UNIVERSE OF NATURE – Wildlife, Science & Space Facts.

Introduction: More Than Just a Racing Legend The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah stand as one of Earth's most surreal natural landscapes: a blindingly white, almost perfectly flat expanse of salt stretching across roughly 40 square miles. Famous worldwide as the site of land-speed records since 1914, this dazzling playa has appeared in countless films, photoshoots, and dreams of adventurers. For generations, the common belief was simple: the thick salt crust was the evaporated legacy of massive prehistoric Lake Bonneville , which covered much of the Great Basin during the last Ice Age and disappeared around 13,000–15,000 years ago. That long-held assumption has been completely overturned. Here Are the Stunning Aerial Views of the Salt Flats Here are breathtaking aerial perspectives that capture the vastness and otherworldly beauty of the Bonneville Salt Flats: These images show the endless white horizon under vast skies — a view that feels almost alien. T...

Sea urchins, particularly species in the Diadema genus, play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. These spiny creatures are key herbivores that graze on algae, preventing it from overgrowing and smothering coral reefs. Without them, reefs can shift from vibrant coral-dominated systems to barren, algae-choked landscapes. In recent years, a devastating pandemic has been silently sweeping through sea urchin populations across the globe. Starting in 2022, mass mortality events have decimated Diadema species in regions as diverse as the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Canary Islands. Scientists describe it as a "silent ocean pandemic" because it unfolds beneath the waves, largely unseen until populations collapse. What is Happening to Sea Urchins? The affected sea urchins exhibit clear and heartbreaking symptoms. Infected individuals become lethargic, moving abnormally or not at all. They lose responsiveness to ...

Far below the ocean’s surface, beyond the reach of sunlight, rise enormous underwater mountains known as seamounts . These hidden geological giants are among the most mysterious and biologically rich places on Earth. Often invisible from land and unknown to most people, seamounts act as natural gathering points for marine life. At the top of the food chain in these places, sharks dominate, earning seamounts the nickname: underwater mountains ruled by sharks . This evergreen guide explains what underwater mountains are, how they form, why sharks gather around them, and why protecting these unique ocean ecosystems is critical for the future of our seas. What Are Underwater Mountains? Underwater mountains, scientifically called seamounts , are large geological formations that rise from the ocean floor but do not reach the surface. Most seamounts are created by volcanic activity, forming over millions of years ...

Summary: A new 2025 study of 200-million-year-old marine fossils proves that the end-Triassic mass extinction (201.6 million years ago) permanently reshaped ocean ecosystems. Many ecological roles once played by ancient groups have never been replaced. At the same time, museum-quality specimens of these “lost world” creatures are hitting the auction market with prices ranging from $500 to over $450,000 USD. Is 2025 the right time to buy or sell? The Last Mass Extinction That Changed the Oceans Forever The end-Triassic mass extinction, one of the “Big Five” mass extinctions in Earth’s history, wiped out approximately 76% of all marine species. Triggered by massive volcanic activity from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), it released enormous amounts of CO₂, causing rapid global warming, ocean acidification, and anoxia (oxygen depletion). A groundbreaking study published in Nature Geoscience (February 2025) analyzed more...

Sentinel-6B: A New Chapter in Ocean Monitoring On 17 November 2025, the Copernicus Sentinel-6B satellite successfully launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite will extend the long-term global sea-level dataset that began in the early 1990s, offering scientists unparalleled insights into the pace and patterns of rising oceans. The Importance of Sentinel-6B Sentinel-6B is part of the Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 mission, a partnership between ESA, NASA, EUMETSAT, NOAA, and CNES. Its mission is to maintain continuity in high-precision sea-surface height measurements, ensuring that climate scientists can distinguish long-term sea-level trends from short-term natural variations. Advanced Technology for High-Accuracy Measurements Poseidon-4 Radar Altimeter: Measures sea-surface height with centimetre-level precision. ...

Unveiling the “Death Ball”: A Deep-Sea Mystery from the Abyss The ocean depths have always been a place of mystery — an uncharted world filled with bizarre life forms adapted to eternal darkness, crushing pressure, and extreme scarcity of food. Recently, researchers have reported an astonishing discovery that has both baffled and intrigued marine scientists worldwide — a strange, spherical, predatory organism now nicknamed the “Death Ball.” This unusual creature, first recorded by remote-operated submersibles near the Mariana Trench, seems to represent a new branch of deep-sea predation. Its exact biological classification remains uncertain, but early analyses suggest it belongs to a lineage of gelatinous carnivores similar to ctenophores or siphonophores — but with unique adaptations that defy known marine taxonomy. The Discovery: Cameras Capture the Predator in Motion In 2024, a team of oceanographers from the University of Hawaii and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science a...

The world’s oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface, yet what happens beneath their surface remains one of the least understood mysteries of science. The ocean is not a static body of water; it’s a living, breathing system of motion, chemistry, and energy exchange that shapes the very climate we live in. Recent research reveals that there are seven fundamental principles — or "hidden laws" — that govern the way oceans function and how they interact with the atmosphere. These principles influence everything from storm formation to carbon absorption, and even the survival of entire ecosystems. 1. The Law of Thermohaline Circulation The first and most powerful law of the ocean’s behavior is the Thermohaline Circulation — often called the “global conveyor belt.” Driven by differences in temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline), this vast network of underwater currents distributes heat across the planet. Warm wat...

