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From CO₂, a new way to make chemistry more sustainable

A new method for the controlled cleavage of carbon-carbon double bonds in alkenes has been developed using CO₂ as an oxygen donor and visible light. This process replaces traditional oxidising substances with a safer and more sustainable approach, yielding ketones and carboxylic acids.

SourcePolitecnico di Milano·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 23, 2026

The greenhouse gas trapped in the Black Sea

Researchers found that nitrogen oxide production is outpaced by consumption, resulting in little emissions from the Black Sea. The study identified microorganisms responsible for the turnover of this potent greenhouse gas, highlighting the importance of further research on nitrous oxide dynamics in marine environments.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology·JournalLimnology and Oceanography·DateNov 4, 2025

Nitrogen loss on sandy shores: The big impact of tiny anoxic pockets

Scientists discovered that tiny anoxic pockets on sand grains can carry out denitrification, a process removing human-derived nitrogen from coastal sands. These microenvironments, created by microbes consuming oxygen, account for up to one-third of total nitrogen loss in silicate shelf sands.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology·JournalScientific Reports·DateJun 2, 2025

Prehistoric rock in Japan reveals clues to major ocean anoxic event

Researchers have refined the timing and duration of Ocean Anoxic Event 1a, an extreme environmental disruption that caused significant extinction among plankton. The study determined OAE 1a lasted for just over 1.1 million years, providing valuable insights into Earth's climate and ocean system.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 17, 2024
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Discovery of 3,775-year-old preserved log supports ‘wood vaulting’ as a climate solution

A University of Maryland-led study found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions. The researchers analyzed a 3,775-year-old log and surrounding soil, revealing that it had lost less than 5% carbon dioxide thanks to the low-permeability clay soil.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 27, 2024

Scientists document self-propelling oxygen decline in the oceans

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have found that a chain reaction involving phosphorus recycling played a key role in ancient ocean anoxia. This self-amplifying loop led to rapid and prolonged marine anoxia, which could still pose a threat today due to human activities influencing nutrient dynamics.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences·JournalOne Earth·DateJun 21, 2024
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Brain dynamics of the "wave of death" highlighted for the first time

Scientists have identified key stages in the 'wave of death' - a high-amplitude wave that marks the transition to complete brain silence after oxygen deprivation. The study found that this critical event induces neuronal death throughout the cortex and can be reversible with timely resuscitation.

SourceInstitut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute)·JournalNeurobiology of Disease·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 12, 2023

Marine oxygen landscape shaped by plate movement and biological innovation

The study reconstructs a nearly continuous record of marine oxygen levels through the Phanerozoic using a machine learning approach. Oxygen levels in deep continental shelf seawater were negatively correlated with the production rate of the oceanic crust over timescales of 10–100 million years.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalNature Geoscience·DateOct 31, 2023
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Malformed seashells, ancient sediment provide clues about Earth’s past

Researchers studied ancient sediment and microfossils to understand the Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2), a significant environmental disruption that choked oxygen from oceans. The team proposes a new hypothesis for the Plenus Cold Event, which briefly interrupted intense greenhouse temperatures due to ocean acidification.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 19, 2023

Warming climate spurs harmful oxygen loss in lakes

Rondaxe Lake's experience is just one of thousands worldwide as lakes lose oxygen due to warming, leading to conditions like hypoxia and anoxia. This phenomenon, exacerbated by seasonal stratification, threatens aquatic life and ecosystems.

SourceCornell University·JournalGlobal Change Biology·DateDec 6, 2022

Sleeping giant could end deep ocean life

A new study by researchers at University of California - Riverside found that the position of continents can have a devastating effect on deep ocean creatures. Continental movement can cause a sudden collapse in global water circulation, leading to a stark separation between oxygen levels in the upper and lower depths.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 17, 2022
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Massive carbon emission caused marine anoxia and biodiversity loss 304 million years ago

A recent study reveals that massive carbon emission during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age led to anoxic areal extent equivalent to 20% of the seafloor and significant biodiversity loss. The research team used geochemical signals, sedimentology, and climate modeling to simulate the effects of a 300,000-year warming event.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 5, 2022

Carbon, climate change and ocean anoxia in an ancient icehouse world

A new study describes a period of rapid global warming in an ice-capped world 304 million years ago, resulting in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels doubling and oceans becoming anoxic. Biodiversity dropped on land and at sea, with about 23% of the seafloor worldwide becoming anoxic dead zones.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 2, 2022

Origin of complex cells started without oxygen

Eukaryotes emerged in an anoxic environment in the ocean, and their mitochondria-bearing cells likely resulted from a merger between archaea and bacteria. This finding contradicts the long-held view that oxygenation of Earth's surface environment led to eukaryogenesis.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalNature Ecology & Evolution·TypeLiterature review·DateApr 27, 2022

Why extinctions ran amok in ancient oceans, and why they slowed down

A new Stanford University study suggests that rising oxygen levels may have slowed down ancient ocean extinctions. The research found that oxygen levels beyond 40% of present atmospheric levels expanded viable ocean habitat and reduced extinction rates. This discovery has implications for understanding the fate of ocean creatures in to...

