The Mazon Creek Lagerstätte (Moscovian Stage, late Carboniferous Period; Illinois, USA) captures a diverse view of ecosystems in delta-influenced coastal settings through exceptional preservation of soft tissues in siderite concretions. The generally accepted paradigm of the Mazon Creek biota has been that of an inferred paleoenvironmental divide between what have been termed the Braidwood and Essex assemblages, wherein the former represents a freshwater ecosystem with terrestrial input and the latter a marine-influenced prodelta setting with abundant cnidarians, bivalves, worm phyla, and diverse arthropods. Here, we revisit the paleoecology of the Mazon Creek biota by analyzing data from nearly 300,000 concretions from more than 270 locations with complementary multivariate ordinations. Our results show the Braidwood assemblage as a legitimate shoreward community and provide evidence for further subdivision of the Essex assemblage into two distinct subassemblages, termed here the Will-Essex and Kankakee-Essex. The Will-Essex represents a benthos dominated by clams and trace fossils along the transition between nearshore and offshore deposits. The Kankakee-Essex is dominated by cnidarians, presenting an ecosystem approaching the geographic margin of this taphonomic window. These new insights also allow a refined taphonomic model, wherein recalcitrant tissues of Braidwood organisms were subject to rapid burial rates, while organisms of the Essex assemblage typically had more labile tissues and were subject to slower burial rates. Consequently, we hypothesize that the Braidwood fossils should record more complete preservation than the Essex, which was exposed for longer periods of aerobic decomposition. This is supported by a higher proportion of non-fossiliferous concretions in the Essex than in the Braidwood.

Peloids are natural therapeutic muds or clays used in balneotherapy and other health treatments. The aim of this study is to prepare and qualify three artificial peloids by maturation for 360 days of some Tunisian smectitic clays with a naturally chlorinated sodic mineral water from a spring in Korbous, Tunisia. This was done to improve our understanding of the behaviour of these clays and the physicochemical changes that affect the clays during maturation, with the purpose of providing suitable raw materials as a solid phase for peloid preparation. The results showed that parameters such as mineralogy, geochemistry, granulometry, cation-exchange capacity, consistency parameters (Atterberg limits and plasticity index), specific surface area, cooling kinetics and pH are all affected by the geochemistry of the thermal water used during maturation. Mineralogical modifications mostly concern the clay minerals’ contents, particularly smectite, and subordinately the dissolution of gypsum and the neoformation of halite. The observed improvements to the plasticity index and cooling kinetics can be explained by the ability of water molecules, and especially cations, to diffuse into the clay particles. The main exchangeable cations are Na+ and Ca2+, along with Mg2+ and K+, which promote swelling and increase water retention and consequently retention of heat in thermal spa treatments. The chemical composition of the major elements is closely linked to the mineralogical compositions of the clays, and also to the chemical composition of the thermal water used in their maturation. The safety profiles of the peloids obtained at different maturation times were evaluated, particularly regarding their content of potentially toxic elements such as arsenic.

Predicting calving in glacier models is challenging, as observations of diverse calving styles appear to contradict a universal calving law. Here, we generalize and apply the analytical Horizontal Force-Balance fracture model from ice shelves to land- and marine-terminating glaciers. We consider different combinations of “crack configurations” including surface crevasses with or without meltwater above saltwater- or meltwater-filled basal crevasses. Our generalized crevasse-depth model analytically reveals that, in the absence of meltwater, the calving criterion depends on two dimensionless variables: buttressing B and dimensionless water level λ. Using a calving regime diagram, we quantitatively demonstrate that glaciers are generally more prone to calving with reduced buttressing B and lower water level λ. For a specified set of $B, \lambda$ and crack configuration, an analytical calving law can be derived. For example, the calving law for an ice shelf, land-, or marine-terminating glacier with a dry surface crevasse above a saltwater basal crevasse reduces to a state with no buttressing (B = 0). With climate warming, glaciers are expected to become more vulnerable to calving due to meltwater-driven surface and basal crevassing. Our findings provide a framework for understanding diverse calving styles.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on plastic pollution are United Nations member states who will convene for the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Geneva (INC5.2) 5-14 August, 2025 to negotiate a global plastics treaty. The Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (‘The Scientists’ Coalition’) is an international network of independent scientific and technical experts who have been contributing robust science to treaty negotiators since INC1 in 2022. The Scientists’ Coalition established a series of working groups following INC5.1 in Busan, Korea 25 November – 1 December 2024. Each working group has produced science-based responses to the selected articles of ‘the Chair’s text’ (the latest version of the draft global plastics treaty text). This Letter to the Editor summarises those responses.

