347th ESA Council: Media information session
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Looking somewhat like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image released on June 12, 2026, features the galaxy cluster MACS0329-0211. Galaxy clusters like MACS0329-0211 are important signposts in the story of how the structure of the universe evolved, and are the ultimate telescopic lenses, placing gravitationally lensed galaxies from the […]
Hubble Sees Swarm of Galaxies - NASA
Looking somewhat like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image released on June 12, 2026, features the galaxyHQ Web Team (NASA)
Ariane 6 launches with more powerful boosters: a new record for Europe
First Ariane 6 liftoff with most powerful boosters
The European Space Agency Council has approved the appointment of two new directors: Christine Klein as Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement, and Jean-Luc Trullemans as Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs.
Welcome to ESA Impact, your interactive gateway to the most captivating stories and stunning visuals from the European Space Agency, now in a mobile-friendly format. Just scroll down through it to see – and read about – our selection!
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express has captured part of Mars’s Mamers Valles: a fascinating valley system speckled with brief, tornado-like whirlwinds known as dust devils.
Drought and water releases drained the Arizona reservoir to levels that have led to widespread fish deaths.
One well-done gas giant, coming right up! That’s the latest from researchers analyzing NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s observations of HD 80606 b, an exoplanet four times the mass of Jupiter with an extremely elliptical orbit that sweeps close by its Sun-like star. The research team is presenting their study and preliminary findings Tuesday at […]
Description NASA astronaut Jessica Meir inspects optical fibers while installing hardware updates to the agency’s Cold Atom Lab, or CAL, aboard the International Space Station on May 8, 2026. About the size of a minifridge and operated from Earth, CAL chills atoms to temperatures below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 273.15 degrees Celsius), so close […]
Researchers using two of humanity’s most powerful observatories — NASA’s James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes — have definitively shown that Terzan 5 is not a globular star cluster as it was once classified, offering new insight into how galaxies like our own form and evolve over time. A globular star cluster typically has only […]
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have switched on NASA’s newly upgraded Cold Atom Lab, a one-of-a-kind facility designed to improve how scientists explore the fundamental workings of matter and develop new quantum technologies. By leveraging the unique environment of microgravity in space, the lab can accomplish cutting-edge science impossible to do anywhere else. Quantum […]
Researchers have confirmed a new class of objects within our Milky Way galaxy: survivors called 'bulge fossil fragments.' Terzan 5 is the prototype of these remnants of our galaxy's early formation.
The Transient Artifact and Continuous Learning System (TACLS) leverages data from continuously operating satellite networks coupled with machine learning models to help meteorologists at the National Weather Service forecast flash floods more efficiently.
NASA Uses Machine Learning to Enhance Flash Flood Warnings - NASA Science
The Transient Artifact and Continuous Learning System (TACLS) leverages data from continuously operating satellite networks coupled with machine learning models to help meteorologists at the National Weather Service forecast flash floods more efficie…Julie Stoltz (NASA Science)
NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) assists in the use of crowdsourcing across the federal government. CoECI’s NASA Tournament Lab offers the contract capability to run external crowdsourced challenges on behalf of NASA and other agencies. Sponsored by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division of the U.S. Department of […]
The aurora australis arcs over Earth during an active solar event in this photograph taken on June 5, 2026, from the International Space Station as it orbited 271 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Perth, Australia. Auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between […]
The Nebraska Sandhills—the largest system of sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere—stretch across about one-quarter of the state.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites the public to its campus at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California for an open-house event, Explore JPL. On Oct. 10 and 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT, visitors will get the chance to visit JPL’s most iconic facilities and explore four thematic areas: Missions That Changed the World, Moon to Mars, In […]
Explore JPL to Take Place Oct. 10, 11 - NASA
Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites the public to its campus at theStephen Carney (NASA)
The aftermath of a supernova, a stellar explosion, is usually a slowly fading cloud of hot gas. So when astronomers pointed NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the nearby galaxy Messier 83 (M83), they did not expect to find a population of supernova remnants, or the debris from these explosions, showing dramatic changes in their brightness. […]
NASA's Chandra Finds Unexpected Fireworks in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions - NASA Science
Over a 14-year period from 2000 to 2014, astronomers pointed NASA’s X-ray observatory at the M83 galaxy. They discovered that about half of the X-ray sourceslamohon (NASA Science)
