As bacteria become increasingly resistant to antibiotics and other antibacterials, there is a growing need for alternatives. In a study published on August 14^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, Tobias Warnecke and colleagues from the University of Oxford and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom, identified untapped antimicrobials produced by archaea, single-celled organisms that make up one of the three domains of life (the other two being bacteria and eukaryotes, the group that includes us).

The sliteye shark has been recorded for the first time on the Great Chagos Bank, the world’s largest coral atoll structure—marking a major advance in understanding the geographic range of this near-threatened species.

Every human being leaves traces behind, and has done so for thousands of years. In a new study, a team led by lead author Dr. Yanming Ruan from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen shows that human influence on soil erosion goes back much further than previously thought. Their findings have now been published in Geophysical Research Letters.

North American river otters eat, play and defecate in the same place. But their terrible food hygiene make them ideal for detecting future health threats in the environment, according to scientists. In a new study published Aug. 14, Smithsonian scientists analyzed the otters’ diets and “latrine” habitats in the Chesapeake Bay for the first time. They discovered river otters often eat food riddled with parasites—and that may not be a bad thing for the larger ecosystem.

When a North American river otter left behind some weird looking poo on a dock in Maryland and got caught by a wildlife camera, scientists started to investigate. They found river otters living in the Chesapeake Bay eat a variety of fish, crabs, and the occasional duck – and that their food is infested with parasites which sometimes infect otters. As river otters hunt infected prey, they might play a vital role within local food webs through the culling of sick individuals, the researchers said. 

A group of researchers from Northeastern University of China developed a novel FeCrVNiAl eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEA) that exhibits a remarkable combination of mechanical strength and high corrosion resistance for marine environments. The alloy integrates hierarchical nanoscale precipitates of B2 (NiAl) and L2₁ (Fe₂CrV) phases within its matrix, which are precisely controlled through solid solution and aging treatments. These precipitates induce multistage strengthening mechanisms, including dislocation interactions, strain hardening, and the formation of misfit dislocations at coherent interfaces. The result is an alloy capable of bearing compressive stresses up to ~3.05 GPa, while simultaneously maintaining outstanding ductility and strain-hardening capabilities. Additionally, the microstructure promotes the formation of a stable passive film comprising chromium oxide, which reduces corrosion current density and enhances resistance in saline, marine-like environments. This dual achievement addresses a key challenge faced by traditional marine materials, which often fail in harsh conditions either by lacking sufficient strength or corrosion resistance. The study offers a new microstructural design that not only achieves these demanding properties but also provides insights into the underlying mechanisms contributing to this synergy.

Specially adapted drones successfully use a "tap and go" approach to apply monitoring tags to whales, speeding up the process and avoiding human interference