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. 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 Sea levels are rising not only on average, but also in their seasonal fluctuations. This is a lesser-known trend that could have major consequences for mudflats, salt marshes and other coastal ecosystems. Researchers from the Netherlands and Flanders describe these findings in a study published on 13 May in Nature Climate Change. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seasonal-sea-major-impact.html Environment Wed, 13 May 2026 15:59:55 EDT news697906742 Researchers have cautioned that well-intended suggested changes to carbon markets risk worsening climate impacts if core safeguards are weakened. Climate change, biodiversity loss and human rights are deeply interconnected challenges, often sharing solutions that can deliver shared benefits. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-carbon-undermine-climate-action-scientists.html Earth Sciences Mon, 11 May 2026 17:40:04 EDT news697722506 Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), climate simulations were used to investigate how 19 inland seas, including the Baltic Sea, are responding to climate change. The researchers found that they have been warming faster than the global ocean since the 2000s. Projections show that marine heat waves will affect around 60% of these seas on an average annual basis as early as the middle of the 21st century. Without adherence to the Paris Agreement targets, up to 90% of these seas would be affected by heat waves. The study contributes to climate change management practices and was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-inland-seas-widespread-midcentury.html Earth Sciences Mon, 11 May 2026 17:30:01 EDT news697738021 Examining the movements of vessels between locations helped to predict where an invasive seaweed spread, researchers led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have revealed. Invasive Caulerpa species (Caulerpa brachypus and Caulerpa parvifolia) are a major concern in New Zealand's coastal areas, spreading rapidly via boat gear or anchor entanglement, and causing long-lasting ecological and economic damage. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-vessel-tracking-reveals-invasive-seaweed.html Ecology Mon, 11 May 2026 16:20:04 EDT news697718104 On the western side of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, sits Myuna Bay, a quiet bay with meadows of seagrass waving beneath the water. The most common marine plant species you find there is Zostera muelleri. It has long ribbon-like leaves that grow from stems (called rhizomes) buried beneath the sediment and provides important shelter for small fish, shrimp and crabs. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-beneath-seagrass-meadows-shift-seas.html Environment Sun, 10 May 2026 18:30:01 EDT news697284763 A new study of the British Isles' coastal ecosystems has revealed that nitrogen enrichment is significantly reducing the abundance and variety of marine life. The research, published by scientists at Swansea University and the charity Project Seagrass, warns that increasing nutrient flows are overriding local habitat conditions to restructure and deplete coastal biodiversity. The work is published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nitrogen-pollution-major-driver-biodiversity.html Ecology Wed, 06 May 2026 17:00:03 EDT news697302241 Heat stress from marine heat waves can create a toxic relationship between seagrasses and a hidden ecosystem of bacteria, transforming a previously beneficial co-existence between marine plants and microbes into a harmful one, a University of Sydney and UNSW study has found. The research is published in New Phytologist. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hot-marine-toxic-relationship-seagrasses.html Ecology Wed, 06 May 2026 12:00:09 EDT news697284961 It's a common misconception that rainforests are the lungs of Earth. Our oceans produce most of the oxygen we consume and are more effective at storing carbon. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blue-carbon-unearthing-ocean-climate.html Earth Sciences Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news696771301 Europe endured a historic heatwave across Nordic countries, shrinking glaciers and record sea temperatures in 2025 as the fast-warming continent faces more frequent climate extremes, a new report showed Wednesday. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-europe-climate-extremes.html Environment Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:05 EDT news696646986 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 Florida's Indian River Lagoon has been an ecosystem in decline going back to 2011, when harmful algal blooms led to a severe decline in seagrass, the foundational component of shallow coastal ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hurricanes-devastated-florida-east-coast.html Ecology Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:00:06 EDT news695997422 I spent last summer wading through seagrass meadows across Northern Ireland, from the sheltered waters of Strangford Lough to the exposed coast at Waterfoot Bay. I was collecting seagrass leaves and testing them for nitrogen pollution. Every meadow I visited sits inside a marine protected area—a stretch of sea that's been given legal protection to safeguard the wildlife living there. And every single one was polluted beyond the limit for healthy seagrass. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-seagrass-meadows-necessarily-healthy-pollution.html Ecology Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:30:01 EDT news695306720