Phytoplankton—microscopic algae that form the base of ocean food webs—have long been viewed as transient players in the global carbon cycle: They bloom, die, and the carbon they contain is quickly recycled back into the ecosystem. However, a research team led by Prof. WANG Faming at the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that these tiny organisms can directly pump "stubborn" carbon into the ocean, where it may persist for centuries.

A new study led by researchers at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan Agency for Marine-Earthe Science and Technology and The University of Tokyo published in Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed long-term projections from state-of-the-art Earth System Models and identified large-scale atmospheric circulation and ecosystem changes that lead to the degradation of the Amazon rainforest. The research reveals that if no efforts are made to stop climate change, the dieback of the Amazon rainforest may start within the 21st century.

A new study led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS shows that tidal marshes generate approximately $90 million annually in economic value for communities across Virginia’s Middle Peninsula. The findings led to the development of SHORE-BET, an online tool designed to support coastal communities by estimating the economic benefits of marshes and living shoreline projects.

New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heatwaves. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology.

A new study, led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa oceanographers, revealed that the ocean is acidifying even more rapidly below the surface in the open waters of the North Pacific near Hawai‘i. 

On Japan’s desert islands, researchers uncovered a peculiar bathroom ritual among seabirds. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on August 18, the team found that streaked shearwaters (Calonectris leucomelas) poop while flying—not while floating on water—and they do so every 4 to 10 minutes. This habit may help the birds stay clean and fertilize the ocean below. 

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Associate Professor Paola Laurino has been selected as one of the top 10 global awardees in the Life Sciences category of the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough, presented by Germany’s Falling Walls Foundation.  

From 16 ^th  August to 19 ^th  September 2025, the i2B Arctic Ocean Expedition, led by Jochen Knies and Stijn De Schepper, will be sailing into the Arctic Ocean onboard the Norwegian research vessel RV Kronprins Haakon. This expedition will shed light on Arctic climate during past ‘warmer-than-present-day’ conditions. 

The shipping industry has long relied on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to global pollution. With stricter environmental regulations like the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) greenhouse gas reduction strategy, the shift toward electric ships powered by lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is now unstoppable. These battery-powered vessels promise cleaner, more efficient maritime transport—but there’s a catch: the harsh marine environment poses unique challenges for battery performance and safety.

The next time you breathe, consider this: photosynthesis of algae, powered by iron dust in the ocean, made it possible.  Now, a new Rutgers University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pulls back the curtain on this vital process.

Iron is a critical micronutrient for marine phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that form the foundation of the ocean’s food webs. It is deposited into the world’s oceans as dust from deserts and arid areas as well as from glacial meltwater.