Will Notley, Author provided Bryce Stewart, University of York and Roland Kröger, University of York Shellfish such as scallops, mussels and oysters – bivalve molluscs – readily take up tiny specs of metals into their tissues and shells. In sufficient concentrations this can harm their growth and survival chances, and even threaten the health of any human who eats their …

P. poncetii in South Georgia. Gemma Clucas Jane Younger, University of Bath When you think of scientists discovering new species, you might imagine searching the Amazon rainforest for new types of insect or the depths of the ocean for undiscovered crustaceans. But these days most new species we discover are found hiding in plain sight. Such “hidden” species can look …

Doug Specht, University of Westminster and Monika Halkort, Lebanese American University In moments of crisis we often turn to data in an attempt to both understand the situation we are in, and to look for answers of how to escape. In response to COVID-19, governments around the world have employed algorithms, used data from apps installed on our phones, alongside …