California’s Coast Is Moving: The Hidden Forces Beneath the Surface California’s famous coastline — stretching from San Diego’s sunny beaches to the rugged cliffs of Mendocino — is not as stable as it seems. A groundbreaking study by researchers from Stanford University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reveals that large portions of the California coast are sinking or rising due to changes in underground water storage. The findings provide new insights into how the state’s fragile coastal landscape is responding to both human activity and natural forces. The Science Behind the Movement Using satellite radar data (InSAR) collected over the past two decades, scientists measured millimeter-scale changes in the Earth’s surface elevation. They discovered that some regions along the coast have been subsiding by up to 3 millimeters per year , while others are experiencing uplift due to recharging groundwater basins. This movement is primarily linked to the pumping and replenishi...

Marine Wildlife on the Move: Australia’s Oceans Face an Uncharted Future Climate change is reshaping our planet’s oceans in ways once thought unlikely. New research shows that Australia’s marine ecosystems are poised to cross thresholds of heat, acidification, and oxygen loss—entering “uncharted territory” by 2040.  The Rising Heat of Australia’s Seas The study warns that even under modest emissions reductions, the average year after 2040 will be more extreme than the worst years experienced up to 2015. Marine life is already responding: species are migrating polewards in search of cooler habitats, with an average shift of 59 km per decade, and in some cases faster.  Triple Threat: Warming, Acidification & Oxygen Loss Marine ecosystems are under pressure from a trio of stressors: rising temperatures, increased acidity, and decreasing oxygen levels. Combined, these changes intensify the threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience...

New research reveals that glaciers possess a surprising ability to temporarily cool the air around them, creating a localized buffer against global warming. This self-cooling mechanism, driven by katabatic winds, has been observed to reach its peak and is expected to change dramatically over the next two decades. As glaciers continue to lose mass, scientists warn that their capacity for cooling will diminish—leading to faster warming and accelerated melting. The Hidden Mechanism Behind Glacier Self-Cooling Glaciers are not just frozen reservoirs of water—they are dynamic systems that interact continuously with the atmosphere. According to a recent study by researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and National Geographic researchers, katabatic winds—dense, cold air descending from glacier surfaces—help stabilize local temperatures by displacing warmer air masses. This natural process can slow regional warming, buying time before irreversible melti...

The Sound of Shifting Ice In the stillness of the polar night, the sound of ice breaking is more than a physical event — it is a signal. Glaciers, once immovable giants, are retreating. The seas and oceans, ancient guardians of our planet’s climate balance, are warming and rising. What was once feared in myths and legends is now unfolding before our eyes: the slow unravelling of frozen frontiers. For centuries, humanity feared the unknown depths of the oceans. Now, we fear what is emerging from their changing surfaces — rising tides, unpredictable storms, and the silent loss of ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. The Retreat of Giants: Why Glaciers Matter Glaciers store about 69% of the world’s freshwater. As they melt, they don’t just disappear — they flow into the seas, altering ocean levels and temperatures. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), glaciers are retre...

Deep beneath the shimmering blue surface of the ocean lies a deadly secret — vast pockets of water so salty and oxygen-starved that no fish, coral, or typical marine organism can survive. These strange formations, known as hypersaline deep-sea pools , have recently been discovered in several parts of the world’s oceans. Scientists say they are among the most extreme environments ever recorded on Earth, providing unique clues to the planet’s earliest life. The Discovery of Hypersaline Basins In a groundbreaking expedition, researchers used advanced underwater vehicles to explore deep-sea regions where sunlight never penetrates. At depths exceeding 1,000 meters, they found dense, salt-saturated basins lying quietly at the bottom of the ocean. These so-called “death zones” are so saline that water within them doesn’t mix with the surrounding seawater. This creates an isolated, stable environment, cut off from the rest of the ocean for thousands — sometimes millions — o...

🌊 When the Ocean’s Carbon Conveyor Stalls The ocean is Earth’s most powerful ally against climate change, absorbing nearly one-quarter of the carbon dioxide released by human activities. It acts as a “carbon conveyor belt,” transferring carbon from the atmosphere to the deep sea, where it can be stored for centuries or even millennia. But what happens when this conveyor belt slows down—or stops altogether? According to a groundbreaking study focused on two major marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska , these extreme temperature events can disrupt this critical process. The heatwaves altered plankton communities, causing carbon to accumulate near the surface rather than sinking into the depths. This weakens the ocean’s natural carbon storage capacity and creates dangerous climate feedback loops. 🔥 Understanding Marine Heatwaves Marine heatwaves are periods of unusually high ocean temperatures lasti...

🌍 The Ocean Crisis We Can’t Ignore Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in seas and oceans, suffocating marine life and poisoning delicate ecosystems. Recent data reveals a shocking 84% increase in the export of plastic waste from the United Kingdom to developing nations. Most of this waste is sent to Malaysia and Indonesia , countries that already struggle to manage their own waste. Environmental activists have called this trend “ unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism ,” warning that dumping plastic overseas does not solve the global pollution problem — it only moves it out of sight. 🚢 Where the Waste Goes — And Why It Matters When plastic waste is exported, it often ends up in open dumps, rivers, or illegal landfills. In Malaysia and Indonesia, limited waste management infrastructure means a large portion of imported plastic ends up in waterways, eventually flowing into...