A new method to recycle fluoride from long-lived PFAS chemicals

University of Oxford

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Dr Thomas Schlatzer and Dr Christopher Goult inspect the degraded Teflon sealing rings that started the team’s investigations into this new method for recycling PFAS chemicals. Credit: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford.

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Credit: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford.

Images available via the link in the notes section.

Oxford Chemistry researchers have developed a method to destroy fluorine-containing PFAS (sometimes labelled ‘forever chemicals’) while recovering their fluorine content for future use. The results have been published today (26 March 2025) in Nature.

PFAS – which stands for poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances – have been produced in large quantities for over 70 years. They are found in a wide variety of products including textiles, food packaging, non-stick cookware, and medical devices. Their unique properties come from multiple carbon-fluorine chemical bonds, a particularly strong chemical motif that also explains their resistance to degradation.

This longevity has led to PFAS sometimes being referred to as “forever chemicals”. Their persistence has resulted in widespread contamination around the world. Traces of PFAS have been found in drinking water and livestock, and have been associated with negative human health effects after chronic exposure.

This global problem urgently needs innovative technologies for the detection, recovery, and destruction of PFAS, as well as responsible pipelines to manage PFAS waste.

Now, a team of chemists at the University of Oxford and Colorado State University have shown it is possible to destroy a wide variety of these fluorine-containing PFAS chemicals while also recovering their fluorine content for reuse in industrial processes.

This operationally straightforward method works by reacting PFAS samples with potassium phosphate salts in the solid state. The reactants are ground together with ball bearings, which breaks down the long-lasting PFAS chemicals and allows the researchers to extract the fluorine content from the resulting product. In the study, the recovered fluoride was then used to generate common fluorinating reagents, which worked effectively in industrial reactions.

This recovery of fluoride, for re-entry into the fluorochemical industry, goes towards enabling a circular fluorine economy. This is particularly important given that fluorspar, the mineral from which essentially all fluorochemicals are manufactured, is categorised as critical for many industrial processes by nations around the world. Furthermore, the phosphate used as an activator in the PFAS destruction process was recovered and reused, implying no detrimental impact on the phosphorus cycle.

The team’s method enables the mechanical destruction of all PFAS classes, including those commonly found in products such as non-stick coatings, electrical insulation, and industrial tubing. This means that the fluorine content from everyday waste such as Teflon tape could be recovered and used to generate important fluorine-containing chemicals, including precursors to pharmaceutical and agrochemicals such as cholesterol-lowering statin medications (Lipitor), anti-seizure agents (Rufinamide), and herbicides (Triaziflam).

A serendipitous observation made in the course of a previous study served as a starting point for the team’s investigation. In an earlier set of experiments using a similar ball-milling method, they noticed that the PFAS-containing sealing rings of the ball-milling jars were degraded during the reaction, resulting in higher fluoride yields than expected. They concluded that their process must be breaking down the PFAS in these sealing rings and liberating fluoride. They wondered if the method may be able to break down and upcycle other examples of PFAS, and have now demonstrated that the method does indeed have broad applicability across a wide range of PFAS.

Professor Véronique Gouverneur (University of Oxford), who led the study, said:

“Fluoride recovery is important because our reserves of Fluorspar, essential for the manufacturing of e.g. life-saving medicines, are rapidly depleting due to extensive mining. This method not only eliminates PFAS waste but also contributes to a circular fluorine chemistry by transforming persistent pollutants into valuable fluorochemicals.”

Dr Long Yang (University of Oxford), one of the lead authors of the study, said:

“The mechanochemical destruction of PFAS with phosphate salts is an exciting innovation, offering a simple yet powerful solution to a long-standing environmental challenge. With this effective PFAS destruction method, we hope to shift away from the notion of PFAS as ‘forever chemicals’.”

Work at Colorado State University was led by Marshall Fixman and Branka Ladanyi Professor Robert Paton as part of the Department of Chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences.

Notes for editors:

For any further enquiries please contact: Long Yang (long.yang@chem.ox.ac.uk), Thomas Schlatzer (thomas.schlatzer@chem.ox.ac.uk), Christopher Goult (christopher.goult@chem.ox.ac.uk), or Zijun Chen (zijun.chen@chem.ox.ac.uk).

Images related to this study for use in articles are available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HTjyB_ji9ASdXgSoCQjKCLqjwotCMAjP?usp=sharing

These are for editorial purposes relating to this press release ONLY and MUST be credited (see file name). They MUST NOT be sold on to third parties.

