods near regional airports, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University and Portland State University. The findings were published in Communications Sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-small-plane-fuel-sevenfold-oregon.html Environment Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:40:06 EDT news707399605 As one moves north, Maine's kelp forests are being overtaken by dense mats of carpet-like turf algae. The steady decline of kelp and transition into this new state are altering the ecosystem all the way down to the microbial level, according to a new study in PNAS from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-loss-kelp-forests-reverberates-microbial.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:08 EDT news707389502 Data from many sources, including NASA, have shown a significant decrease in Arctic sea ice since 1979. However, the processes driving the melting and freezing of sea ice are complex, and fluctuations occur throughout the year. Short-term variations in temperature, winds, ocean convection and water salinity within a certain region can also affect how much ice can reform or melt. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-anomalous-odden-ice-tongue-unusual.html Earth Sciences Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news707399596 Europe is no stranger to powerful windstorms, but some storms capable of causing serious damage have an unusual origin. Tropical cyclones can occasionally travel north from lower latitudes and reach Europe, where they can bring damaging winds and heavy rain even after losing some of their tropical characteristics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-uk-ireland-greatest-rare-tropical.html Earth Sciences Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:00:07 EDT news707137390 Given enough time, coral reefs can recover from cyclones, bleaching and other destructive events. But a new report released today suggests they are losing that time. The "Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025" is the most comprehensive global assessment of coral reefs yet. Released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the report draws on more than 21 million observations from around 90,000 surveys, contributed by 600 partners across more than 120 countries, territories and economies. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-coral-recovery-short-oceans.html Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:20:05 EDT news707383742 Hurricane Karina formed Sunday in the Pacific Ocean and swiftly intensified into a dangerous major storm within hours, fueled by warm waters far offshore where it poses no immediate threat to land. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-karina-rapidly-major-hurricane-pacific.html Environment Mon, 31 Aug 2026 03:54:14 EDT news707367234 A new study suggests that El Ninos—the natural climatic chaos agent that pops up periodically and spikes global temperatures—are getting stronger because of human-caused climate change. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-super-el-nino-climate-ninos.html Earth Sciences Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:00:02 EDT news707058712 Tropical Storm Karina strengthened into a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday and could become a major storm this week, forecasters said. The cyclone's center was at far out sea and was not threatening land. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tropical-storm-karina-hurricane-pacific.html Environment Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:40:01 EDT news707307998 Temperatures have warmed dramatically across the equatorial Pacific Ocean in 2026, signaling the onset of a strong and potentially historic El Niño. These events can affect weather around the world, and the intensity of recent El Niño events is raising alarm that, as global temperatures rise, they are becoming stronger and more destructive. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-galpagos-corals-el-nio-events.html Environment Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:20:01 EDT news707126515 SpaceX has pulled off its biggest salvage operation yet, recovering its most recently launched Starship from the Indian Ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spacex-recovers-starship-indian-ocean.html Space Exploration Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:34:56 EDT news707142863 The evolutionary histories of Earth and Mercury differ fundamentally. The smallest planet, closest to the sun, likely began cooling early on, much like a setting pudding: As early as about 1 billion years after its formation, Mercury's volcanic activity came to a halt, and a solid, continuous "rock skin" formed on the planet's surface. Earth's crust, on the other hand, is still in motion: Volcanism and plate tectonics are constantly stirring up the "Earth pudding." Exactly what Mercury's unique volcanic past looked like and how it shaped its current appearance remain unclear. However, researchers can gain important clues from the composition of its surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mercury-crust-deeper-hotter-volcanic.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:40:01 EDT news707135642 Rock weathering, the breakdown and dissolving of rocks and minerals caused by their exposure to water, air and biological life, is a major regulator of Earth's atmospheric CO2 levels and climate. Throughout Earth's history, rock weathering has been faster during warm periods with increased atmospheric CO2 levels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-weathering-carbon.html Earth Sciences Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news707129918 Many of Antarctica's smallest inhabitants have evolved over millions of years so that their body fluids are similar in chemical composition to those of seawater. However, a combination of melting glaciers, increased rain and extreme weather events means that waters in some of the remotest parts of the planet are increasingly being exposed to reduced salt levels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-antarctic-scientists-potential-impacts-coastal.html Environment Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:20:02 EDT news707113562 Near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that emit about 1,000 nanometers could support biomedical and security technologies. Yet pushing organic light to these longer wavelengths usually causes a steep drop in efficiency. As the energy gap becomes smaller, molecular vibrations more readily turn excited-state energy into heat rather than light. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-makeover-brightens-nanometers.html Materials Science Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:20:03 EDT news707050828 While long-term data show that Hawaiʻi is getting drier overall, short, intense downpours that cause sudden, dangerous flash floods are getting stronger on the islands, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-short-intense-storms-gain-intensity.html Environment Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:00:05 EDT news707070362 Corals that partner with heat-tolerant algae may be better equipped to survive warming oceans—but that resilience comes with an unexpected trade-off, according to a new study from Boston University published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tolerant-corals-vulnerable-disease.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:50:01 EDT news707069821 Just a few minutes of freezing and thawing can have a decisive impact on how ferrihydrite, the most reactive iron mineral in cold soils, permafrost and glaciers, transforms, according to researchers at Umeå University. As climate warming intensifies freeze-thaw cycles and extends them into new regions, ice is becoming an increasingly important driver of Earth's ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-minutes-fate-iron-nature.html Earth Sciences Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:20:03 EDT news707062142 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 During the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse over Europe, scientists aimed to study a long-standing mystery: why the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, is far hotter than its visible surface. Capturing the data they needed meant being in exactly the right place at the right time. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nasa-johnson-moon-shadow-eclipse.html Space Exploration Thu, 27 Aug 2026 11:40:04 EDT news707047621 A new study examining tropical cyclone forecasts in the Atlantic Ocean suggests that artificial intelligence could provide valuable additional guidance for predicting when and where tropical disturbances may develop into tropical storms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-complement-traditional-weather-guidance.html Environment Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:40:01 EDT news707035262 While a colleague traveled along the East Coast from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico collecting oysters, Northeastern University bioinformatics graduate student Megha Prasad worked away at her computer. She zeroed in on DNA, the molecule containing instructions for making proteins that shape the critters' traits. It also holds the key to their adaptation to the changing climate. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-uncover-oyster-dna-linked.html Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:07 EDT news707033222 Sea turtles are famous for being prodigious wanderers. Guided by Earth's magnetic field, ocean currents and the sun, they tend to crisscross the seas in search of food, returning to the region of their birth every few years to breed. So when scientists discovered a population of sea turtles that appear to be very much homebodies, they were taken aback. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-galpagos-yellow-sea-turtles-homebodies.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:01 EDT news706880270 All the forests in the world pale in comparison to the ocean when it comes to absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The ocean is the world's largest natural carbon sink, absorbing about a quarter of all CO2 emissions every year (and most of the excess heat trapped in Earth's atmosphere from greenhouse gases). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ocean-antacid-trials-plankton-response.html Environment Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:20:02 EDT news706975563 Universities and biodiversity institutes have hidden treasures: their collections of pressed plant specimens. These plants have been flattened, dried and mounted on special cardboard sheets. Some were collected centuries ago. They hold information about where species occur and how ecosystems have changed over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-africa-herbarium-scientific-treasure-digitized.html Ecology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:40:05 EDT news706964402 Spreading finely crushed basalt across farmland has been promoted as a relatively simple way to remove large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But a new study led by Cornell researchers suggests the real-world potential of this method, known as enhanced weathering, may be far smaller than widely cited estimates. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-basalt-weathering.html Earth Sciences Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news706964666