Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin’s Marine Science Institute have discovered nearly two dozen new types of microbes, many of which use hydrocarbons such as methane and butane as energy sources to survive and grow—meaning the newly identified bacteria might be helping to limit the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and might one day be useful for cleaning up oil spills.

Winter is often an intense time for air pollution, with wood stoves and heaters on full blast.

Western Lake Erie’s annual summer algal blooms are triggered, at least in part, by cyanobacteria cells that survive the winter in lake-bottom sediments, then emerge in the spring to “seed” the next year’s bloom, according to a research team led by University of Michigan scientists.

Rutgers scientists have developed catalysts that can convert carbon dioxide – the main cause of global warming – into plastics, fabrics, resins and other products.

As wildfires continue to burn in Northern and Southern California, there are more questions than answers. 

Long term exposure to road traffic noise is associated with increased risk of obesity. This was the conclusion of a study involving the participation of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a research centre supported by the ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation. The study has been published in Environment International.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final state implementation plan (SIP) Requirements Rule for implementing the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone. These requirements apply to states and tribes with nonattainment areas as well as the 13 northeastern states that currently comprise the Ozone Transport Region. This rule will assist our state and tribal partners in developing their implementation plans to meet the 2015 ozone standards, while providing the greatest flexibility possible.

In 2018, NOAA scientists and partners embarked on two lengthy voyages, crossing through some of the most remote regions of the Pacific Ocean.

The team removed more than 160,000 pounds of lost or abandoned fishing nets and plastics from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an ecologically and culturally significant area, part of the Papahānaumokuāea Marine National Monument.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around 45 million tons of phosphorus fertilizers will be used around the world in 2018. Much will be applied to soils that also received phosphorus fertilizers in past years.