The study ‘Phosphate–Enabled Mechanochemical PFAS Destruction for Fluoride Reuse’ will be published in Nature at 16:00 GMT / 12 noon ET Wednesday 26 March 2025 doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08698-5 To view a copy of the paper before this under embargo, contact one of the researchers above.

About the University of Oxford

Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the ninth year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer.

Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 300 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past five years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.

About Colorado State University

Colorado State University, one of the nation’s top-performing public research institutions, has more than 33,000 students. Founded in 1870 as Colorado’s land-grant institution, CSU is renowned for its world-class faculty and research and academic programs in infectious disease, atmospheric science, clean energy technologies, human and animal health, environmental science, global business and more. CSU graduates on average carry less student debt and are employed at higher rates than their peers nationwide.

CSU’s College of Natural Sciences studies foundational science – asking fundamental questions and applying knowledge to every field of study. With eight departments and 10 centers, the College is a leader in research, teaching and community engagement, supporting more than 4,500 undergraduates and 700 master’s and Ph.D. candidates.

More information on Professor Paton: https://newsmediarelations.colostate.edu/contacts/robert-paton/

Dr Long Yang extracting the fluorine content from degraded PFAS materials (photographed in Oxford’s Chemistry Research Laboratory). Credit: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford.

Credit

Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford.

Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-08698-5 

Article Title

Phosphate–Enabled Mechanochemical PFAS Destruction for Fluoride Reuse

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2025

 

A breakthrough moment: McMaster researchers discover new class of antibiotics

McMaster University

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A new class of antibiotics has been identified by McMaster University researchers.

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Credit: McMaster University

The last time a new class of antibiotics reached the market was nearly three decades ago — but that could soon change, thanks to a discovery by researchers at McMaster University.

A team led by renowned researcher Gerry Wright has identified a strong candidate to challenge even some of the most drug-resistant bacteria on the planet: a new molecule called lariocidin. The findings were published in the journal Nature on March 26, 2025.

The discovery of the all-new class of antibiotics responds to a critical need for new antimicrobial medicines, as bacteria and other microorganisms evolve new ways to withstand existing drugs. This phenomenon is called antimicrobial resistance — or AMR — and it’s one of the top global public health threats, according to the World Health Organization.

“Our old drugs are becoming less and less effective as bacteria become more and more resistant to them,” explains Gerry Wright, a professor in McMaster’s Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and a researcher at the university’s Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. “About 4.5 million people die every year due to antibiotic-resistant infections, and it’s only getting worse.”

Wright and his team found that the new molecule, a lasso peptide, holds great promise as an early drug lead because it attacks bacteria in a way that’s different from other antibiotics. Lariocidin binds directly to a bacterium’s protein synthesis machinery in a completely new way, inhibiting its ability to grow and survive.

“This is a new molecule with a new mode of action,” Wright says. “It’s a big leap forward for us.”

Lariocidin is produced by a type of bacteria called Paenibacillus, which the researchers retrieved from a soil sample collected from a Hamilton backyard.

The research team allowed the soil bacteria to grow in the lab for approximately one year — a method that helped reveal even the slow-growing species that could have otherwise been missed. One of these bacteria, Paenibacillus, was producing a new substance that had strong activity against other bacteria, including those typically resistant to antibiotics.

“When we figured out how this new molecule kills other bacteria, it was a breakthrough moment,” says Manoj Jangra, a postdoctoral fellow in Wright’s lab.

In addition to its unique mode of action and its activity against otherwise drug-resistant bacteria, the researchers are optimistic about lariocidin because it ticks a lot of the right

boxes: it’s not toxic to human cells, it’s not susceptible to existing mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, and it also works well in an animal model of infection.

Wright and his team are now laser-focused on finding ways to modify the molecule and produce it in quantities large enough to allow for clinical development. Wright says because this new molecule is produced by bacteria — and “bacteria aren’t interested in making new drugs for us” — much time and resources are needed before lariocidin is ready for market.

“The initial discovery — the big a-ha! moment — was astounding for us, but now the real hard work begins,” Wright says. “We’re now working on ripping this molecule apart and putting it back together again to make it a better drug candidate.”

For an embargoed copy of the study, please contact Nature directly at press@nature.com.

For any other information, contact Adam Ward, media relations officer with McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences at warda17@mcmaster.ca.

