https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/environment/ Top stories featured on ScienceDaily's Plants & Animals, Earth & Climate, and Fossils & Ruins sections. en-us Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:00:02 EDT Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:00:02 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/environment/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603172914.htm Researchers found telehealth visits can improve care for cats with feline arthritis. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:29:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603172914.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603172908.htm New research demonstrates that with collaboration between stakeholders, Australia can fully decarbonize its domestic and energy export economies by 2060 -- a feat requiring $6.2 trillion USD and around 110,000 square kilomters of land -- while avoiding harm to important areas for biodiversity outcomes, safeguarding agricultural activities, and respecting Indigenous land rights. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:29:08 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603172908.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603141204.htm To satisfy the seafood needs of billions of people, offering them access to a more biodiverse array of fish creates opportunities to mix-and-match species to obtain better nutrition from smaller portions of fish. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:12:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603141204.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603141202.htm A new study found exposure to specific tiny particles in air pollution during pregnancy are associated with increased risk of various negative birth outcomes. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:12:02 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603141202.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115028.htm New research has found that those who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids, such as tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples, could lower their risk of developing serious health conditions and have the potential to live longer. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:50:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115028.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115026.htm A new study details processes that keep pollutants aloft despite a drop in emissions. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:50:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115026.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115020.htm Researchers asked patients, some of whom had experienced lower back pain for up to 40 years, if being in nature helped them coped better with their lower back pain. They found that people able to spend time in their own gardens saw some health and wellbeing benefits. However, those able to immerse themselves in larger green spaces such as forests felt even more positive, as they were able to lose themselves in the environment and focus more on that than their pain levels. The researchers have recommended trying to incorporate time spent in nature into people's treatments plans, and are also using their findings to develop virtual reality interventions that allow people to experience some of the benefits of being in nature without the need to travel anywhere if they are unable to do so. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:50:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115020.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115018.htm Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could be triggered with very little ocean warming above present-day, leading to a devastating four meters of global sea level rise to play out over hundreds of years according to a new study. However, the authors emphasize that immediate actions to reduce emissions could still avoid a catastrophic outcome. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:50:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115018.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115015.htm A new study has finally confirmed the theory that the cause of extraordinary global tremors in September -- October 2023 was indeed two mega tsunamis in Greenland that became trapped standing waves. Using a brand-new type of satellite altimetry, the researchers provide the first observations to confirm the existence of these waves whose behavior is entirely unprecedented. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:50:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603115015.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114822.htm Environmental DNA from the air, captured with simple air filters, can track everything from illegal drugs to the wildlife it was originally designed to study. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:48:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114822.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114818.htm The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to show how ipecacuanha alkaloids, substances used in traditional medicine, are synthesized. They compared two distantly related plant species and were able to show that although both plant species use a comparable chemical approach, the enzymes they need for synthesis differ and a different starting material is used. Further investigations revealed that the biosynthetic pathways of these complex chemical compounds have developed independently in the two species. These results help to enable the synthesis of these and related substances on a larger scale for medical use. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:48:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114818.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114816.htm As psychedelics gain traction as potential treatments for mental health disorders, an international study stands to improve the rigor and reliability of clinical research. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:48:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114816.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114813.htm Researchers have discovered that baboons walk in lines, not for safety or strategy, but simply to stay close to their friends. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:48:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114813.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114634.htm A new study shows how person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population. Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:46:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114634.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602225404.htm Marijuana use among older adults in the US has reached a new high, with 7 percent of adults aged 65 and over who report using it in the past month, according to a recent analysis. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 22:54:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602225404.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602190434.htm Electronics often get thrown away after use because recycling them requires extensive work for little payoff. Researchers have now found a way to change the game. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 19:04:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602190434.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155513.htm New research adds to our understanding of how rapidly rising sea levels due to climate change foreshadow the end of the Great Barrier Reef as we know it. The findings suggest the reef can withstand rising sea levels in isolation but is vulnerable to associated environmental stressors arising from global climate change. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:55:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155513.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155505.htm Researchers have published the first example of a synthetic sugar detection test for snake venom, offering a new route to rapid diagnosis and better antivenoms. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:55:05 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155505.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155340.htm Global warming is continuously advancing. How quickly this will happen can now be predicted more accurately than ever before, thanks to a method developed by climate researchers. Anthropogenic global warming is set to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2028 and hence improved quantification of the Paris goals is proposed. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:53:40 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155340.