environmental scientists

Researchers at UT San Antonio's Health Science Center report elevated levels of toxicants in the baby teeth of children with autism. The findings, announced by the university, add to research into environmental exposures during early development and may help scientists better understand factors associated with the condition. Details of the study's methods and scope have not yet been widely reported.

Commenters are pointing out that the scientists, administrators, inspectors, attorneys and maintenance staff who once made US environmental and public health standards among the world's best are still in the workforce. The observation, shared in science-focused discussions, suggests the expertise that built those protections has not disappeared, and that declining conditions are a matter of policy and resourcing rather than a loss of capable people.

Rock formations on Mars that resemble coral reef structures are being studied for clues about the planet's ancient climate. The layered deposits suggest Mars may once have had conditions capable of supporting liquid water over long periods, reshaping scientists' understanding of its environmental history and its potential past habitability.

Scientists have announced a way to quantify the damage that each new coal, gas or oil project would cause to people and nature. The approach is presented as a breakthrough because it allows the health, environmental and climate costs of individual fossil fuel developments to be measured directly rather than estimated in aggregate, potentially informing permitting decisions, environmental assessments and public debates over new extraction projects worldwide.

Coverage is examining how ocean conditions expected during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season affect coral reef ecosystems. The reporting focuses on the relationship between storm activity, sea temperatures and reef health, an issue of concern for coastal communities and marine scientists as the next hurricane season approaches.

A new discussion of epigenetics is reviving the classic nature-versus-nurture argument about whether genes or environment shape who we are. The piece argues that the epigenome, the system of chemical marks that switches genes on and off, shows the two forces are intertwined rather than opposed. Environmental factors such as stress, diet and pollution can leave heritable marks on DNA, complicating older genetic determinism. The debate continues to fascinate scientists and the public alike.

Scientists have extracted an ancient coral core from Olowalu Reef on Maui, Hawaii, capturing roughly 250 years of environmental history. The core's chemical makeup records shifts in ocean temperature, rainfall and land-use practices, offering a long-term baseline of how runoff and climate change have affected the reef. Researchers say it will help guide restoration and conservation of Hawaiian reefs.

Scientists surveying a vast deep-sea mining zone have found that almost all the viruses discovered there were previously unknown to science. The finding highlights how little is known about life in remote ocean depths, and it is drawing attention because the same region is targeted for seabed mining, raising questions about the environmental risks of disturbing ecosystems that have barely been studied.