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. In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). It devastated communities and infrastructure, was associated with nearly 3,000 deaths and caused tens of billions of dollars in losses. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-climate-easier-invasive-species-succeed.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:27 EDT news708851942 Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), one of the Chesapeake Bay's most important indicators of ecosystem health, increased by 7% in 2025, according to researchers at William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chesapeake-bay-underwater-grasses-buoyed.html Ecology Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:40:01 EDT news708105781 The first national map of Ireland's exposure to climate hazards, including rising sea levels and storm surges, has identified the stretches of coastline facing the greatest pressures, providing critical new evidence to support coastal management and climate adaptation. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-national-reveals-ireland-coast-exposed.html Earth Sciences Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:00:03 EDT news708069841 A study provides the first large-scale empirical evidence that seagrass meadows act as a critical safety net for millions of coastal people living in extreme poverty across the Indo-Pacific. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-underwater-meadows-sustain-millions-extreme.html Environment Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:00:02 EDT news707484181 A 50% decline in the Gulf of Carpentaria dugong population estimate is a wake-up call for urgent action to protect dugongs in the Gulf, based on surveys undertaken by researchers from James Cook University, Charles Darwin University and Indigenous Ranger groups. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dugong-population.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Sep 2026 22:20:04 EDT news707557244 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 Imagine a plume of brown sediment washed off the land into Queensland rivers and carried out to sea. Here, it can settle on seagrass and inshore corals, potentially smothering them. River water often also carries nitrogen from fertilizer residue, which can fuel algal growth and damage coral health. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-news-great-barrier-reef-quality.html Environment Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:20:01 EDT news706953835 Not all of Indonesia's seagrass meadows are faring alike. A study has revealed substantial spatial differences in the condition of 21 seagrass meadows across central and eastern Indonesia, providing a clearer picture of where ecosystems are thriving (hotspots), under stress (coldspots) or undergoing ecological change (outliers). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-indonesian-seagrass-quality-blue-carbon.html Environment Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:05 EDT news706532101 A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment, with contributions from researchers at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), shows that higher seawater temperatures could significantly reduce the long-term ability of underwater plants to store carbon. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ocean-temperatures-natural-carbon-storage.html Earth Sciences Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:40:01 EDT news706449062 The artificial intelligence boom is driving unprecedented demand for data centers, raising concerns about their growing energy consumption, water use and carbon footprint. These challenges are making companies look beyond traditional land-based data centers. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-companies-ocean-centers.html Environment Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:00:11 EDT news706188970 You may have heard reports of fish die-offs or seen photos of hauntingly bleached coral. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-marine-cooking-ocean-ecosystems-common.html Environment Thu, 13 Aug 2026 08:00:05 EDT news705821548 For thousands of years, the Anindilyakwa people have lived in deep connection with the waters surrounding Groote Eylandt, a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rangers-scientists-vulnerable-reefs-remote.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news705671161 Seagrasses are among the most important foundation species in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life, stabilizing sediments and helping improve water quality. Yet nearly 20% of the world's historic seagrass cover has been lost, and efforts to restore these vital underwater meadows often face significant challenges. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-resilient-native-seagrass-species-reshape.html Plants & Animals Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news705054422 Doctors can often detect diseases in humans using minimally invasive methods, like blood or urine tests, before symptoms become severe. Now, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are applying a similar concept to coral reefs, showing that the water surrounding reefs contains chemical and microbial signals that could reveal changes in ecosystem health long before those changes are visible. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-seawater-samples-early-clues-reef.html Ecology Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:40:06 EDT news704386562 A new collaborative research project between Murdoch University and Walailak University (WU) aims to restore seagrass meadows in Thailand using 3D-printed pods made from bioplastics. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-3d-bioplastic-pods-seagrass-thailand.html Ecology Thu, 23 Jul 2026 23:20:01 EDT news704019083 Anyone who has boiled a pot of water understands that it takes both time and energy to raise the temperature, so it may come as a surprise to learn that scientists have long treated marine heat waves (MHWs) as isolated events. New research led by William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School is challenging that narrative by providing a framework to characterize an ecosystem's cumulative heat exposure from MHWs and the extended periods of warm water that precede and follow them. