A study published in Engineering provides a comprehensive review of actuation and locomotion methods for miniature underwater robots (MURs). Titled "Actuation and Locomotion of Miniature Underwater Robots: A Survey," the research summarizes key propulsion technologies, evaluates their advantages and challenges, and explores future trends in MUR development for underwater exploration and marine applications.

Tropical marine low clouds play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate. However, whether they mitigate or exacerbate global warming has long remained a mystery. Now, researchers from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a groundbreaking method that significantly improves accuracy in climate predictions. This led to a major discovery – that tropical cloud feedback may have amplified the greenhouse effect by a staggering 71% more than previously known to scientists.

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in collaboration with international partners, have developed a novel approach to addressing uncertainties in ecological and environmental projections, providing a more robust assessment of extinction risk for emperor penguins. The study, which accounts for the unique life history and critical dependence of emperor penguins on the Antarctic environment, reveals that emperor penguins meet the criteria for uplisting to a category ranging from Vulnerable to Endangered under the IUCN guidelines on risk and uncertainty (IUCN, 2024). This represents a significant and urgent change from their current classification of Near Threatened, highlighting the elevated risk emperor penguins face due to future changes in their Antarctic habitat.

Imagine the world’s oceans with their beautiful blue color. Now, imagine that the same oceans were green. This is the intriguing possibility suggested by new research from Nagoya University in Japan. A research group has found evidence that cyanobacteria, important bacteria in the evolutionary process, flourished in green seas. Their findings not only tell us about the history of our planet but also suggest a new way to look for alien life on other planets.

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, has uncovered evidence of far-reaching ecosystem consequences following the disappearance of Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) from False Bay, South Africa. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, spans over two decades and documents cascading ecological disruptions, underscoring the crucial role apex predators play in maintaining ocean health.

This study achieved CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), China's most economically vital freshwater fish. Targeting the tyrb gene critical for pigmentation were performed. Mutations confirmed by sequencing caused a golden phenotype with melanophore reduction. Using multiple gRNAs enhanced mutation rates (88.9%) and triggered large DNA deletions. This successful gene editing in grass carp enables rapid creation of golden germplasm, addressing industry demands for improved aquaculture varieties.

For new research, published in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management, ten fishermen working around islands in the Aegean Sea were asked to pinpoint areas where they believed seagrass beds could be found along the coastlines of their respective islands. The maps they produced were then compared with satellite data of the same regions, with analysis showing an average accuracy of 78% – and a high of 92%. Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation say the results are a clear demonstration of the value of tapping into local knowledge, and how doing so can be a low-cost means of generating environmental data without compromising the high accuracy needed for the data to be still valuable for policy use.

Researchers have documented the northernmost record of the highly invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, in the Mediterranean, raising concerns about its impact on marine biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal tourism.