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. For many years, the deep ocean has been seen as a nutrient-poor environment where microbes living in the water survive on very limited resources. But new research from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) challenges that idea. A study led by SDU-biologists at the Department of Biology shows that nutrients might not be so sparse after all in the deep and that microbes have access to a hitherto unknown source of dissolved organic food. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-deep-sea-microbes-unexpected-energy.html Ecology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:56:30 EST news689871361 Fresh, affordable and nutritious food is an essential human need. But for many city-dwellers, accessing it can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for those who are elderly or have mobility challenges. This is true even in Montreal, a city that prides itself on its active transportation network and compact population distribution. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fresh-healthy-food-difficult-montrealers.html Environment Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:30:02 EST news689342016 Water vapor (H2Ov) is an essential component of Earth's atmosphere, playing critical roles in climate regulation, weather patterns, and the water cycle. Its sources primarily come from natural processes such as ocean evaporation and terrestrial evapotranspiration. However, during the fossil fuels (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas) combustion process, in addition to emitting substantial amounts of CO2, they also generate significant amounts of water vapor as a byproduct (combustion-derived water vapor sources: CDWV). https://phys.org/news/2026-02-distinct-isotopes-combustion-derived-vapor.html Earth Sciences Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:20:35 EST news689275202 Deep beneath the Earth's surface, in the pores and crevices of rock, live huge communities of microorganisms. They are invisible to the naked eye—yet they play a central role in the quality of our groundwater and in global cycles of matter. A research team led by Dr. Martin Taubert from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" at the University of Jena has shown that life in the subsurface follows two fundamentally different strategies—with far-reaching consequences for environmental research and practice. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-microorganisms-surfaces-groundwater.html Ecology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:39:40 EST news689269079 When it comes to global warming and climate change, we often hear news stories about tipping points where Earth's systems shift into a new and dangerous state. One such may have been reached in the year 2000 that caused tropical weather cycles to have a greater effect on autumn sea ice melt across the Laptev and East Siberian seas, according to a study published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tropical-weather-linked-faster-arctic.html Earth Sciences Sun, 01 Feb 2026 11:40:01 EST news689002615 For the first time, scientists have used satellite data to create a 3D map of the sun's interior magnetic field, the fundamental driver of solar activity. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, should enable more accurate predictions of solar cycles and space weather that affects satellites and power grids. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-3d-sun-magnetic-interior-disruptive.html Astronomy Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:30:03 EST news688988736 A group of ocean bacteria long considered perfectly adapted to life in nutrient-poor waters may be more vulnerable to environmental change than scientists realized. The bacteria, known as SAR11, dominate surface seawater worldwide and can make up as much as 40% of marine bacterial cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-earth-abundant-fragile.html Ecology Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:58:38 EST news688985881 Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient "blue carbon" sinks, capturing and burying vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm Earth's atmosphere. Much of this carbon is stored in thick, waterlogged soils, where it can remain locked away for centuries, making mangroves a major contributor to long-term coastal carbon sequestration. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mangrove-methane-emissions-forests-powerful.html Earth Sciences Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:00:01 EST news688647653 A new Simon Fraser University study has found that Canada's cycling network is growing, but not everyone is benefiting. Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 3,600 kilometers of high-quality cycling infrastructure was added across the country, with the largest proportional increases seen in small- to medium-sized cities. But one consistent finding across Canadian cities is that areas with more children and older adults tend to have less cycling infrastructure. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-bicycle-highlights-canada-bike-network.html Environment Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:18:22 EST news688742282 Microbes across Earth's coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review from McGill University. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-polar-regions-microbes-climate-frozen.html Ecology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:22:40 EST news688666922 While period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding are common, they're often dealt with privately. Yet they take a profound toll on a person's health—and finances. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-period-pain-heavy-australian-economy.html Social Sciences Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:10:01 EST news688222897 A new global study shows that increasing soil salinity is systematically reshaping the storage and distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC), a key but often-overlooked part of terrestrial ecosystems. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 20, provide the first comprehensive global assessment of how soil salinization influences inorganic carbon storage and highlight its implications for the global carbon cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-soil-salinity-global-inorganic-carbon.html Earth Sciences Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:22:44 EST news688306921 Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) the influence of parasitic fungi on the physiology and survival of cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea was investigated. Such infections are known from lakes. Due to the high nutrient load in the Baltic Sea, there are high levels of cyanobacteria, some of which are toxic (algal blooms). https://phys.org/news/2026-01-parasitic-fungi-infect-nitrogen-cyanobacteria.html Ecology Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:13:21 EST news688237981 Our planet has experienced dramatic climate shifts throughout its history, oscillating between freezing "icehouse" periods and warm "greenhouse" states. