Sea Turtles Reveal Hidden Seagrass Meadows for Better Marine Conservation
Seagrass meadows, which serve as critical marine ecosystems, have been mapped more accurately using satellite-tagged green turtles compared to conventional satellite imagery, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. These underwater habitats are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and stabilising seabeds. However, their mapping has remained a challenge due to technological limitations. The research was conducted in the Red Sea, an area with limited seagrass data, as reported by marine ecologists from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
Tracking Green Turtles to Locate Seagrass
The study involved the tagging of 53 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) on Saudi Arabian beaches in the Red Sea. Led by Dr. Hugo Mann, marine ecologist at KAUST, the researchers equipped the turtles with satellite transmitters after their nesting cycles to avoid disruptions.
The devices transmitted location data whenever the turtles surfaced for air, revealing consistent movement patterns over specific sites. These areas were identified as seagrass meadows, with 34 previously unrecorded patches being discovered.
Validation efforts confirmed seagrass in all visited locations identified by turtles, while only 40% of sites flagged by the Allen Coral Atlas, a remote sensing tool, were verified. As stated by Carlos Duarte, a senior marine ecologist at KAUST, the findings highlight the limitations of existing mapping techniques for underwater habitats.
Environmental and Conservation Implications
Seagrass meadows contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, storing up to 4 teragrams of carbon, the study estimated. Dr. Mann emphasised the necessity of identifying these ecosystems to enhance conservation strategies. Seagrass is increasingly threatened by human activities, making accurate mapping crucial for its protection.
Dr. Jennifer Dijkstra, a marine ecologist at the University of New Hampshire, noted in the study’s findings that animal tracking could improve artificial intelligence-based mapping, offering a potential global solution for resource-constrained regions.
The researchers hope the method will lead to large-scale surveys, aiding efforts to conserve both seagrass habitats and the green turtles that depend on them.
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Dragon Man, a long-buried skull discovered in China’s Harbin, has been found to have its roots in the Denisovans, an elusive ancient human group identified in 2010. It was found by a labourer in the year 2010 and deliberately hidden in the well, and was later recovered in 2018. Its preservation led to the DNA and proteins to provide more insights into the ancient human species link of this skull. It is the most complete fossil of a Denisovan ever found, which dates back to approximately 146,000 years.
Hidden in Plain Sight
The skull was found hidden in a well by the labourer who discovered it during Japanese-occupied bridge construction. It remained there until he died in 2018, and later his family handed it over to Hebei GEO University. The preservation of the cranium led the scientists to analyse its proteins and DNA in the dental plaque, which overcame the previous challenges of extracting the genetic material.
Proteins and Plaque Reveal Origins
The DNA and proteins were analysed from dental calculus and petrous bone, respectively. Both sources matched the Denisovan specimens from Tibet, Taiwan and Siberia. These coinciding pieces of evidence confirmed that the Dragon Man is from the Denisovan lineage, marking a near-complete skull for this ancient human group.
A Denisovan Face at Last
Through its massive brow ridge, large brain and wide eye sockets, comparable to both modern humans and Neanderthals, Dragon Man has given Denisovans something that was impossible in the past because of the scarce fossil record found. The skull belonged to a robust male geographically adapted to colder climates. This gives an idea of Denisovan presence across the vast swaths of Asia at the time of the Middle Pleistocene.
Evolutionary Impact and Future Questions
Through this discovery, the critical gap in knowing human evolution in Asia is now occupied. It also proved that Denisovans were powerful physically and not just a distant lineage. Still some researchers wants to be more prcised in analysing the specific classification of whether Homo longi or broad Denisovan framework.
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Scientists have found the largest comet from the Oort Cloud, a covering of icy bodies at the edge of the solar system, releasing chemical activity. With the help of the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, the team of scientists found this comet, which is located halfway between Neptune and the Sun. This is the second most distant comet, which originated from the Oort Cloud and was found to have chemical outbursts of gases. The observations are the first direct evidence of what leads to the cometary activity when ice bodies are located far from the Sun.
Chemically Active Comet
As per NASA, the comet named C/2014 UN271 was observed during March 2025, with the help of ALMA. It was reported to be at a distance of 137 km from the solar solar system and around 10 times larger than the size of an average comet. This is also named Bernardinelli-Bernstein and found to have exploding jets of gas, mainly carbon monoxide.
How Could It be Spotted
C/2014 UN271 is reported to be the second-most distant comet originating from the Oort Cloud, which is an outburst of gas. ALMA could see it despite being far from the Sun through carbon monoxide and thermal emissions. The sensitivity of this instrument is made of an array of 66 radio antennas placed in the Atacama desert region in Chile led the scientists to know the size of the nucleus core of this comet.
What Will Happen to It
The clear picture was painted when outgassing of C/2014 UN271 was observed through ALMA. This helped the scientists in identifying the rare look at icy bodies’ chemistry from the very periphery of the solar system. It is reaching the Sun, and as it happens, it will start to heat up, and the frozen material inside will turn into a gaseous state, further erupting from the icy shell.
Future Scope of the Observation
Comets are predicted to be made of unspoiled remaining material from the formation of the solar system around 4.6 billion years ago. This could let the scientists know about the formation of the Earth and other planets.
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