Earth

Climate

Mangrove forests on the Yucatan Peninsula store record amounts of carbon

Dense tangles of roots and natural water-filled sinkholes join forces to stockpile as much as 2,800 metric tons of carbon per hectare in the soil.

Microbes

These climate-friendly microbes recycle carbon without producing methane

A newly discovered group of single-celled archaea break down decaying plants without adding the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere.

Agriculture

Nanoscale nutrients can protect plants from fungal diseases

Applied to the shoots, nutrients served in tiny metallic packages are absorbed more efficiently, strengthening plants’ defenses against fungal attack.

Earth

Lightning may be an important source of air-cleaning chemicals

Airplane observations show that thunderstorms can directly generate vast quantities of atmosphere-cleansing chemicals called oxidants.

Climate

Climate change may have changed the direction of the North Pole’s drift

A mid-1990s shift in the movement of the pole was driven by glacial melt, in part caused by climate change, among other factors, a new study reports.

Chemistry

A new technique could make some plastic trash compostable at home

Embedding enzymes inside biodegradable plastics makes them truly compostable, which could mitigate the plastic waste problem.

Science & Society

A new book explores how military funding shaped the science of oceanography

In ‘Science on a Mission,’ science historian Naomi Oreskes argues that funding from the U.S. Navy both facilitated and stymied marine research.

Ecosystems

Wildfires launch microbes into the air. How big of a health risk is that?

How does wildfire smoke move bacteria and fungi — and what harm might they do to people when they get there?

Animals

Discarded COVID-19 PPE such as masks can be deadly to wildlife

From entanglements to ingestion, two biologists are documenting the impact of single-use masks and gloves on animals around the world.

Oceans

Corals’ hidden genetic diversity corresponds to distinct lifestyles

Observation and DNA analysis expose identical reef corals as distinct species with unique ecologies, suggesting much greater coral biodiversity.

Climate

A trek under Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf reveals specific risks of warm water

An underwater autonomous craft collected the first data on the chemistry of seawater eroding the icy underbelly of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.

Earth

A spike in Arctic lightning strikes may be linked to climate change

Global warming may be revving up summer thunderstorms in the Arctic, leading to skyrocketing numbers of lightning strikes.