Students in New Jersey will hear from NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir as they answer prerecorded STEM questions while aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12:05 p.m. EDT, Thursday, June 18, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel. This event is hosted by Newton Public Schools […]
Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. Biological and materials samples, along with tested hardware, are heading back to research teams on Earth for further analysis, advancing NASA’s […]
Voices Shaping the Future of Space Members of the public are invited to join some of NASA’s brightest minds as they discuss agency missions and current topics in aerospace technology, science, and innovation. Each event will feature NASA experts, and the series will cover a range of topics including our search for life within the […]
NASA astronaut Anil Menon will be available for limited media interviews beginning at 9 a.m. EDT Monday, June 22, to discuss his upcoming mission to the International Space Station as part of Expeditions 74/75. The virtual interviews will take place from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, and will stream live on […]
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this picture of downtown San Francisco and nearby communities on May 27, 2026. The image captures two of the region’s iconic bridges. The Golden Gate Bridge connects the northern San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County to the north, while the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge spans the bay toward […]
San Francisco's Patchwork Streets - NASA
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this picture of downtown San Francisco and nearby communities on May 27, 2026. The imageHQ Web Team (NASA)
Are you ready for a new view of the universe? The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal distant worlds, dark energy, and the structure of the cosmos, and we want you to be a part of it! Digital creators and social media users are invited to register to our NASA Social for the Nancy […]
Buoyant volcanic rock fragments from an underwater eruption drifted across the Bismarck Sea and choked island coasts.
Watch live: bigger booster, more powerful Ariane 6 launch
Pacific warming signals El Niño has stirred
Many AUR packages have been compromised - forum.tromjaro.com/t/many-aur-…
We explain how to check if you were infected.
#aur #aurexploit #linux #xfce #tromjaro #manjaro #foss #opensource #atomicarch
Many AUR packages have been compromised
You can read the entire thing here - Over 400 Arch Linux AUR Packages Hijacked to Deploy Infostealer and eBPF Rootkit But basically it seems that hundreds of AUR packages that were not maintained in a while got “updated” with a malicious code.TROMjaro Forum
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NASA and its international partners are set to receive scientific research samples and hardware as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 16, for its return to Earth. Watch NASA’s live undocking coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. EDT on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. […]
This March 20, 2026, image of Messier 64, or the Black Eye Galaxy, is a composite view from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. It shows Messier 64 captured at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths by Webb, while Hubble’s image shows the galaxy in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. Messier 64 is characterized […]
Looking somewhat like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy cluster MACS0329-0211.
Hubble Sees Swarm of Galaxies - NASA Science
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of MACS0329-0211 with its Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3.Andrea Gianopoulos (NASA Science)
Thank you Raza for becoming our new TROM supporter - tromsite.com/donate/
We should release new content for TROM very soon!
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Mission Control | Keeping Columbus Running 24/7 | ESA Explores #19
Earth from Space: Buenos Aires
The second generation of Galileo, Europe’s satellite navigation constellation, is being built. These satellites will feature reconfigurable payloads, provide more robust and reliable positioning, navigation and timing, enable new services and add new…
The city’s metro area has pushed westward since it last hosted World Cup matches in 1986, expanding across a landscape shaped by ancient volcanoes.
NASA is introducing a new funding opportunity to accelerate academic research and technology development. The Minority University Research and Education Project Space Technology Artemis Research (M‑STAR) application window opened Thursday and will remain open through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The research funded through this award supports the agency’s priorities for exploring the […]
Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of our galaxy. A paper describing these new findings published in The Astrophysical Journal. Supernova remnants are the expanding remains of exploded stars and provide elements – like iron, oxygen, and silicon – that […]
Listen to this audio excerpt from Elkin Norena, resident management officer, NASA’s Space Launch System Program: NASA’s Elkin Norena has helped the agency launch more than a dozen space shuttle missions – that’s more than a dozen crews to low Earth orbit and more than a dozen historic missions. They were missions that helped build […]
I Am Artemis: Elkin Norena - NASA
Listen to this audio excerpt from Elkin Norena, resident management officer, NASA's Space Launch System Program:Lee Mohon (NASA)
A new type of gamma-ray sensor developed by NASA will take part in a robotic arm demonstration on the agency’s upcoming Fly Foundational Robots mission.
