In mighty Atlantic Ocean, ecosystem wonders and threats lie below the surface

Scientists from numerous countries are joining forces to tackle risks to life in the world’s second-largest ocean. By  Jack McGovan During his first offshore expedition in 1997, marine-biology expert Murray Roberts was shocked to see the state of cold-water corals located west of Scotland’s Shetland Islands. A century earlier, Victorian-era naturalists described seeing stony thickets … Read more

All aboard! Europe’s food wagon steers towards a greener path

Making diets kinder to the environment and better for people’s health requires root-and-branch changes in production and consumption. By  Anthony King As a young scientist, Dr Christian Bugge Henriksen never minded getting his hands dirty. He put on his wellies to study soil nutrients in barley and potato fields in his native Denmark. Henriksen has … Read more

Greener pastures: grasslands’ environmental and economic potential

Better use of grass-covered areas across the EU can protect nature and strengthen agriculture. By  Vedrana Simičević German farmers in the Lower Oder Valley National Park on the eastern border with Poland faced a dilemma: what to do with grass that was useless as animal feed. Like many of their counterparts in Europe, these agricultural … Read more

Fighting extreme weather with extreme computing power

Artificial intelligence, which can already generate texts and mimic human speech, might also help the world prepare for the worsening effects of climate change. By  Tom Cassauwers In late October, climate change suddenly felt very real in northern Italy. A severe storm brought heavy rainfall to the region, causing Lake Como and the Seveso River … Read more

The flying, swimming and tunnelling robots inspired by nature

Drawing inspiration from birds, fish and even worms, researchers in Europe are developing machines to explore places on Earth that are difficult for people to reach. By  Gareth Willmer The Ornithopter in the sci-fi blockbuster film Dune resembles a helicopter crossed with a dragonfly. It’s no wonder why. Ever since humankind has imagined flight, pioneering … Read more

Fishing industry rides tech wave to go green

Sensors, “smart” buoys and high-tech traps can make fisheries in Europe more sustainable and profitable. By  Helen Massy-Beresford Professor Zigor Uriondo was so keen to make tuna fishing less polluting and more profitable that he refused to let the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 scuttle a planned research trip to the Seychelles. Uriondo, a researcher at the … Read more