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Journal

Nature

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2025

 

Calorie-free sweeteners can disrupt the brain’s appetite signals

A study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that a common sugar substitute alters brain activity related to hunger and increases appetite, especially in people with obesity.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

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Compared to sugar, consuming sucralose—a widely used sugar substitute—increases activity in the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates appetite and body weight, according to a new USC study. Sucralose also changes how the hypothalamus communicates with other brain regions, including those involved in motivation. The study was just published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

About 40% of Americans regularly consume sugar substitutes, usually as a way to reduce calories or sugar intake. “But are these substances actually helpful for regulating body weight? What happens in the body and brain when we consume then, and do the effects differ from one person to the next?” said the study’s corresponding author, Kathleen Alanna Page, MD, director of the USC Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute and co-chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Page and her colleagues designed a randomized experiment to test how sucralose changes brain activity, hormone levels and hunger. Earlier research—mostly done with animal models and large population studies—has hinted at a link between calorie-free sweeteners and obesity, but has not directly shown how these substances affect hunger in humans. 

With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the researchers tested how 75 participants responded after consuming water, a drink sweetened with sucralose or a drink sweetened with regular sugar. They collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, blood samples and hunger ratings before and after participants consumed the drink. Sucralose increased hunger and activity in the hypothalamus, especially in people with obesity. It also changed the way the hypothalamus communicated with other brain regions. Unlike sugar, sucralose did not increase blood levels of certain hormones that create a feeling of fullness.

The findings show how sucralose confuses the brain by providing a sweet taste without the expected caloric energy, said Page, who is also an associate professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. This “mismatch” could even trigger changes in cravings and eating behavior down the line.

“If your body is expecting a calorie because of the sweetness, but doesn’t get the calorie it’s expecting, that could change the way the brain is primed to crave those substances over time,” she said.

An altered brain response

The study included 75 participants, about evenly split between male and female and weight status (healthy weight, overweight or obese). On three separate visits, each participant was tested with sucralose, sugar or water, allowing the researchers to look for differences both within and between individuals.

At each visit, researchers collected baseline brain scans and blood samples. They also asked participants to rate how hungry they were. Next, participants consumed 300 ml of water, a sugar-sweetened drink or a drink sweetened with sucralose. Researchers then collected follow-up brain scans, blood samples and hunger ratings several times during the next two hours.

Compared to drinking sugar, drinking sucralose increased brain activity in the hypothalamus and increased feelings of hunger. Compared to drinking water, sucralose increased hypothalamic activity, but did not change feelings of hunger. Those effects were strongest in people with obesity.

The researchers also used fMRI scans to study functional connectivity, which shows how regions of the brain communicate with one another. Consuming sucralose led to increased connectivity between the hypothalamus and several brain areas involved with motivation and sensory processing—including the anterior cingulate cortex, which plays a role in decision-making. Those findings suggest that sucralose could impact cravings or eating behavior, Page said.

As expected, consuming sugar led to increases in blood sugar and the hormones that regulate it, including insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Drinking sucralose, on the other hand, had no effect on those hormones.

“The body uses these hormones to tell the brain you’ve consumed calories, in order to decrease hunger,” Page said. “Sucralose did not have that effect—and the differences in hormone responses to sucralose compared to sugar were even more pronounced in participants with obesity.”

Age, sex and long-term effects

While the study answers key questions about how the brain and body respond to sucralose, it raises several others. Do the observed changes in brain and hormone activity have long-term effects? Longitudinal studies that measure body weight and eating behavior are needed to help clarify the link.

Page and her colleagues also observed differences by sex: female participants showed greater changes in brain activity than did male participants, suggesting that sucralose may affect the sexes differently.

The researchers have now begun a follow-up study that explores how calorie-free sweeteners affect the brains of children and adolescents, who consume more sugar and sugar substitutes than any other age group.

“Are these substances leading to changes in the developing brains of children who are at risk for obesity? The brain is vulnerable during this time, so it could be a critical opportunity to intervene,” Page said.

 

About this research

In addition to Page, the study’s other authors are Sandhya P. Chakravartti, Hanyang Liu, Alexandra G. Yunker and Brendan Angelo from the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute and the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California; Kay Jann from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California; John R. Monterosso from the Department of Psychology, University of Southern California; Anny H. Xiang from the Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanent Southern California; and Stephanie Kullmann and Ralf Veit from the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health [R01DK102794, F31DK137584].

 

Journal

Nature Metabolism

DOI

10.1038/s42255-025-01227-8 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Non-caloric sweetener effects on brain appetite regulation in individuals across varying body weights

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2025

 

The devastating human impact on biodiversity

Global species loss

University of Zurich

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Intensive agriculture leads to the loss of biodiversity – especially in arable farming, where large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers are used. Not only is biodiversity often declining, the species composition is also shifting.

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Credit: Florian Altermatt

Humans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity worldwide. Not only is the number of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. These are the findings of a study by Eawag and the University of Zurich published in the scientific journal Nature. It is one of the largest studies ever conducted on this topic.