A soccer ball floats in microgravity in this March 2, 2026, picture from the International Space Station. The space station crew tested soccer balls to study how internal mass affects motion and stability in microgravity. The findings have improved understanding of how embedded technologies, including match-ball sensors, can influence performance during play. Through research aboard […]
At NASA, remaining a global leader in exploration and innovation includes having a skilledand dedicated workforce. Technicians play a critical role in advancing the agency’sresearch and missions, applying hands-on expertise across engineering, fabrication,electronics, and countless other technical fields. To help cultivate the next generation of technical talent, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagementhosted Career Technical Education […]
Equipped with rock picks and hand lenses, a team of geoscientists deployed to the Mojave Desert recently to investigate a tantalizing “fingerprint” detected by a NASA sensor. Their target: a cache of topaz hiding in plain sight. The geologists weren’t searching for gem-grade treasure. Rather, the presence of topaz could hint at a more valuable […]
From strategic discussions on autonomy and resilience to an in-flight call with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, ESA's second day at ILA Berlin International Airshow 2026 highlighted the wide-reaching value of space for Europe now and in the future.
ILA Berlin 2026: in-flight call with ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot
NASA will host an audio-only media teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 17, to preview the Katalyst Space mission to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Katalyst’s robotic servicing spacecraft, called LINK, will attempt to rendezvous with Swift and raise its altitude, extending its science mission lifespan and advancing a key […]
Luca Parmitano, Artemis III pilot, in his flight suit.
Same rocket, new boost
ILA Berlin 2026: ESA Director General press conference
The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker, and its dedicated online platform, have been officially released at an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC.
The TEMPO mission helped scientists track morning nitrogen dioxide that contributed to afternoon ozone along the New York–Washington corridor in May 2026.
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Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, APXS Strategic Planner and Payload Uplink/Downlink Lead, University of New Brunswick, Canada Earth planning day: Friday, June 5th, 2026 In a very broad sense, Curiosity has two modes of doing science – one centred around a defined science campaign (such as the recent boxwork campaign) and the other as we move […]
NASA has selected multiple small businesses for the Western Regional Multiple Award Construction Contract, which supports a broad range of facility enhancement, modernization, and sustainment work at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and other federal agencies in the region. The contract provides general construction, […]
Abstracts are now being accepted for the session, which will take place at the 2027 AMS Annual Meeting.
The European Space Agency (ESA) inaugurated its participation at ILA Berlin International Airshow 2026 with a day rich in high-level meetings, public events and strategic milestones, highlighting Europe's determination to strengthen its role in space…
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Science Programme Committee has adopted the Arrakihs mission. Planned for launch by the end of 2030, Arrakihs will capture the faint light from nearby galaxy haloes.
As NASA plans long-term missions on the Moon, the agency could use robots to perform routine tasks, allowing crew members to dedicate more time to science and exploration. However, robotic motion control requires complex technology and advances in features like robotic decision-making and object recognition. These are the challenges a Boulder, Colorado-based robotics company is […]
The final booster motor segments for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help propel Artemis III astronauts on their journey to space shipped from Northrop Grumman’s Railyard Shipping Facility in Corinne, Utah on June 2. The eight booster motor segments are on their way to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where they […]
The complex puzzle known as little red dots has become more complete since their initial discovery by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. Now a particular little red dot’s spectrum is helping connect many of the pieces. A team of astronomers led by Vasily Kokorev at the University of Texas at Austin identified the […]
Landsat’s Jim Irons won the prestigious William T. Pecora Award. Irons, now an emeritus scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, played an integral role in shaping the Landsat program into what it is today.
During the 2025-2026 school year, educators from the NASA Science Activation Program’s GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) Mission Earth project participated in a specialized Community of Practice led by NASA Langley Research Center to refine how students interact with NASA’s land cover data (MODIS, Landsat, and Sentinel-2).
GLOBE Mission Earth Educators Participate in Land Cover Community of Practice - NASA Science
During the 2025-2026 school year, educators from the NASA Science Activation Program’s GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) Mission Earth project participated in a specialized Community of Practice led by NASA Langley Re…Julie Stoltz (NASA Science)
A compact, multifrequency radar built by a team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will make it easier to collect information about dynamic cloud systems. Called CloudCube, this new instrument simultaneously probes the atmosphere with three radar signals, spanning 36 to 240 GHz, for optimized sensitivity to a wide range of water droplet and ice particle sizes.
Ice splintered off the southern Patagonia glacier and drifted across a growing glacial lake.