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155338.htm Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using marine water level data to capture instances of flooding. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:53:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155338.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155328.htm Some microbes living on sand grains use up all the oxygen around them. Their neighbors, left without oxygen, make the best of it: They use nitrate in the surrounding water for denitrification -- a process hardly possible when oxygen is present. This denitrification in sandy sediments in well-oxygenated waters can substantially contribute to nitrogen loss in the oceans. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:53:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602155328.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154912.htm Making a discovery with the potential for innovative applications in pharmaceutical development, a microbiology student has found a long sought-after fungus that produces effects similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:49:12 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154912.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154910.htm Researchers have synthesized a new compound called infuzide that shows activity against resistant strains of pathogens. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:49:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154910.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154907.htm Researchers have recreated the world's oldest synthetic pigment, called Egyptian blue, which was used in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:49:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154907.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154901.htm Researchers have developed a deep learning model called LSTM-SAM that predicts extreme water levels from tropical cyclones more efficiently and accurately, especially in data-scarce coastal regions, to offer a faster, low-cost tool for flood forecasting. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:49:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154901.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154856.htm Scientists have reported use of antibacterial coatings made from resilin-mimetic proteins to fully block bacteria from attaching to a surface. A protein that gives fleas their bounce has been used to boot out bacteria cells, with lab results demonstrating the material's potential for preventing medical implant infection. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:48:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154856.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154722.htm California Central Valley, which is known for the agriculture that produces much of the nation's fruits, vegetables and nuts, is a major contributor to a growing dust problem that has profound implications for people's health, safety and well-being. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:47:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154722.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154719.htm New research shows that the presence of solar panels in Colorado's grasslands may reduce water stress, improve soil moisture levels and -- particularly during dry years -- increase plant growth by about 20% or more compared to open fields. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:47:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154719.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154610.htm Researchers showed that hydrogen sulfide, which is associated with numerous health conditions, is emitted from California's largest lake at levels far higher and more frequently than previously reported. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:46:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154610.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124254.htm Researchers have discovered a protein that is involved in plant leaf aging. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:42:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124254.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124132.htm In a comparative pilot study, the Mediterranean diet and the low FODMAP diet both provided relief for patients with IBS. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:41:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124132.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123950.htm While scientists have long studied currents of large eddies, the smaller ones -- called submesoscale eddies -- are notoriously difficult to detect. These currents, which range from several kilometers to 100 kilometers wide, have been the 'missing pieces' of the ocean's puzzle -- until now. Using data from the new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, scientists finally got a clear view of these hard-to-see currents, and they are a lot stronger than anyone thought. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:39:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123950.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123947.htm Laboratory could improve crop resilience In a discovery three decades in the making, scientists have acquired detailed knowledge about the internal structures and mode of regulation for a specialized protein and are proceeding to develop tools that can capitalize on its ability to help plants combat a wide range of diseases. The work, which exploits a natural process where plant cells die on purpose to help the host plant stay healthy, is expected to have wide applications in the agricultural sector, offering new ways to protect major food crops from a variety of devastating diseases, the scientists said. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:39:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123947.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123830.htm Researchers proposed a novel strategy for using a magnetic field to boost the efficiency of single-atom catalysts -- thus speeding up helpful reactions used for ammonia production and wastewater treatment. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123830.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123821.htm Ozone pollution is a global environmental concern that not only threatens human health and crop production, but also worsens global warming. While the formation of ozone is often attributed to anthropogenic pollutants, soil emissions are revealed to be another important source. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123821.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs -- also known as gene editing --- are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123818.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123805.htm A new method for predicting underwater landslides may improve the resilience of offshore facilities. Fri, 30 May 2025 12:38:05 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530123805.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529194648.htm The fossils of ancient salamander-like creatures in Scotland are among the most well-preserved examples of early stem tetrapods -- some of the first animals to make the transition from water to land. Thanks to new research, scientists believe that these creatures are 14 million years older than previously thought. The new age -- dating back to 346 million years ago -- adds to the significance of the find because it places the specimens in a mysterious hole in the fossil record called Romer's Gap. Thu, 29 May 2025 19:46:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529194648.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155432.htm A new study finds that if global warming exceeds the Paris Climate Agreement targets, the non-polar glacier mass will diminish significantly. However, if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, at least 54 per cent could be preserved -- more than twice as much ice as in a 2.7 C scenario. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155432.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155427.htm Spring in the Arctic brings forth a plethora of peeps and downy hatchlings as millions of birds gather to raise their young. The same was true 73 million years ago, according to a new article. The paper documents the earliest-known example of birds nesting in the polar regions. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155427.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155423.htm Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent. Scientists reveal that a recently identified second species of bacteria responsible for leprosy, Mycobacterium lepromatosis, has been infecting humans in the Americas for at least 1,000 years, several centuries before the Europeans arrived. