Science

Organic molecules on Mars have reached a new record of diversity, with seven never detected on the planet before. The Curiosity rover drilled the rock sample, nicknamed Mary Anning 3, in October 2020, and years of laboratory analysis have identified 21 carbon-containing molecules inside it, the most varied collection ever found on the Red Planet….

Scientists have discovered a new deep-sea species that flashes green light when disturbed inside underwater caves near Japan. Named Corallizoanthus aureus, the marine animal was found living on colonies of Pleurocorallium coral near the entrances of karst caves around Minamidaito Island. Researchers recorded its blinking light after mechanical and chemical stimulation, including during observations inside…

A creature barely three-quarters of an inch long has taken more than three decades of scientific effort to bring back to the forests of Hawaii. The O‘ahu tree snail, a species once considered lost in the wild, is slowly getting another chance after conservationists rescued the last 11 known individuals in 1991 and spent years…

What if one day you discover the world has no butterflies? Their velvety wings, dashing through the garden, a moving pop of colour in a world of darkness.Butterflies are not just there for aesthetic purposes. Their most important job is pollinating; a reduction in butterfly populations can mean a reduction in plant diversity, since wild…

Sheep grazing can change the conditions that bats encounter when hunting for insects, with some species becoming more active while livestock are on the land and for a short time after they leave. A survey of 49 sheep-grazed pastures in southern Burgenland, Austria, recorded 20 of the region’s 24 bat species during the summer of…

A rare dinosaur fossil found in South Korea has been identified as a new species, the country’s first new dinosaur species in 15 years. The skeleton was found on the Aphae Islands off the country’s southwestern coast and dates to around 113 million years ago. Researchers named it Doolysaurus huhmin after Dooly, a South Korean…

German researchers have tested what happens to grassland invertebrates when land use is reduced. The team worked at 45 sites across three regions of Germany, where plots were mown only once a year, late in the growing season, with no fertilisation or grazing. Invertebrate abundance rose by 41% after one year and by 99% after…

Students earn Marine Sciences honour credits while gaining hands-on experience in oyster restoration and environmental conservation. Some children are born observant and intelligent. They are active with the happenings around them and always look for solution. Meet Bianca Bernhard, whose concern about deteriorating water quality led her to create the Martin Oyster Restoration Initiative, or…

The study found that darker and patterned surfaces could reduce seabird collisions at night (AI image). Researchers in Canada have found that changing the colour or pattern of a surface could help prevent seabirds from crashing into illuminated structures at night. In experiments conducted during 2024 and 2025 on Bon Portage Island in Nova Scotia,…

Grey seals at a popular German beach were more likely to stay farther from designated swimming areas when exposed to underwater sound signals, according to a study testing a new way to reduce encounters between marine wildlife and people. Researchers trialled an acoustic deterrent at Helgoland Dune, home to Germany’s largest grey seal colony, to…

Residents patrol Corvo’s darkened streets, rescuing stranded shearwaters and releasing them safely towards the Atlantic Ocean. Imagine an entire island voluntarily turning off its lights, allowing the night sky to guide thousands of young birds towards the ocean. On Corvo, the smallest and northernmost island of Portugal’s Azores archipelago, darkness is not a sign of…

Queensland is testing a camera system that uses artificial intelligence to identify crocodiles. In a media release on 24 March 2026, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) said the project had been given the green light to proceed with its first deployment in northern Queensland. DETSI is working with James Cook…