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HomeCharacteristics The Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF) is a large, subsonic wind tunnel with a vertical test section for conducting flight dynamics research for stability, controllability, free-fall and aircraft spin, and spin recovery testing of atmospheric vehicles. Characteristics Flight Dynamics Flight Research Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities
Flight Dynamics Research Facility Characteristics
Flight Dynamics Research Facility Characteristics The Flight Dynamics Research Facility is a large, subsonic wind tunnel with a vertical test section for conducting flight dynamics research for stability, controllability, free-fall and aircraft spin,…Lillian Gipson (NASA)
NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik and Frank Rubio take a photo together on June 9, 2026. The four were announced as the Artemis III crew. NASA’s Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit will test integrated operations between the Orion spacecraft and one or […]
Artemis III NASA announcement highlights : Luca Parmitano assigned as pilot
Read this release in English here. La NASA dio el martes otro paso hacia una de las misiones tripuladas más complejas de la historia reciente al ofrecer nuevos detalles sobre Artemis III y anunciar a los cuatro miembros principales de la tripulación y a un suplente para este vuelo de prueba. En 2027, la misión […]
Luca Parmitano on Artemis III selection
Taking another step toward one of the most complex human spaceflight missions in recent history, NASA on Tuesday provided new Artemis III details and announced the four prime crew members and a backup for the test flight. The mission will undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the […]
NASA Marches Toward Artemis III Mission in 2027, Names Crew Members - NASA
Taking another step toward one of the most complex human spaceflight missions in recent history, NASA on Tuesday provided new Artemis III details andElizabeth Shaw (NASA)
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
NASA has announced the crew for the Artemis III mission, which includes ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot.
This article is for students grades 5-8. Mass distribution affects everything from galaxy shapes to aircraft design to planetary rotation. It’s used to map stars in our universe, figure out what planets are made of, and even to determine how luggage is loaded onto an airplane. Mass distribution can be a tricky thing to understand. […]
The Proba-3 mission’s Coronagraph spacecraft and its main scientific instrument, ASPIICS, are both at full health, ready to resume routine formation flying operations and deliver more breathtaking artificial eclipses.
For decades, economic growth and fossil-fuel consumption have been tightly intertwined. As cities have expanded, rising prosperity has often been accompanied by worsening air pollution.
Urban development, green spaces, and maritime activity converge in this Northern California city.
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, NASA is bringing space science and engineering to soccer fans worldwide. From June 11 to July 19, 2026, NASA will host an exhibit at FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston where visitors can learn how research aboard the International Space Station benefits life on Earth and experience missions in low Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond through the Artemis program. On June 11, as the FIFA World Cup begins, NASA’s exhibit […]
How NASA Science and Artemis Are Shaping the 2026 FIFA World Cup - NASA
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, NASA is bringing space science and engineering to soccer fans worldwide. From JuneSumer Loggins (NASA)
On June 5, 2026, NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, setting the stage for demonstrating its quiet supersonic capabilities later this year. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph). The flight lasted 81 minutes, with the team focusing on flying qualities at both […]
Supersonic! - NASA
On June 5, 2026, NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, setting the stage for demonstrating its quietHQ Web Team (NASA)
Description One of the three satellites that make up NASA’s INCUS (Investigation of Convective Updrafts) mission sits on a fixture at the facilities of Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. The satellite completed testing in preparation for launch in late May 2026. The mission will make the first space-based survey of the dynamics of tropical […]
Results from Artemis II’s science investigations will help support safe human exploration of deep space and provide a blueprint for how future missions will conduct science on the lunar surface as NASA builds a Moon Base and develops an enduring human presence there.
NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Research Continues on Earth - NASA Science
Since NASA’s Artemis II crew safely splashed down on April 10, science teams have been busy collecting data and combing through observations.Molly Wasser (NASA Science)
Once below a shallow sea, Jabal al Fāyah now stands above the desert in the United Arab Emirates as a reminder of a watery past and early human survival.
Under the theme 'Space4Future', the European Space Agency (ESA) will welcome visitors to the Space Pavilion at ILA Berlin International Airshow, Hall B, from 10 to 14 June.
The European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), hailing a new era of cooperation with the aim of advancing the use of Earth observation data and services for development and impact…
Recent Friendica issue following NodeBB Activitypub groups (categories)
I noticed a problem that arose recently (no more than three or four months ago).
