Small seabirds rely on crosswinds to navigate the open ocean
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 13 May 2026
GPS tracking of 25 Mediterranean storm petrels reveals these tiny seabirds intentionally fly in crosswinds during ocean journeys, sacrificing speed to enhance navigation and olfactory prey detection through smell.
Keywords: storm petrels, seabirds, navigation, crosswinds, olfaction, GPS tracking, bird ecology
Autonomous underwater robot discovers hidden coral reef hotspots
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 13 May 2026
Researchers developed CUREE, an autonomous robot combining audio and visual data to map biodiversity hotspots on coral reefs with sub-meter precision, finding fish densities 25 times higher near key features. Published in Science Robotics.
Keywords: autonomous robot, coral reef, biodiversity hotspots, acoustic sensing, marine robotics, reef conservation, CUREE
New dataset suggests that East Antarctica ice shelves may be unstable
iC3 Polar Research Hub
Published: 10 May 2026
High-resolution modeling of the Fimbulisen Ice Shelf reveals that channels carved into the ice base trap warmer ocean water, amplifying melting rates by an order of magnitude and suggesting East Antarctic ice shelves are more vulnerable to warming than previously thought.
Keywords: Antarctica, ice shelf, melting, ocean warming, Fimbulisen, channels, sea level rise, East Antarctica
