Scientists Are Crafting Fake Whale Poop and Dumping It in the Ocean

A sperm whale swims away, leaving a cloud of feces. Blue Planet Archive/Alamy In the 20th century, people’s demand for whale blubber and baleen drove industrial whalers to kill roughly three million whales—a whopping 99 percent of the world’s...

Scientists Identify Seismic Trigger Before 2022 Tonga Eruption; Insight Could Improve Tsunami Warnings

A seismic wave detected shortly before the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption in January 2022 could help scientists predict future volcanic activity in remote ocean areas. A study published by the American Geophysical Union suggests that the...

Half of Australian children, adolescents might be overweight by 2050: research

SYDNEY, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Half of Australian children and adolescents aged five to 24 are forecast to be obese or overweight by 2050, with a third expected to fall into the obesity category, according to new research published on Tuesday, the...

Tongan fitness guru boosts Pacific health outcomes

A fitness programme combining medical knowledge and fitness is supporting health gains for Pacific communities. Personal trainer Motekiai Tangi was pleased to see the success from Fitness Sci-Tec, a collaboration with medical and fitness...

Queen Elizabeth II’s 2007 Range Rover estimated to go for up to £60k at auction

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

In the depths of the ocean, a new contest between the U.S and China emerges

By Prianka Srinivasan RAROTONGA (THE GUARDIAN) —Around the Cook Islands, the world’s two most powerful countries are exploring the possibility of deep-sea mining for critical minerals Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is...

Earth is warming faster. Scientists are closing in on why

Gavin Schmidt, a leading climate modeller and the boss of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Science (GISS) in New York City, is not noted for his humility. Nevertheless, writing in Nature, a journal, in March 2024, he confessed to being humbled...

Exhibition reimagines Tongan cultural practices

Queer Tongan-Australian artist Adriana Māhanga Lear launches her ‘Fafangu: To Awaken’ exhibition at the Māngere Arts Centre on Saturday. The exhibition is part of Lear’s PhD research, which explores Tongan concepts around sound, death, and...

NZ scientist of Tongan descent is Otago University deputy VC

The University of Otago has appointed Professor Dianne Sika-Paotonu as its inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Pacific), marking a historic milestone for Pasifika representation in academia. Professor Sika-Paotonu, a New Zealand immunologist and...

A Fiery New Island Is Rising From the Ocean – And Scientists Are Watching

Satellite image of Home Reef captured by Landsat 8 on February 2, 2025. Satellite image of Home Reef captured by Landsat 9 on November 22, 2024. A fiery force beneath the ocean is reshaping Tonga’s Home Reef, growing an island through eruptions...

Dengue outbreak declared in Tonga

The Asian tiger mosquito is one of the vectors responsible for transmitting dengue fever. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The Tongan government has declared a dengue fever outbreak in the Kingdom. In a statement on Wednesday, the country's health...

Citizen Science and DNA Barcodes Map Spread of Biological Control Agent

New CABI-led research using publicly-shared DNA barcodes and citizen science images have provided new evidence on the establishment and spread of a biological control agent used for the control of the major invasive shrub Lantana camara. Lantana...

Pacific media at a crossroads: Can Tonga’s struggles ignite a regional revolution?

Pacific media organisations stand at a tipping point. Faced with chronic underfunding, outdated technology, and diminishing editorial independence, their ability to remain relevant in today’s fast-evolving media landscape is threatened. This...

DNA barcodes and citizen science reveal global spread of Lantana control agent

New CABI-led research using publicly-shared DNA barcodes and citizen science images have provided new evidence on the establishment and spread of a biological control agent used for the control of the major invasive shrub Lantana camara. Lantana...

DNA Barcodes and Citizen Science Images Map Spread of Biocontrol Agent for Control of Major Invasive Shrub

New CABI-led research using publicly-shared DNA barcodes and citizen science images have provided new evidence on the establishment and spread of a biological control agent used for the control of the major invasive shrub Lantana camara. Lantana...

Report shows research gap on ageism and ableism

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in six Australians are over 65 years old and the number is expected to increase. Meanwhile the Australian Bureau of Statistics lists 52.3 per cent of older Australians as having...

Conference tackles leadership, technology

The Pacific Media Partnership Conference began yesterday, bringing together influential figures from media, technology, and activism to discuss key issues facing the Pacific region. Themed “Pacific Cultures in a Global World,” the conference...

Pushing the boundaries of marine research and exploration

The ocean covers 71% of the surface of our planet and encompasses 93% of the habitable volume on Earth. However, most of it is inaccessible to humans without technical assistance. Fortunately, innovation is occurring at an exponential rate, with...

Our Changing World: SAR4SaR - The folding, floating search and rescue device

Dr Tom Dowling with the latest SAR4SaR prototype at Mission Bay beach in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Claire Concannon Imagine you're on a boat lost at sea, too far from the coast for a VHF radio or mobile phone to work. Maybe you've got a personal...

Can we do capitalism better? This new research hub is up for the challenge

Juncture: Dialogues on Inclusive Capitalism is a new research centre at the University of Auckland Business School devoted to taking on one of the most urgent and exciting questions of our time: can we do capitalism better? We talk to two of the...