It's well reported that oil spills can have a catastrophic biological and environmental impact. But to date, few studies have examined the effect of whole crude oil on senses of a marine vertebrate. A new study is the first to confirm effects on stingrays' sense of smell.
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Toxic algae blooms can be nasty, killing fish, other wildlife and sometimes even people. One of the main causes of such blooms is excessive amounts of fertilizer running off of fields and into waterways. A new type of buried sensor, however, could help address that situation.
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Removing oil spills from water is a difficult business, with various approaches having met with mixed results. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Forestry believe they may be onto something, however, in the form of a reusable "wooden" sponge that absorbs oil while leaving water behind.
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One the many reasons to be concerned about plastic pollution is the uncertainty around its effects when consumed by humans. A new study will do little to allay these fears, describing the presence of various microplastics in human stool samples across the globe for the first time.
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It has been a long journey for the Ocean Cleanup Project, but after years of development and a 1,300-plus-mile trip through the open water, its first system is now installed at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the single biggest accumulation of ocean plastics in the world.
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Dutch artist and designer Daan Roosegaarde has a knack for raising environmental awareness through spectacular and symbolic pieces of art, and his freshly launched Space Waste Lab might be his most impressive installation yet.
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Freshwater and marine algal blooms can be harmful – even fatal – to wildlife and humans alike, so the sooner that authorities can predict them, the better. A cheap and portable new device developed at UCLA could help them do so.
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Studded tires are a popular choice in northern climes come winter, thanks to the extra grip they afford on ice and compacted snow. But new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden says they actually cost more lives than they save.
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Porsche has announced that it is turning its back on diesel-powered vehicles, instead choosing to shift its focus toward a cleaner energy future. The news comes three years after parent company Volkswagen admitting to using a defeat device to cheat emissions testing.
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Knowing where harmful airborne pollutants are and in what concentrations would be an invaluable capability, and one that a team of Rice University scientists is making great headway on with their autonomous gas-sensing drones.
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