PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Many species are declining in the Wadden Sea, only a few are thriving

2025-06-18
(Press-News.org)

In a unique collaboration between the University of Groningen and the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, researchers studied population trends across 3,058 populations of various species throughout the entire Wadden Sea. Twenty-four per cent of the populations showed a significant decline in size, and this trend is occurring simultaneously across various groups. Only fourteen per cent of the populations showed an increase in size. These findings were published in the journal Global Change Biology on June 18, 2025. 

The ‘losers’ are mainly native species, often related to each other, while the ‘winners’ are various non-native species. At first glance, birds seem to be doing well, but a number of species have been declining significantly since the late 1990s. Phytoplankton and plants are also strongly represented among the losers, as these are species at the base of the food web. But bivalves, marine worms, and some fish such as the Atlantic cod are also struggling. 

It is striking that the declines in the numbers of the losing species often occur simultaneously, which points to a common underlying cause. ‘In follow-up research, we aim to investigate the specific causes of these dramatic changes,’ says Britas Klemens Eriksson, Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Groningen. ‘In any case, it is a warning signal of potential local extinction.’

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Fallouh Healthcare wins funding to develop device providing early diagnosis of cardiac tamponade

2025-06-18
Birmingham-based Fallouh Healthcare has been awarded a grant of £305,050 from Innovate UK as part of the Eureka Eurostar programme to finalise a prototype of PerDeCT™, working alongside their Austrian partner the Medizinische Universität Wien, which aims to be the first device for monitoring cardiac function and early diagnosis of cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening complication after heart surgery.  Although cardiac surgery is safe, cardiac tamponade can come on quickly – usually after the patient has left theatre, and typically late at night when the patient is in intensive care.  It is caused by the accumulation ...

Can enzymes from fungi be used to extract plant components for biofuels and bioplastics?

2025-06-18
Plant cell wall components such as cellulose are abundant sources of carbohydrates that are widely used in biofuels and bioproducts; however, extraction of these components from plant biomass is relatively difficult due to their complexity. In research in FEBS Open Bio, investigators have found that a combination of fungal enzymes can efficiently degrade plant biomass to allow for extraction. The enzymes are called cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO). LPMO and CDH operate together to enhance the degradation ...

To what extent are tree species in Mexico and Central America threatened by extinction?

2025-06-18
More than 4,000 tree species are found only in Mexico and Central America, or Mesoamerica. Research published in Plants, People, Planet reveals that nearly half of these tree species are threatened by extinction. As part of the Global Tree Assessment, an initiative to assess the conservation status of the world's tree species, a group of investigators compiled International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List assessments for each species, collating information about species' range, habitat, threats, and conservation actions. They found that 46% of trees ...

How likely are extreme hot weather episodes in today’s UK climate?

2025-06-18
In a study published in Weather, researchers estimated the current chances and characteristics of extreme hot episodes in the UK, and how they have changed over the last 6 decades. The team found that temperatures several degrees above those recorded during the UK’s heatwave in July 2022 are plausible in today’s climate, with a simulated maximum of over 45°C (113°F). The likelihood of 40°C (104°F) is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. Moreover, the chance of 40°C will likely ...

Tumor DNA analysis for every child in the Princess Máxima Center

2025-06-18
Readouts of the full DNA of children with cancer at diagnosis have been implemented as the standard of care in a European first. By determining a child's type of cancer as precisely as possible, the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology aims to offer each individual child the treatment most likely to work for them.   To determine the precise form of childhood cancer, the DNA in children’s tumor cells is analyzed at diagnosis. Since May, the Princess Máxima Center has started analyzing all children’s complete tumor DNA as standard of care, using a ...

To encourage scientific thinking, it is better to instruct than to reward

2025-06-18
People are generally very good at detecting cause-effect relationships. This ability helps us understand the world, learn, make decisions, and predict the future. In short, it helps us adapt and survive. In fact, we are so good at spotting causal patterns that sometimes we find connections that don't really exist. As a result, we fall into the so-called causal illusion, i.e., we mistakenly believe that one event causes another, when, in fact, both are unrelated. A typical example occurs in the field of health when we assume that a pseudoscientific treatment is effective (therefore, ...