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-longer-hotter-reality-marine-reveals.html Earth Sciences Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:20:04 EDT news703949342 A new United Nations report co-authored by researchers at the University of Portsmouth provides governments with a practical roadmap for building sustainable blue economies, as pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss place growing pressure on the marine and freshwater ecosystems that support billions of people and a global ocean economy worth US$2.2 trillion. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-roadmap-sustainable-blue-economies.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:40:01 EDT news703418393 Seagrass meadows play a largely overlooked role in providing nutrition for coastal communities, a new study published in Cell Reports Sustainability has found. The research, led by scientists at Project Seagrass and Stockholm University, found that fish living in seagrass meadows can provide a richer mix of essential nutrients than fish living on nearby coral reefs. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-seagrass-meadows-nourish-millions.html Ecology Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:30:03 EDT news702638409 The world's oceans are the hottest on record for June, pushing past records set during the 2023–24 El Niño years. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-world-oceans-hottest-june-el.html Environment Sun, 05 Jul 2026 19:00:01 EDT news702209849 A study into the foraging habits of green turtles in the Northern Territory has used an innovative surveying technique that could become a critical tool in monitoring marine habitats in remote and challenging environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-phd-critical-insights-vulnerable-green.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:20:06 EDT news702277502 Hidden beneath the water's surface is a botanical world that is among nature's most innovative and ecologically important. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-seaweeds-facts-aquatic-flora.html Plants & Animals Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:20:03 EDT news702214262 A marine heat wave has undermined the success of seagrass restoration efforts at a site in north Wales, new research has found. More than 1.1 million seagrass seeds were planted at sites in two bays in north Wales between 2023 and 2024 as part of Seagrass Ocean Rescue: North Wales, the U.K.'s largest active seagrass restoration program. Despite being located less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) apart, the planting efforts in Bae Caergybi saw seedling establishment and overwinter survival, while planting at Bae Tremadog failed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-marine-pose-significant-threat-seagrass.html Environment Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:40:04 EDT news701682471 It's time we gave seagrass the credit it's due. This hero of a plant protects coastlines, stores vast amounts of carbon and supports ecosystems that people and wildlife depend on. But we don't often hear about it when it comes to ocean conservation. That's partly because we knew so little about it—until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-world-seagrass.html Environment Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:03 EDT news701428382 On May 8, 2026, satellites detected signs of an unexpected submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea near the islands of Papua New Guinea. Over the next several weeks, plumes of steam and ash streamed over the sea, and areas of discolored water surrounded the eruption site. Relatively little is known about the ocean floor in this area or the volcanic feature that is presently erupting. But experts think the new activity, ongoing as of mid-June, might be occurring along the Titan Ridge and has the potential to form an ephemeral new island. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pumice-rafts-encroach-admiralty-islands.html Earth Sciences Sat, 20 Jun 2026 11:30:02 EDT news700747515 It's official: El Niño is back. By late fall 2026, forecast models give a 2-in-3 chance of a strong-to-very-strong El Niño affecting the weather, climate and ocean temperatures across the planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-el-nio-ocean-temperatures-highs.html Environment Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:40:03 EDT news700739936 Around the world, ocean warming is causing fish to move poleward in search of cooler water. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-climate-fish-cooler-route-blocked.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:40:05 EDT news700477980 Climate change and sea level rise are altering the chemistry of Biscayne Bay in ways that could threaten South Florida's coastal ecosystems, water resources, fisheries, and recreation, according to a study led by scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management. Researchers found that over the past 20 years, Biscayne Bay has become warmer, saltier, and more acidic. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-decades-climate-biscayne-bay-warmer.html Environment Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:20:04 EDT news699550561 A collaborative research team has revealed the long-overlooked carbon storage potential of coral reef ecosystems and how reef-dwelling fish, corals, and surface sediments jointly shape reef carbon reservoirs. The paper is published in the journal Advanced Science. The team was led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ-CAS) and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (GML). https://phys.org/news/2026-05-south-china-sea-coral-reefs.html Ecology Fri, 22 May 2026 14:40:03 EDT news698669101 In many underwater ecosystems, seagrass meadows act as a food source, a safe haven, and an ecological lynchpin. But until now, very little was known about how these plants reproduce—critical information for conserving the meadows. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seagrass-genetic-individuals-clone-underwater.html Plants & Animals Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:01 EDT news698574842 Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," are now found almost everywhere scientists look. They have been detected in rivers, oceans, wildlife, food and even human blood. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fish-pfas-safety-limits-chemical.html Ecology Tue, 19 May 2026 07:40:03 EDT news698393342