SourceStanford University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 4, 2021
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Changing resilience of oceans to climate change

A recent study found that ancient oceans were more resilient to climate change than previously thought, with limited expansion of seafloor anoxia during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum. However, current human activities are expected to drive more rapid and expansive oxygen loss due to higher carbon emissions and nutrient pollution.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 15, 2021

Oceans without oxygen

Researchers have discovered that ocean anoxic zones, which lack dissolved oxygen, are teeming with life and play a crucial role in the Earth's carbon cycle. The study found that microbes can still eat organic carbon but respiring sulfate, known as cryptic sulfur cycling, leading to more organic carbon deposits in sediments.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalScience·DateDec 17, 2020

Marine microorganisms: How to survive below the seafloor

Researchers found that certain species of foraminifera can survive and thrive in anoxic environments with high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide. The organisms exploit soluble organic material as a source of carbon and energy, playing a crucial role in anaerobic nutrient cycles.

SourceLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München·JournalThe ISME Journal·DateJul 20, 2020
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

UM Bio Station researchers unlock mystery of subterranean stoneflies

Researchers from the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station have unlocked a mystery surrounding unique aquatic insects in the Flathead watershed. Subterranean stoneflies have been found to survive in low-oxygen environments, and their DNA has revealed a possible mechanism for this adaptation.

SourceThe University of Montana·JournalEcology·DateJul 1, 2020

'A bad time to be alive': Study links ocean deoxygenation to ancient die-off

A new study by Stanford researchers links the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction to ocean deoxygenation, revealing severe and prolonged anoxic conditions. The findings suggest that low oxygen levels in modern oceans will put strain on many organism types, potentially leading to extinction.

SourceStanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 14, 2020

Researchers beginning to uncover the mystery of hagfish's zombie hearts

Hagfish hearts can pump for 36 hours without oxygen, a phenomenon that could inspire new strategies for protecting the human heart during anoxia. Researchers found that glycerol enhances heart contraction during anoxia, raising questions about its role in hagfish physiology.

SourceUniversity of Guelph·JournalJournal of Comparative Physiology A·DateMar 27, 2019

What caused the mass extinction of Earth's first animals?

Researchers from Arizona State University study the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition and find a severe marine anoxic event coincided with the decline of early animals. The team integrated geochemical data and fossil records to precisely match evolutionary and environmental events, shedding light on this pivotal moment in Earth's history.

SourceArizona State University·JournalScience Advances·DateJun 26, 2018

UNM scientists find widespread ocean anoxia as cause for past mass extinction

A team of researchers led by Maya Elrick found that a global marine anoxic event occurred during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction, which lasted for at least 1 million years and coincided with the extinction of 85% of marine life. The study suggests that low oxygen concentrations in the ocean were a major driver of the mass extinction.

SourceUniversity of New Mexico·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 21, 2018
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Ocean anoxia in Late Ordovician mass extinction

Researchers found a prolonged ocean anoxic event worldwide during the Late Ordovician mass extinction, coinciding with peak glaciation and suggesting global cooling may have driven ocean anoxia. This finding could support the theory that global cooling played a role in triggering the LOME.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 21, 2018

New technique offers clues to measure the deoxygenation of the ocean

Scientists developed a method to quantify past oxygen depletion in oceans using thallium isotope composition of ancient seafloor sediments. The analysis suggests up to half of the deep ocean was oxygen-depleted during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, with modern trends showing similar rates of deoxygenation.

SourceWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution·JournalScience Advances·DateAug 9, 2017

Fossil site shows impact of early Jurassic's low oxygen oceans

A recent fossil site discovery reveals that low oxygen levels during the Early Jurassic led to a stressed marine ecosystem, with only a few species surviving. The study tracks how this event impacted local communities, including a collapse of fish populations and changes in species composition.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·DateJul 15, 2017
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Jurassic drop in ocean oxygen lasted a million years

Scientists from the University of Exeter found that a 183 million-year-old oceanic oxygen depletion event ended after one million years due to increased atmospheric oxygen and rising fire activity. This study highlights the critical need to limit carbon emissions to prevent future anoxic events in the modern ocean.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 12, 2017

Conundrum of missing iron in oxygen minimum zones solved

A international research team has discovered a new biogeochemical process that explains the removal of dissolved iron from seawater in oxygen minimum zones. This process, which involves the reaction of iron with nitrate instead of oxygen, is essential for understanding nutrient availability and carbon fixation in the oceans.

SourceHelmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateOct 28, 2016

Ancient rocks reveal how Earth recovered from mass extinction

Scientists have discovered that iron-rich, low oxygen waters played a key role in delaying the recovery of life on Earth after the Permian-Triassic Boundary extinction. The study found that while toxic sulphides were not present, the oceans were rich in iron, which restricted marine life recovery.