Biological diversity is under threat. More and more plant and animal species are disappearing worldwide, and humans are responsible. Until now, however, there has been no synthesis of the extent of human intervention in nature and whether the effects can be found everywhere in the world and in all groups of organisms. This is because most of the studies conducted to date have only looked at individual aspects. They either examined changes in species diversity over time or were limited to a single location or to specific human impacts. Based on these studies, it is difficult to make any general statements about the effects and impacts of humans on biodiversity.

To fill these research gaps, a team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the University of Zurich has now conducted an unprecedented synthesis study. The researchers compiled data from around 2,100 studies that compared biodiversity at almost 50,000 sites affected by humans with the same number of reference sites that were not affected. The studies cover terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats around the world, and all groups of organisms, from microbes and fungi to plants and invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals. “It is one of the largest syntheses of the human impacts on biodiversity ever conducted worldwide,” says Florian Altermatt, professor of aquatic ecology at the University of Zurich and head of a research group at Eawag.

Species numbers are clearly declining

The findings of the study, which has just been published in the journal Nature, are unequivocal and leave no doubt as to the devastating impact that humans are having on biodiversity worldwide. “We analyzed the effects of the five main human impacts on biodiversity: habitat changes, direct exploitation such as hunting or fishing, climate change, pollution and invasive species,” says François Keck, a postdoctoral researcher in Altermatt’s research group and the lead author of the study. “Our findings show that all five factors have a strong impact on biodiversity worldwide, in all groups of organisms and in all ecosystems.”

On average, the number of species at impacted sites was almost twenty percent lower than at unaffected sites. Particularly severe species losses across all biogeographic regions are found in vertebrates such as reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Their populations tend to be much smaller than those of the invertebrates, increasing the probability of extinction.

Species communities are shifting

However, the impact goes far beyond the loss of species. “It’s not just the number of species that is declining,” says François Keck. “Human pressure is also changing the composition of species communities.” The species composition at a location is a second key aspect of biodiversity, in addition to the number of species. In high mountain regions, for example, specialized plants are at risk of being displaced by species from lower altitudes as the climate warms. In some circumstances, the number of species at a particular site may remain the same; nevertheless, biodiversity and its ecosystem functions will be affected if, for example, a plant species disappears that has particularly good root systems to protect the soil from erosion. The greatest shifts in the species communities are found among tiny microbes and fungi. “This could be because these organisms have short life cycles and high dispersion rates and therefore respond more quickly,” says François Keck.

According to the study, environmental pollution and habitat changes have a particularly negative impact on the number of species and the composition of species communities. This is not surprising, says Florian Altermatt. Habitat changes are often very drastic, for example, when people cut down a forest or level a meadow. Pollution, whether accidental, as in the case of an oil tanker spill, or deliberate, as in the case of spraying pesticides, introduces new substances into a habitat that destroy or weaken the organisms living there. The findings do not mean that climate change is less problematic for biodiversity in comparison, says Altermatt. “However, it is likely that the full extent of its impact cannot yet be verified today.”

The findings are cause for alarm

The third key aspect of biodiversity that the research team investigated was the homogeneity, or how similar species communities are at different sites. For example, large-scale, intensive agriculture tends to make landscapes more homogeneous, and the species communities they contain more similar. The effects were mixed, with some studies showing a very strong tendency towards homogenization, and others showing a tendency for species communities to become more diverse, especially at the local level.

However, the researchers doubt that the latter is a good sign. They speculate that increasing dissimilarities could also be a temporary effect in severely impacted habitats. “The human influence that we find is sometimes so strong that there are even signs that could indicate a complete collapse of the species communities,” says Florian Altermatt.

According to the authors, the study shows, on the one hand, that changes in biodiversity should not be based solely on changes in the number of species. On the other hand, the findings are alarming due to their distinctness and global validity. They can also serve as benchmarks for future biodiversity research and conservation efforts. “Our findings provide clear indications of which human influences are having the greatest impact on biodiversity,” says François Keck. “This also shows what goals need to be set if these trends are to be reversed.”

Alongside agricultural intensification, urbanization is one of the biggest global drivers of changes in land use that affect biodiversity. It often leads to a major shift in species composition.

Credit

Florian Altermatt

Pollution is one of the five most important drivers of biodiversity loss globally – especially when untreated wastewater pollutes natural waters.