In practice, when I try to follow a NodeBB Activitypub group (citiverse.it instance) from Friendica (poliverso.org instance), Friendica doesn't recognize the group as an Activitypub actor and gives me this error message.
I'm experiencing this problem with both old and new groups.
For example, with the group @Bluesky, which is a few months old, at the link citiverse.it/category/55, it's recognized, but I can't join it. When I try to join, I get this error message.
Exception thrown in /var/www/friendica/src/Module/Contact/Profile.php:197
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/friendica/src/BaseModule.php(251): Friendica\Module\Contact\Profile->content()
#1 /var/www/friendica/src/App.php(595): Friendica\BaseModule->run()
#2 /var/www/friendica/src/App.php(190): Friendica\App->runFrontend()
#3 /var/www/friendica/index.php(22): Friendica\App->processRequest()
#4 {main}
With a newly created group, for example, the @wordpress@citiverse.it group at the link citiverse.it/category/231, I can't even capture it with the search function; and if I try to insert the link, it only captures the RSS actor.
What do you think the problem might be?
NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft marked a major milestone Friday, June 5, when it flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, setting the stage for demonstrating its quiet supersonic capabilities later this year. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less took off and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reaching a top speed of approximately Mach 1.1 (713 mph) and altitude of 43,400 feet. The X-59’s flight began at 11:08 a.m. PDT and lasted 81 minutes, with the team focusing on flying qualities at both subsonic and then […]
NASA's X-59 Aircraft Flies Supersonic for First Time - NASA
NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft marked a major milestone Friday, June 5, when it flew faster than theJim Banke (NASA)
NASA announced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology project, Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm, as the first place winner for the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition, which challenges students to bridge gaps in aerospace technology by innovating new system concepts and prototypes. Another team from the same university won second place overall for their project, Mars Exploration Layered Infrastructure for Operations, Research, and Advancement, while Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University took third place with the Mars […]
NASA Announces Winners of 2026 University Innovation Competition - NASA
NASA announced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology project, Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm, as the first place winner for the 2026Bailey G. Light (NASA)
Since NASA’s Artemis II crew members safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10 after their record-setting mission around the Moon, science teams have been busy collecting more data and combing through observations collected on the test flight. Results from these science investigations will help support safe human exploration of deep space and […]
NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Research Continues on Earth - NASA Science
Since NASA’s Artemis II crew safely splashed down on April 10, science teams have been busy collecting data and combing through observations.Molly Wasser (NASA Science)
Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 5. A new study combining NASA satellite observations, ocean surveys, and genetic testing on marine microorganisms found evidence that warming ocean waters may be limiting nutrient availability across much of the global ocean. The researchers report that this nutrient stress affects microscopic marine organisms and could influence […]
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Warming waters decrease upwelling and lead to stress on marine microorganisms due to limited availability of vital nutrients. Red indicates the regions of highest nutrient-related stress.
Kel Elkins/NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
As Earth’s oceans warm, microscopic marine organisms are experiencing increasing stress due to a lack of vital nutrients. A new study combining NASA satellite observations, ocean surveys, and genetic testing on marine microorganisms suggests that warming ocean waters are limiting nutrient availability across much of the global ocean, with the potential to reshape marine ecosystems.
The research, published June 5 in Science Advances, tracked the condition of phytoplankton, which form the base of ocean food webs. Rather than measuring nutrients like nitrogen, iron, and phosphorus directly, the researchers inferred stress by tracking subtle shifts in the ratio of carbon to chlorophyll in phytoplankton observed from space. When the amount of chlorophyll decreases relative to carbon as seen in satellite data, it’s an indication that the plankton are stressed.
“As our ocean continues to change, the ability to observe and track its health through sustained, high quality remote sensing observations has never been more important,” said Laura Lorenzoni, Program Scientist for NASA’s Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This is fundamental, as plankton communities are the base of the marine food web on which important economic activities rely.”
The research team combined two decades of data from NASA’s Aqua satellite’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor with plankton samples collected on research cruises around the world. The approach linked large-scale satellite observations with genetic markers in Prochlorococcus, a tiny but abundant marine microbe that shows signs of nutrient stress in its DNA. The result is a global map revealing where phytoplankton are thriving and where they’re struggling.
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Ocean chlorophyll, as observed with NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument between January 2010 through May 2016.