Coral reefs have been rapidly deteriorating, worldwide, due to global warming, ocean acidification, bleaching, diseases, and various local anthropogenic stressors, such as coastal development, habitat destruction, overfishing and eutrophication, all of which have significantly impacted the metabolic functions of corals and other marine organisms. Global warming has been identified as the main culprit in the decline of coral reefs. In response, we assessed the metabolic responses of one of the most iconic Caribbean corals to elevated temperatures. Accordingly, the proteomic profile of Acropora palmata was investigated during the cool dry and hot wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 in Puerto Rico using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) and mass spectrometry. The study revealed that the average number of differentially abundant proteoforms between seasons was 527 in the inner-shelf reef at Enrique and 1,115 in the mid-shelf reef at San Cristobal, both located on the insular shelf of southwestern Puerto Rico. Our results show significant changes in A. palmata’s proteome, inducing alterations in key metabolic, enzymatic, translational, and apoptotic processes, between the cool dry and hot wet seasons. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the variation in the expression of five candidate stress-related genes under different seasonal temperatures. The findings highlight key proteoforms whose abundance varied with temperature, offering insight into A. palmata’s metabolic capacity to acclimate and respond to seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Antarctica, which has always been of great interest to researchers worldwide, is currently attracting considerable attention owing to climate change and other topics. In this context, bibliometric analysis allows the identification of hot topics, scientific productivity, cooperation, research gaps and strategic areas of potential interest. We conducted a bibliometric study to evaluate the global production of Antarctic research between 1980 and 2023 and analysed Spanish National Antarctic Programme (NAP) production as a case study. Scientific publications were reviewed and classified based on their main themes, key word co-occurrence and international collaborations. We found that scientific production worldwide and in the Spanish NAP has progressively increased since 1980. Globally, the main areas of research are the geosciences, oceanography and atmospheric sciences. However, the Spanish NAP, which reported 2287 publications, has focused more on the geosciences and ecology. Spanish Antarctic researchers have mainly collaborated with researchers from the USA, the UK, Germany and Italy. Our research highlights the importance of strengthening research plans to diversify and facilitate international collaboration, promoting a more interdisciplinary approach to address the current and future challenges identified by the scientific community. In this context, specific opportunities for developing a Spanish NAP strategic plan are discussed.

From December 2023 to November 2024, regular surveys were conducted to document finfish bycatch in the trawl fishery landing at Veraval Fishing Harbour, northeastern coast of the Arabian Sea. As an outcome of this exploration, three male specimens of Callionymus gardineri and five (four males and one female) specimens of C. omanensis were collected. Both species were recorded for the first time from the north-western Arabian Sea, coastal waters of India, accompanied by a new maximum length record for C. omanensis (Lmax = 122.1 mm standard length). Callionymus omanensis was originally described based on a single male specimen, whereas the description of female C. omanensis was interpreted. While the exact justification for their distribution in this new locality remains unknown, both dragonet species likely moved eastwards from their native habitats along the western Arabian Sea coast. This strongly suggests a significant research gap in our understanding of low-value deep-sea trawl bycatch, necessitating further exploration to improve biodiversity assessments. Herein, the detailed meristic counts and morphometric measurements are compared, and updated distributional information is collated.