SourceUniversity of Edinburgh·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 19, 2016

Maternal instincts

A study on Caenorhabditis elegans reveals that mothers who experienced normoxic conditions early on tend to provision their young with more glycogen, equipping the embryos with tools to survive oxygen deprivation. This adaptation leads to improved hatchability and survival rates in offspring.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalPLOS Biology·DateMar 16, 2016
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Oxygen-starved oceans held back life's recovery after the 'Great Dying'

Low oxygen levels hampered life's recovery after the Permian-Triassic extinction, which wiped out 90% of species. Oxygen levels didn't return to pre-extinction levels until 5 million years later, when climate stability increased.

SourceStanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 17, 2016

Can animals thrive without oxygen?

A new study found evidence of metazoans living in anoxic conditions using fluorescent tags and reproductive structures. However, no metazoans were alive or reproducing in the deepest part of the interface zone with minimal oxygen.

SourceWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution·JournalBMC Biology·DateFeb 1, 2016

Peat soils as gigantic batteries

Researchers discovered that peat soils can act like gigantic batteries, using humic substances to accept electrons under anoxic conditions. When oxygen enters, these substances release electrons to oxygen, thereby regenerating their capacity to accept electrons and suppressing methane formation.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Geoscience·DateFeb 28, 2014

First mass extinction linked to marine anoxia

A new study links the end-Ordovician mass extinction to nutrient-driven anoxia in the global ocean. The research overthrows century-old knowledge on why marine animals faced their first major challenges, highlighting the tight coupling between life evolution and oxygen dynamics.

SourceUniversity of Southern Denmark·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateApr 11, 2012

New technique unlocks secrets of ancient ocean

Researchers from Arizona State University developed a new geochemical technique to study the Earth's largest mass extinction event. The study found that the period of oceanic anoxia was much shorter than previously estimated, occurring at most tens of thousands of years before the extinction event.

SourceArizona State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 10, 2011
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Oxygen's challenge to early life

Researchers found evidence of oxygen-poor ocean conditions lasting 2-4 million years after the first appearance of animals, suggesting fluctuating oxygen levels may have driven rapid evolutionary turnover during the Cambrian Period. This study provides new insights into how early life evolved and flourished on Earth.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature·DateJan 5, 2011

Widespread ancient ocean 'dead zones' challenged early life

Researchers found evidence of ancient ocean 'dead zones,' where oxygen levels were low, around 499 million years ago. This challenges the long-held assumption that oceans became oxygen-rich about 600 million years ago. The findings suggest that fluctuations in oxygen levels may have played a major role in shaping early animal evolution.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalNature·DateJan 5, 2011

Small fish exploits forbidding environment

A new species of small fish, the bearded goby, has been found to eat jellyfish and thrive in an oxygen-depleted zone off the coast of southwest Africa. This unexpected predator-prey relationship puts jellyfish back into the food cycle.

SourcePenn State·JournalScience·DateJul 15, 2010

First animals to live without oxygen discovered

Researchers have discovered small animals in the Mediterranean Sea that live their entire lives without oxygen and reproduce despite a complete absence of oxygen. These multicellular organisms possess organelles resembling hydrogenosomes found in anaerobic environments, challenging our current understanding of life on Earth.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biology·DateApr 7, 2010

April 2010 Geology and GSA Today highlights

Recent studies have shed new light on explosive volcanic eruptions in the ocean, a 300-million-year-old forest from the Andes, and innovative methods for dating sedimentary rocks. Researchers have discovered a unique eruption style dubbed 'Poseidic,' characterized by uninterrupted magma ascent, while fossil evidence supports an ecologi...

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalGeology·DateMar 25, 2010
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Oscillations at odds in the heart

Researchers found glycolytic oscillations increase damage to heart during anoxia and ischemia. The study used a technique to image heart muscle cells with fluorescent dyes during severe anoxia.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of General Physiology·DateMar 15, 2010

The carbon cycle before humans

Researchers studied organic carbon-rich sediments from an ancient seabed to learn about a devastating event when oxygen levels in the oceans dropped so low that one-third of marine life died. The studies found that volcanic activity triggered a biogeochemical cascade, leading to a decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Geoscience·DateFeb 16, 2010

Oregon researchers study widespread areas of low oxygen off northwest coast

A team of scientists from NOAA and Oregon State University have discovered widespread areas of low-oxygen water off the northwest coast, which may be causing deaths of marine animals that cannot escape. The study suggests that these conditions are associated with coastal upwelling and plankton production.

SourceNOAA National Marine Fisheries Service·JournalScience·DateFeb 15, 2008
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Don't hold your breath: Carp can manage without oxygen for months

The carp's extraordinary ability to adapt to low oxygen conditions allows it to thrive in environments where other fish would perish. Researchers have discovered that its blood has a higher affinity for oxygen than any other vertebrate, enabling the fish to maintain physical activity while oxygen supplies are limited.

SourceSociety for Experimental Biology·DateApr 7, 2006
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.