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-earth-surface-bigger-impact-shifting.html Earth Sciences Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:50:01 EST news688122981 The remnants of ice attached to the coast offer astounding insights into the climate history of past millennia. An international research team led by the CNR Institute of Polar Sciences (Italy) and involving the University of Bonn has applied a new method of analyzing sediment drill cores to show the climate history of the past 3,700 years in Antarctica. Surprisingly, it is connected to the natural fluctuations in solar activity. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sync-sunlight-sediments-reveal-climate.html Earth Sciences Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:22:31 EST news688119712 Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, with soil microorganisms playing the main role. As a result, the global soil carbon cycle—by which carbon enters, moves through, and leaves soils worldwide—exerts a significant impact on climate change feedback. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ecosystem-productivity-soil-microbes-carbon.html Earth Sciences Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:46:38 EST news688063562 A new paper in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry finds that common medications used for flea and tick control in dogs and cats may pose a significant environmental risk for insects in the wild. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-environmental-pet-flea-treatment.html Ecology Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:10:01 EST news687430741 Floods, droughts and heat waves continue to dominate headlines around the world and in Australia. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-global-amplifying-climate-disasters.html Earth Sciences Tue, 13 Jan 2026 07:14:40 EST news687510841 McGill engineering researchers have introduced an open-source model that makes it easier for experts and non-experts alike to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. natural gas supply chains and yields more accurate results. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-source-accurately-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html Earth Sciences Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:16:29 EST news687456961 At half the size of Earth and one-tenth its mass, Mars is a featherweight as far as planets go. Yet new research reveals the extent to which Mars is quietly tugging on Earth's orbit and shaping the cycles that drive long-term climate patterns here, including ice ages. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tiny-mars-big-impact-earth.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:31:21 EST news687454195 Cell division is an essential process for all life on Earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive—particularly for egg-laying species. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-mechanical-ratchet-mechanism-cell-division.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:30:15 EST news687025794 Over the past two decades, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have been recognized as emerging pollutants, detected across every environmental compartment of Earth's system—the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-urban-atmosphere-primary-reservoir-microplastics.html Environment Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:00:06 EST news686936765 Municipal bonds are a time-honored way to fund roads, schools, bridges and other public projects while paying investors interest, usually at tax-free rates. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-youve-heard-climate-debt-doom.html Environment Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:51:40 EST news687001861 Single-celled algae in the ocean known as coccolithophores play an important role in the marine carbon cycle when they take up bicarbonate from seawater to build their shells. Coccolithophore numbers have been increasing globally in recent years, meaning their influence is growing, even as scientists still don't fully understand the factors driving their explosive growth. One explanation could be changes to the alkalinity of ocean water, specifically, greater amounts of bicarbonate available for the tiny creatures to use. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-shallows-years-drove-phytoplankton-bloom.html Earth Sciences Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:50:05 EST news686839408 The sun is not only our closest stellar neighbor, it's also the star we understand the most. As we've observed it over the centuries, we've learned that the sun is not an immortal constant. It goes through active and quiet cycles, it has become warmer over geologic time scales, and it occasionally batters Earth with solar flares. We've generally thought that other main sequence stars behave in much the same way, but when it comes to solar flares, that isn't always true. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-solar-flares-stellar-differently.html Astronomy Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:43:23 EST news686824981 Coral reefs are often described as biodiversity hotspots, but new research shows they also act as powerful regulators of the microscopic life in the surrounding ocean. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-coral-reef-daily-pulse-reshapes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:04 EST news686307045 Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a structured framework to evaluate the nitrogen (N) status and nitrogen balance of forest ecosystems amid rapid global environmental change. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-framework-approach-nitrogen-status-forests.html Ecology Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:10:04 EST news686216173 Imagine a glossy sustainability report from a global food giant. Green fields, smiling farmers, promises of climate neutrality. It looks great. But behind the façade lies an uncomfortable truth: the biggest environmental problems are hardly mentioned. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-food-companies-overlook-key-environmental.html Environment Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:10:02 EST news685293614 A study conducted by researchers from Murdoch University in Australia and Dalian Ocean University in China has found that offshore windfarms can improve marine ecosystems and diversify aquatic food chains. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-offshore-windfarms-function-coastal-diversity.html Plants & Animals Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:12:38 EST news685257122 Rising global emissions of hydrogen over the past three decades have added to the planet's warming temperatures and amplified the impact of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, according to new research published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-overlooked-hydrogen-emissions-earth-supercharging.html Earth Sciences Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:11 EST news685099838