Sevenfold boost in lifespan of anode-free all-solid-state batteries using MoS₂ thin films

2025-06-18
South Korean researchers have developed a technology that improves the lifespan of next-generation anode-free all-solid-state batteries (AFASSBs) by sevenfold using a cost-effective two-dimensional material. A collaborative team led by Dr. Ki-Seok An and Dr. Dong-Bum Seo of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), along with Prof. Sangbaek Park’s group at Chungnam National University, successfully enhanced the durability of AFASSBs by applying a molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) sacrificial layer grown via metal–organic chemical vapor deposition ...

Ancient groundwater records reveal regional vulnerabilities to climate change

2025-06-18
Woods Hole, Mass. (June 17, 2025) — During the last ice age, storms soaked the now-arid Southwestern U.S., while today’s rainy Pacific Northwest remained relatively dry. As global temperatures rose and ice sheets retreated, those storms shifted north—reshaping the climate patterns that define both regions today. New research published in Science Advances reveals that groundwater levels responded differently in the two regions during this dramatic shift. While the Pacific Northwest saw little change in water table depth despite increased rainfall, the Southwest experienced significant groundwater loss. The ...

New monstersaur species a ‘goblin prince’ among dinosaurs

2025-06-18
A newly discovered, raccoon-sized armored monstersaurian from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah, United States, reveals a surprising diversity of large lizards at the pinnacle of the age of dinosaurs. Named for the goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” the new species Bolg amondol also illuminates the sometimes-murky path that life traveled between ancient continents. “I opened this jar of bones labeled ‘lizard’ at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and was like, oh wow, there's a fragmentary skeleton here,” said lead author Hank Woolley ...

Father-daughter bonding helps female baboons live longer

2025-06-18
Besides humans, very few mammals receive care from their fathers. But when species do, it may benefit their children. New research from the University of Notre Dame found that the strength of early-life father-daughter relationships predicts meaningful differences in the survival of female baboons. Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study evaluated the impact father baboons may have when they choose to co-reside or interact with their daughters, even though baboon mothers provide all essential care. Until now, the consequences of early-life paternal relationships of offspring were mostly unknown. “Male baboons tend ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

The Lancet: Tens of thousands of children aged under five suffering acute malnutrition in Gaza, recent estimates suggest

Prostate testing may not target those most likely to benefit, warn experts

Global analysis shows hidden damage from men’s alcohol use

DRI recognizes Ashley Cornish as the 2025 Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award Winner for Women in Atmospheric Sciences

Unlocking the blueprint for a powerful plant-based drug

Bringing modern science to vitamin biology: Isha Jain wins NIH Transformative Research Award

University of Houston scientists learn that rare bacterium ‘plays dead’ to survive

Introduced animals change how island plants spread, new global study finds

Mayo Clinic researchers discover ‘traffic controller’ protein that protects DNA, and may help kill cancer cells

Protein sidekick exhibits dual roles in stress granule assembly and disassembly

New hope for MS

Kennesaw State professor receives grant to study cancer origins

Pain and antidepressant drug combo linked to increased seizure risk in older adults

Cancer researchers shape new strategies for immunotherapy

Physical exercise can ‘train’ the immune system

Calm red brocket deer can learn to "Come" and other commands - but the flightiest, most restless individuals struggle

China, the world's largest tea producer, is predicted to experience increases in land suitable for tea-growing under climate change, with the overall range shifting northwards, per AI modeling study

Composing crews for Mars missions

Early humans butchered elephants using small tools and made big tools from their bones

1,000-year-old gut microbiome revealed for young man who lived in pre-Hispanic Mexico

Bears and pandas in captivity develop significantly different gut microbiomes compared to their wild counterparts, and giant pandas in particular have less diverse microbiomes than their wild counterp

Prenatal and postnatal support apps might not work

Dancing dust devils trace raging winds on Mars

Raging winds on Mars

Real-time biopsies uncover hidden response to glioblastoma therapy

Repeated brain tumor sampling uncovers treatment response in patients with glioblastoma

Novel immunotherapy combination destroys colorectal liver metastases

Farmed totoaba could curb poaching

Avalanches: user-carried safety device increases survival time fivefold

It’s all in your head: Select neurons in the brainstem may hold the key to treating chronic pain

[Press-News.org] Many species are declining in the Wadden Sea, only a few are thriving