Environment

Light conditions in the morning before waking up affect restfulness

A new study has found that only 9.5% of plastic materials produced globally in 2022 were manufactured from recycled materials. The findings, reported in Communications Earth & Environment, are part of a comprehensive analysis of the global plastics sector.

Large-scale multidisciplinary ecological survey reveals long-term changes in the eastern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean

A genomic study of hydrogen-producing bacteria has revealed entirely new gene clusters capable of producing large volumes of hydrogen.

Enhanced westerly winds associated with global warming will strengthen the clockwise circulations and heat transport to the ice sheet in the East Antarctic coastal area.

YNU researchers analyzed how vascular plant species richness, asynchrony, bryophyte cover, and other factors influence the temporal stability of plant communities.

Examining the effects of the ONIKURU multifunctional facility on daily walking time

Despite decades of warnings about overfishing, Southeast Asia’s capture fisheries have proven remarkably robust.

Constructed strain achieves record-high yield from methanol, advancing eco-friendly biomanufacturing

Key Insights and Actionable Solutions from GDC 2024 Parallel Session on Research Systems

Surviving Antarctica, Probiotics ease anxiety, Ancient mariners, Addressing large urban fires, Smart patch & Dying galaxies. Plus Women experts for International Women’s Day 2025. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

For International Women's Day, we have prepared a list of women experts who have agreed to share their expertise with journalists. Their expertise include AI, astronomy, medicine and public health, sustainability, women’s rights, and more.

Comprehensive screening analysis of organohalogen compounds in blubber samples of 11 toothed whale species stranded on Japanese coasts revealed species-specific accumulation profiles, with a total of over 300 organohalogen compounds detected. For the first time, the composition profiles of marine natural products were found to be useful indicators of the feeding habitats and migration history of individual whale species.

Eight CO2 capture processes were evaluated in terms of economics, environmental impact, and equipment footprint, based on rigorous modeling.

Tohoku University researchers are looking underfoot to uncover the mysterious past of Mars: Martian regoliths in the soil. Their water storage capabilities may help us understand the change in water on Mars over time.

Replacing chemical phosphorus and nitrogen with sustainable sources

Successful isolation of ultrasmall bacteria belonging to the CPR, a large phylogenetic group that includes various lineages of uncultivated bacteria

Aeration tanks in wastewater treatment plants are revealed as contributors to the emission and enrichment of airborne antibiotic resistance genes, raising significant public health concerns.

Field observations in natural river environment hold clues to easing model organisms’ life in labs

Antarctic midge 1st reported organism using both quiescence and obligate diapause in multiple overwintering

Unseen Threat Compromises Future of Marine Apex Predator

Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh of Monash University Malaysia's School of Science has been named a 2025 Explorers Club 50 honoree for her outstanding contributions to biodiversity research and conservation.

The recent LA fires drove home how dangerous wildfires can be when they encroach on urban areas. So-called 'wildland-urban interface' fires are on the rise. However, building codes and standards have long been based on fires that spread from building to building. To address this, a Tohoku University professor has updated international standards for large outdoor fires.

A hedonic price model incorporating street view images processed by machine learning and existing property data achieves nearly 75% accuracy for rent prediction in Osaka City

What created the Noto Peninsula landscape we know today? After examining the devastation from the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, researchers from Tohoku University have a theory.

This pyroclastic material—usually considered as waste—is rich in iron, enabling it to efficiently block X-rays and gamma rays.

Detailed study of a Greenland glacier’s flow rate reveals the impact of environmental conditions.

Prof Ruby Lai Yuen-shan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, has partnered with two Hong Kong artists, Ms Miu Law and Mr Victor Sham Chung-tat, for an interdisciplinary collaboration. Together, they have curated the exhibition “Listening to the Stories of 118.4 Square Feet”, which highlights a selection of real-life stories from residents of subdivided units.

Inspired by elephants, researchers grow fungus in elephant-skin patterns to create better insulation for buildings.

Tsuyoshi Watanabe uses corals to understand the environment of the past and what it can tell us about people living then.