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155423.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155415.htm Anthropologists have examined the societal consequences of global glacier loss. This article appears alongside new research that estimates that more than three-quarters of the world's glacier mass could disappear by the end of the century under current climate policies. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:15 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155415.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155413.htm Hurricane Ida wreaked an estimated $75 billion in total damages and was responsible for 112 fatalities -- including 32 in New Jersey and 16 in New York state. Yet the hurricane could have been even worse in the Big Apple, find scientists. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155413.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529145727.htm Researchers determined how much outdoor particulate pollution affects indoor air quality. Their study concluded pollution from inversion and dust events is kept out of buildings, but wildfire smoke can sneak inside if efficient 'air-side economizers' are in use. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:57:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529145727.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529145725.htm Forest-based agroforestry can restore forests, promote livelihoods, and combat climate change, but emerging agroforestry initiatives focusing only on tree planting is leading to missed opportunities to support beneficial outcomes of forest management, scientists found. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:57:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529145725.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140133.htm Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it took to kill its victims, but these forms of plague ultimately died out. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:01:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140133.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140128.htm Scientists found out how naturally unstable filaments decide whether to grow or to shorten. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:01:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140128.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140125.htm A new study reveals that the aerobic nitrogen cycle in the ocean may have occurred about 100 million years before oxygen began to significantly accumulate in the atmosphere, based on nitrogen isotope analysis from ancient South African rock cores. These findings not only refine the timeline of Earth's oxygenation but also highlight a critical evolutionary shift, where life began adapting to oxygen-rich conditions -- paving the way for the emergence of complex, multicellular organisms like humans. Thu, 29 May 2025 14:01:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529140125.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124856.htm As the world shifts toward sustainable energy sources, 'green hydrogen' - hydrogen produced without emitting carbon - has emerged as a leading candidate for clean power. Scientists have now developed a new iron-based catalyst that more than doubles the conversion efficiency of thermochemical green hydrogen production. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:48:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124856.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124854.htm The process of necrosis, a form of cell death, may represent one of the most promising ways to change the course of human aging, disease and even space travel, according to a new study. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:48:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124854.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124851.htm New techniques used to analyze soft tissue in dinosaur fossils may hold the key to new cancer discoveries. Researchers have analyzed dinosaur fossils using advanced paleoproteomic techniques, a method that holds promise for uncovering molecular data from ancient specimens. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:48:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124851.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124740.htm A professor of crop sciences and of plant biology describes research efforts to 'future-proof' the crops that are essential to feeding a hungry world in a changing climate. Long, who has spent decades studying the process of photosynthesis and finding ways to improve it, provides an overview of key scientific findings that offer a ray of hope. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:47:40 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124740.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124732.htm Researchers created a detailed physical model that suggests a major Atlantic Ocean current will weaken far less under climate change than indicated by more extreme climate model projections. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:47:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124732.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124729.htm Scientists have pioneered a new way to breed climate-resilient crops faster by combining plant genebank data with climate and DNA analysis. The method, tested on sorghum, could speed up global efforts to secure food supplies in a changing climate. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:47:29 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124729.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124726.htm Researchers have identified a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-coding gene named bishu-1. It is involved in the thermal responsiveness of cool temperature-sensing neurons by regulating ionotropic receptor expression, thereby maintaining the cool temperature avoidance behaviors in Drosophila larvae. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:47:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124726.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124724.htm Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries are crucial for the transition to electric vehicles, and global demand for lithium is set to grow rapidly over the next 25 years. A new analysis looks at how new mining operations and battery recycling could meet that demand. Recycling could play a big role in easing supply constraints, the researchers found. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:47:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124724.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124628.htm Replanting forests can help cool the planet even more than some scientists once believed, especially in the tropics. But even if every tree lost since the mid-19th century is replanted, the total effect won't cancel out human-generated warming. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:46:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124628.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124625.htm Coffee can help you stay awake. But what does caffeine actually do to your brain once you're asleep? Using AI, a team of researchers has an answer: it affects the brain's 'criticality'. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:46:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124625.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124623.htm In a major advancement for sustainable construction, scientists have created a cement-free soil solidifier from industrial waste. By combining Siding Cut Powder and activated by Earth Silica, an alkaline stimulant from recycled glass, scientists produced a high-performance material that meets compressive strength standards exceeding the 160 kN/m construction-grade threshold and eliminates arsenic leaching through calcium hydroxide stabilization. The technology reduces landfill volumes and carbon emissions, offering a circular solution for infrastructure development worldwide. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:46:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124623.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124612.htm Lead contamination in municipal water sources is a consistent threat to public health. Ingesting even tiny amounts of lead can harm the human brain and nervous system -- especially in young children. To empower people to detect lead contamination in their own homes, a team of researchers developed an accessible, handheld water-testing system called the E-Tongue. This device was tested through a citizen science project across four Massachusetts towns. Thu, 29 May 2025 12:46:12 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529124612.htm