New Arizona State University research reveals the extent to which sewage pollution threatens the fragile coral reef ecosystems of West Hawaiʻi Island. The study identifies exactly where sewage-contaminated water is entering the ocean, further damaging coral reefs already impacted by climate change, and endangering human health. The research team used advanced airborne mapping techniques, along with comprehensive field sampling and sophisticated statistical models, to pinpoint locations where high levels of fecal bacteria associated with populated coastal areas are driving worsening contamination. The study provides the critical data needed by government officials and local communities to mitigate this threat and protect the health and biodiversity of coastal ecosystems.

Cities are particularly vulnerable to heat stress because paved and densely built-up areas tend to store the heat. More frequent and intense heatwaves are a growing challenge for public health and urban infrastructure. A new deep-learning based model developed by the University of Freiburg and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) calculates for the first time how heat stress will develop on each square meter of a city in the future. The model supports cities in their efforts to adapt to the climate change and provides stimuli for climate-friendly urban planning. Published in Urban Climate.  (DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2025.102564)

A previously untapped source of data sheds new light on the climate of the early Earth: fossilized dinosaur teeth show that the atmosphere during the Mesozoic era, between 252 and 66 million years ago, contained far more carbon dioxide than it does today. An international research team at the Universities of Göttingen, Mainz and Bochum made this discovery by analysing oxygen isotopes in tooth enamel. They used a newly developed method that opens up opportunities for research into the Earth's climate history. In addition, the researchers found that total photosynthesis from plants around the world was twice as high as it is today. This probably contributed to the dynamic climate during the time of the dinosaurs. The results were published in the journal PNAS.

Drivers can now compare the greenhouse gas emissions of different vehicles based on size, usage, powertrain type and even location

A study in National Science Review reports systematic observations of diazotroph abundance, community structure, and N₂ fixation rates in the western North Pacific. Using generalized additive models, the team characterized ecological niches of key cyanobacterial diazotrophs and quantified UCYN-B’s contribution to global N₂ fixation. The findings highlight UCYN-B’s pivotal role in marine N₂ fixation and provide new insights into ocean nitrogen cycle and productivity under climate change.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Nitrogen Cycling – a new peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing research on nitrogen cycling and its critical role in sustainability, climate change, and food security. A multidisciplinary platform for high-quality research on N cycling, from microbes to mitigation.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes, a new open-access journal dedicated to understanding the critical links between elemental cycles, climate change, and human health.

A new study published by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa sheds light on the critical role of iron in Earth’s climate history, revealing how its sources in the South Pacific Ocean have shifted over the past 93 million years. This groundbreaking research, based on the analysis of deep-sea sediment cores, provides crucial insights into the interplay between iron, marine life, and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.