Ostracoderms, Paleozoic jawless stem-gnathostomes, are characterized by distinctive bony shields covering the front of their bodies. These headshields exhibit significant variations in morphology across species, boasting frontal, lateral, and dorsal processes. Ostracoderms represent pivotal intermediaries between modern jawless and jawed vertebrates, so understanding their biology and ecology is crucial for unraveling the selective pressures that shaped the early evolution and diversification of jawed vertebrates, which now dominate vertebrate diversity. This study employs virtual paleontology techniques and phylogenetic comparative methods to explore the hydrodynamic and ecological implications of these processes, focusing on pteraspidomorphs, the most diverse ostracoderm group. The analysis reveals widespread convergence in the arrangement and development of headshield processes. Lateral processes enhance hydrodynamic efficiency and generate lift, while combined lateral and dorsal processes provide stability in rolling, yawing, and pitching. Frontal processes reduce drag in many cases. These findings illuminate the enigmatic roles of ostracoderm headshields, showing how the dimensions and arrangement of their processes are biomechanically linked to a range of functions and ecological roles. Collectively, this highlights the intricate evolutionary pathways of lifestyles and ecologies within stem-gnathostomes, challenging the idea of a unidirectional trend toward more active lifestyles in vertebrate evolution and suggesting diverse ecological roles for ostracoderms.

Plastic pollution, once seen mainly as an ocean issue, is now understood as a threat across the entire life cycle of plastics – impacting climate, biodiversity and human health. Scientific evidence shows that every stage, from fossil fuel extraction to use to waste (mis)management, harms the environment and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, violating basic human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, information and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The proposed Global Plastics Treaty should explicitly integrate human rights to strengthen its effectiveness. Doing so would align it with existing international agreements, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement, reinforcing obligations to protect people from pollution. Hazardous chemicals in plastics, often hidden or underreported by industry, pose direct and indirect threats to human health and well-being. Recognizing the right to science and access to information is key for public participation and accountability. Many countries, including regional blocs and alliances, support a rights-based approach for the Global Plastics Treaty. Human rights can be embedded in all parts of the treaty, from its preamble to implementation mechanisms. This integration not only enhances environmental protection but also ensures social justice. Without such an approach, governments risk future legal challenges for failing to protect citizens from the harms of plastic pollution.

This study examines how human activities influenced soil development at two contrasting Arctic sites: Maiva, a 19th-century farmstead, and Snuvrejohka, a seasonal Sámi reindeer herding settlement in the Lake Torneträsk region, northern Sweden. Using geochemical and geophysical soil analyses, we explore the spatial distribution and vertical development of anthropogenic signals in the soil. At Maiva, prolonged agricultural use and earthworm bioturbation have led to extensive soil mixing and altered soil horizons, resulting in elevated phosphate, lead, and organic matter concentrations in Ap and Ah horizons. In contrast, Snuvrejohka displays more stratified profiles with localized chemical enrichment around hearths, primarily within E horizons. These results highlight how different land-use practices leave distinct geochemical fingerprints in Arctic soils and emphasize the need for sampling strategies adapted to site-specific soil formation processes. Our findings demonstrate that even short-term or seasonal human activities can leave distinct and detectable signatures in Arctic soils. Through an integrated approach combining soil science, geoarchaeological methods, and historical data, this study provides new insights into the reconstruction of past land-use practices and highlights the vulnerability of archaeological soil records in Arctic environments facing rapid climate-driven change.

