A resilient native seagrass could offer a new path to restoring Florida’s troubled coastal waters. Researchers found that Ruppia maritima can survive repeated flooding, poor water quality and other environmental stressors in the Indian River Lagoon, then regenerate from a persistent seed bank when conditions improve. Its successful cultivation and self-sustaining growth in a seagrass nursery suggest this hardy species could serve as a pioneer for jump-starting recovery in degraded coastal habitats.

A new study by researchers at Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has identified 10 regions in the Marek's disease virus’s genome that likely played a role in increases its virulence, results could inform the development of next-generation vaccines that are more effective at preventing future breakthroughs.

As water scarcity becomes a growing threat to agriculture, scientists are searching for crop traits that help plants stay productive under drought.