After commercial whaling nearly erased them, blue and fin whales are slowly reclaiming the southeast Atlantic
Blue and fin whales are being sighted with increasing frequency in the southeastern Atlantic more than 40 years after commercial whaling ended. Ninety-five percent of confirmed observations from a 60-year dataset were recorded since 2012, indicating recent population recovery in Namibian and South African waters.
Read full story →Wheat gene behind Hessian fly resistance cloned after 50-year search
A wheat gene conferring resistance to Hessian fly larvae has been cloned after a 50-year search, with researchers demonstrating its direct interaction with an insect protein. The gene's identification was published in Science Advances on August 14, 2026, opening pathways for engineering pest resistance in wheat crops.
Engineered microbe speeds CO₂ capture and recovers critical metals
A genetically engineered bacterium rapidly breaks down feldspar, one of Earth's most abundant minerals, to simultaneously remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and recover critical elements for electric vehicle batteries. The engineered microbe accomplishes this through a single biological process rather than requiring separate industrial steps.
Volunteer Develops Machine-Learning Tool to Identify Rare Clouds
A volunteer has created a machine-learning tool to identify rare clouds that are appearing more frequently and at lower altitudes than previously observed. The tool assists the NASA-supported Space Cloud Watch project, which collects cloud images from people worldwide to help scientists understand factors driving these atmospheric changes.