Marit Jentoft-Nilsen/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
The strongest indications of nutrient stress on plankton appeared in the subtropical gyres, which are vast, relatively calm regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. In these areas, a layer of warm surface water stifles the flow of colder water from deeper in the ocean.
“When the surface of the ocean warms, it generates this very stable situation where a layer of low-density water sits on top of higher-density cold water,” said study coauthor Adam Martiny, an oceanographer at the University of California, Irvine. “You’ve probably experienced that if you’ve ever been to a lake in the summertime—it’s super warm right on the surface, and very cold deeper down when you stick your legs in.”
This layering blocks the upward flow of nutrient-rich water, limiting the availability of ocean surface nutrients that are crucial for plankton. In the South Pacific, one of the most nutrient-poor regions, a layer of warm surface water contributed to nitrogen and iron shortages, producing the most severe nutrient-related stress that the team discovered.
But the researchers were surprised to find that parts of the North Atlantic experience less nutrient stress than expected. Although there was evidence of a lack of phosphorus, the impact on microorganisms was comparatively mild.
That difference may reflect the biology of the organisms themselves. Phytoplankton can partially compensate for phosphorus shortages by recycling phosphorus more efficiently or replacing phosphorus-rich molecules inside their cells. Nitrogen shortages are harder to overcome because nitrogen is crucial for the proteins and cellular machinery required for photosynthesis and nutrient uptake.
The study revealed that nutrient stress is strongly correlated with seasons and major weather cycles such as El Niño and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which lead to warming waters in the Pacific Ocean. During La Niña events, which cool water over a large part of the Pacific, stronger upwelling brought more nutrients to surface waters and reduced stress in some regions. Superimposed on those multi-year cycles, however, was a longer-term trend.
From 2002 through 2021, average sea-surface temperatures increased across nearly 90% of the ocean area examined in the study. Over the same period, nutrient stress generally intensified, supporting long-standing concerns that warming oceans may become increasingly stratified and less able to replenish surface nutrients.
In many nutrient-poor regions of the Southern Hemisphere, however, the researchers found evidence that nutrient stress had not increased as much as expected despite significant warming. They suspect that microbes capable of capturing nitrogen from the air may partially offset the effects of reduced nutrient mixing.
That finding hints that marine ecosystems may possess more resilience to warming climates than some models predict. It also underscores the complexity of forecasting how ocean biology will respond to continued warming.
“We have two really powerful tools,” said study coauthor Michael Behrenfeld, a biochemist with Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The tools include satellite observations and cellular studies. “Both produce big data sets, but they are kind of opposites. We have very detailed data about microscopic phytoplankton … and then we have global coverage with satellites.”
By combining satellites that monitor the entire ocean with genetic clues carried inside microscopic plankton, the researchers say they are gaining a new way to watch the biological effects of a warming climate unfold across the planet in near real time.
By James Riordon
NASA’s Earth Science News Team
Media contact: Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters
About the Author
James Riordon
Senior Science Writer
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NASA has completed the investigation into the damage sustained last year at its 70-meter radio-frequency antenna, known as the Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14), at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California. The agency has classified the event as a Type A mishap based on the total cost of damages. The antenna will […]
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One year after Gemini IV astronaut Edward H. White completed NASA’s first spacewalk the agency prepared for a demanding second excursion. Originally scheduled for Gemini VIII, the extravehicular activity (EVA) was reassigned to Gemini IX-A after that mission ended early, with Gene Cernan taking on the task. On June 5, 1966—the mission’s third day—Cernan exited […]
Date is set for bigger booster, more powerful Ariane 6
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On World Environment Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission brings us an amazing view from space of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, hosting this year’s celebration.
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In fire-prone ecosystems in Australia’s Northern Territory, prescribed burns are lit to minimize the severity of fires later in the season.
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NASA’s Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project brought together its full team of Advanced Composites Consortium partners for a 2026 spring review at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The meeting took place May 5-7, bringing together about 150 people from the consortium, a 22-member public-private partnership. The review gave NASA and industry partners a chance to look at recent progress and […]
NASA Hosts 2026 Review on Advanced Composite Manufacturing - NASA
NASA’s Hi-Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing (HiCAM) project brought together its full team of Advanced Composites Consortium partnersJoseph Atkinson (NASA)
Over the last decade, wildfires have worsened ground-level ozone pollution across much of the contiguous United States, creating unhealthy air far from active flames.
Leo Bistmans
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