Industrial chemicals, such as flame retardants and plasticizers, have been detected in areas of the ocean once considered pristine, such as the Mergui Archipelago off Myanmar, new research reports. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat 5

New research suggests Earth’s longest ice age may have thawed repeatedly.

Carbon is moved from the ocean’s surface to deeper regions by mechanisms including the eddy subduction pump, allowing upper ocean waters to continue absorbing carbon. Eddies can be seen in this satellite image showing part of the South Atlantic Ocean in January 2021. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Ocean Color/NOAA-20/NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP

This large, concentrated bloom of phytoplankton off the coast of France was captured from space. Phytoplankton rely on nitrate, phosphate, and other key nutrients dissolved in seawater; in turn, they are a key source of sustenance for other organisms, forming the base of the marine food web. Credit: NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response

Estimates of the carbon flux for the Amazon region depend upon the scale and method by which they are measured. Panel A shows that a satellite-based method and biogeochemical models estimated a net release of carbon for the whole basin in 2023, although the satellite-based estimate was smaller (indicated by the sizes of the upward yellow arrows). Panel B also shows a net release of carbon (upward…