Environment

Such is the magnitude of our plastic pollution problem that cleaning beaches is a tough ask. The BeBot is a robot designed to tackle this problem, sifting through sand to gather up waste while making a minimal impact on the environment.

As work continues to clean up the mess left by the meltdown of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, scientists are enlisting some local help in their efforts to survey the damage, in the form of rat snakes that frequent the area.

Coral rely on a symbiotic relationship with algae to maintain good health. Scientists have now gained unprecedented insight into this phenomenon, making observations of coral cells engulfing algae for the first time ever.

Along with their batteries, many electric cars now utilize supercapacitors for tasks such as quickly delivering power while accelerating. Thanks to new research, a key component of such devices could soon be made from waste tamarind shells.

A new study designed to gauge the scale of pollution in the globe's urban areas has concluded that around half come from just 25 cities, with so-called megacities in China and Japan proving to be particularly potent emitters.

They might hold a reputation as one of the ocean's most ruthless predators, but new research has shown that different species of sharks can actually go to some lengths to keep peace in the seas by doing their hunting in shifts.

In an effort to uncover what waters polluted with pharmaceuticals could mean for marine organisms, a study has demonstrated a capacity for brown trout to become addicted to methamphetamine after exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations.

The Arctic's "Last Ice Area," a region where summer sea ice is expected to survive the longest and therefore act as a refuge for the wildlife that depends on it, is already feeling the effects of climate change, new research shows.

The World Meteorological Organization has confirmed the highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica. On February 6, 2020 at Argentina's Esperanza Base, located on the Antarctic Peninsula, a maximum temperature of 18.3 °C (69.9 °F) was reached.

Scientists in Austria have discovered a set of enzymes in the stomach fluid of cows that can break down common plastics used in textiles and packaging, offering another potential tool in the efforts to combat this environmental problem.

Many renewable energy technologies require metals that are mined through environmentally destructive processes. Now, Oxford scientists are investigating a new way to mine valuable metals trapped in hot brines beneath volcanoes.

While electric vehicles are greener than their fuel-burning counterparts, their battery packs still aren't as recyclable as they could be. A new process could help, by more efficiently extracting reusable materials from old lithium-ion batteries.