Obtaining high-resolution, autonomous and continuous measurements of internal and interfacial convection at the ice–ocean interface is important to understand sea-ice desalination, compare the effects of gravity drainage and salt segregation, and give insight into the behaviour of the sublayer beneath the ice. We present the first digital image processing method that can be applied to Schlieren images from a quasi-2D Hele-Shaw cell to provide continuous high-frequency measurements of fingers and streamers, which are linked to interfacial and internal convection, respectively. Previous studies lack the ability to provide a temporal evolution of this dynamic system at a high enough resolution to investigate these interactions. The improved algorithm confirms previous results, while providing a more detailed and statistically acceptable description of the processes during artificial sea-ice growth. We demonstrate that internal convection exhibits a highly variable behaviour that changes in time. As the ice growth rate decreases to its minimum value, internal convection becomes periodically inactive while interfacial convection remains active throughout the experiments. This temporal change suggests a dominant, shorter time-period for gravity drainage to occur and a longer time-period over which salt segregation occurs, while the oscillation in expulsion behaviour suggests that the sublayer is more turbulent than diffusive.

The new mineral barronite (IMA 2024-053), (□1.5Ba0.5)2(UO2)2Si5O12(OH)·2H2O, was found in the material from the Menzenschwand uranium deposit, Black Forest Mts., Germany, where it occurs as globular/acicular aggregates, consisting of long-prismatic crystals, up to 0.3 mm in length, in baryte and quartz-based gangue. Barronite is not associated with any other supergene minerals. Crystals are pale yellow with a colourless to pale yellow streak. Nevertheless, some of the crystals have a brown-orange tint, caused by Fe–Si-gels. The tenacity is brittle, the Mohs hardness is 1–2. The mineral has distinct cleavage on {100}; the fracture is uneven. Barronite is biaxial (+), with α = 1.599(2), β = 1.607(2), γ = 1.617(3); and 2V (meas.) = 86°. Optical orientation is X = b, Y ˄ a ≈ 3° in the obtuse angle β. Dispersion is distinct r>v. Pleochroism is distinct in hues of pale yellow, X<Y<Z. Electron microprobe analyses provided (based on 19 O atoms) (□1.369Ba0.345K0.165Ca0.086Pb0.024Fe0.011)Σ2.000(U0.996O2)2Si4.989O12(OH)·2H2O. Barronite is monoclinic, C2/m, a = 14.2115(11) Å, b = 14.0169(19) Å, c = 9.6545(8) Å, β = 111.59(6)°, with V = 1788.2(8) Å3 (Z = 4), refined from the corrected 3D ED data at 94K. The crystal structure refinement (R1 = 0.0791 for 6596 [I > 3σ(I)] reflections) refined from the 3D ED data confirmed that barronite has the same structural architecture as weeksite; however, it contains less H2O in the channels of the uranyl-silicate framework structure.

This study investigates two clayey facies from the Bomkoul area in the littoral region of Cameroon for their suitability as fired clay building products. The field study consisted of a geological survey and a geotechnical mission (G0). Assessment of the raw clayey materials included their mineralogy, particle size, determination of Atterberg limits, density and shear stress. Firing properties (shrinkage, water absorption and flexural strength) at 900−1100°C were also determined. The two main facies observed in the field are the mottled red/yellow grey clays from surface ‘A’ with a thickness of 2.0–2.5 m and the deep blackish fossiliferous schisteous grey clays ‘B’ with a thickness of 8−10 m. Estimation based on boreholes revealed a minimum of 1,400,000 tons of clayey materials. These reserves will supply a small brick-manufacturing unit for a minimum period of 25 years at an extraction rate of 50,000 tons per year. The main clay minerals of both samples are kaolinite (35% and 49%) and illite (1–11%). Both samples contain quartz (47% and 49%) as non-clay minerals, associated with a small amount of anatase (0.5–2.6%) and trace hematite (<1%). The major oxides are SiO2 (71–76%) and Al2O3 (14%). The raw clayey material ‘A’ was finer and more plastic than the ‘B’ facies. The technological properties of the fired bricks obtained from the ‘A’ facies showed greater potential than the ‘B’ facies in terms of sonority and flexural strength. A mixture made of 40% ‘A’ and 60% ‘B’ yielded satisfactory brick properties at 1050°C.