Credit

Florian Altermatt

Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-08752-2 

Method of Research

Literature review

Article Title

The global human impact on biodiversity

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2025

 

New study reveals shift in subtropical North Atlantic Ocean over the next decade

Findings reveal long-term cooling and freshening of the deep subtropical North Atlantic Ocean, with hints of major shifts to come over the next decade

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

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Hydrographic Survey Deep Western Atlantic At 26.5N

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Credit: NOAA AOML and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science

A new study analyzed nearly four decades of deep ocean observations to reveal significant cooling and freshening of deep water in the Subtropical North Atlantic. The results suggest that warmer, saltier deep waters observed across other parts of the Atlantic may reach the region within the next 10 years, potentially influencing large-scale sea level changes and altering the flow of ocean currents in the region.

These new findings from scientists at the University of Miami’s NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), and the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science are critical to understanding the future behavior of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial component of global ocean circulation that plays a significant role in regulating climate, weather patterns, and sea levels across the globe.

“Our findings suggest a climatic link between the Subtropical and Subpolar North Atlantic, with the freshening aligning with a multi-decadal freshening event in the subpolar basins from over two decades ago,” said the study’s lead author Leah Chomiak, a researcher at CIMAS. “The results underscore the importance of continued monitoring of the deep ocean, as understanding the variability, pathways, and timescales of water mass movements is essential for predicting future impacts on the AMOC.”

The research team, which includes NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, analyzed long-term oceanographic data on deep ocean waters below 2,000 meters taken from the 26.5°N hydrographic line. Located offshore of Abaco Island in the Bahamas, this key reference line is vital for studying changes in ocean currents and water mass properties in the Atlantic.

Over the past 40 years, the 26.5°N hydrographic line has been surveyed nearly every year through ship-based, moored, and seafloor hydrographic observations. This long-term monitoring effort is part of an ongoing 20-year collaborative endeavor involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Western Boundary Time Series (WBTS) program, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science’s Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heat-Flux Array (MOCHA) project, and the UK National Oceanographic Centre’s Rapid Climate Change (RAPID) program to monitor the AMOC at this latitude. Nearly four decades of sustained observations along the WBTS 26.5°N hydrographic line makes this survey a key component of the world’s longest-running trans-basin observation program for studying the meridional overturning circulation.

The analysis revealed that persistent cooling and freshening of deep water in the Subpolar North Atlantic was followed by an increase in temperature and salinity over 20 years ago. As deep water formed in the Subpolar North Atlantic is transported towards the equator it is anticipated that the ongoing cooling and freshening of the deep ocean in the Subtropical North Atlantic at 26.5°N will soon be followed by an increase in both temperature and salinity.

Sustained hydrographic monitoring of the 26.5°N line and upstream locations across the North Atlantic is crucial to understanding this variability and predicting its potential impacts on society and ecosystems over the next decade, said the authors.

The AMOC moves warm, salty surface-ocean water from the subtropics northward to higher latitudes above 40°N in the subpolar North Atlantic, where heat loss to the atmosphere allows it to cool, become denser and sink, forming the deep ocean currents that return southward. This overturning process plays a critical role in regulating ocean and air temperatures, particularly in the North Atlantic, and influences weather patterns globally. A shift in ocean temperature and salinity could disrupt this balance.

Studying the AMOC is essential for understanding and predicting future climate conditions. It affects key factors like weather patterns, sea level change, and extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods. A weakened AMOC could exacerbate these impacts; continued observations to monitor its stability are critical. By tracking observed changes in the AMOC, scientists can develop more accurate ocean and weather models and prepare for potential disruptions to regional and global environments.

The study, titled “Deep ocean cooling and freshening from Subpolar North Atlantic reaches Subtropics at 26.5°N” was published March 26, 2025, in the journal Nature Communications, Earth & Environment. The study’s authors include Leah Chomiak, Denis Volkov and Jay Hooper V from the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, Rosenstiel School professor William Johns, and Ryan Smith from the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML).

The project was supported by the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, a Cooperative Institute of the University of Miami and NOAA, (agreement #NA20OAR4320472), a U.S. Global Oceans Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program research fellowship (NSF #OCE-2023545), the NOAA AOML Deep Temperature (DeepT) project by the NOAA Climate Program Office, Climate Observations and Monitoring, and Climate Variability and Predictability programs (#NA20OAR4310407) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF #OCE-2148723).

About the University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The University’s vibrant and diverse academic community comprises 12 schools and colleges serving more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, a respect for including and elevating diverse voices, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world. Founded in the 1940’s, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has grown into one of the world’s premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. www.earth.miami.edu

 

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Journal

Communications Earth & Environment

DOI

10.1038/s43247-025-02170-y 

Method of Research

Observational study

Article Title

Deep ocean cooling and freshening from Subpolar North Atlantic reaches Subtropics at 26.5°N”,

Article Publication Date

26-Mar-2025