Noise pollution could cause stress to and disrupt the fauna of Antarctica, according to a study by Udelar and UPF

The study recommends including measures against noise pollution in the management plans of Antarctica’s protected areas

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona

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Noise pollution generated by human activity in certain areas of Antarctica could be having a negative effect on the well-being of the area’s fauna, according to a study by the University of the Republic of Uruguay (Udelar) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). The study notes that the noise generated by humans could be a significant stressor for the fauna of Antarctica and warns that the negative consequences have been underestimated so far, compared to those caused by other human activities in this part of the planet.

Increasing human activity in the Antarctic, including scientific and logistical operations, has raised concerns about the incidence of human-generated noise on Antarctic ecosystems. The study by Udelar and UPF, published in a recent article in the journal Ecological Informatics (Science Direct), analyses the impact of noise caused by an energy generator on Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) no. 150 on Ardley Island. 

The study focuses specifically on examining whether the noise caused by the power generator, located 2 km from Ardley Island, can be heard from the protected area, inhabited by multiple animal species. The island is an important breeding ground for seabirds (penguins, petrels, terns and skuas). It is also visited by marine mammals (different species of seal, Antarctic sea lions, elephant seals...), which go there to feed or moult.

The results of the research have corroborated that the sound made by the generator is clearly perceptible from the ASPA, but subsequent research will have to corroborate the specific effects that this could be having on the behaviour of the different animal species living there.

One of the study researchers is Martín Rocamora, a member of the Music Technology research group (MTG) of the UPF Department of Engineering, as well as being linked to the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Udelar Faculty of Engineering. The other co-authors of the article are from the Uruguayan university and include Lucía Ziegler as principal investigator (Laboratory of Functional Ecoacoustics of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Management of the Eastern Region University Centre, Udelar, Maldonado); and Maximiliano Anzibar Fialho (Institute of Physics of the Faculty of Sciences, Udelar).

Noise caused by humans can affect animals’ communication and social interaction, which is dependent on acoustic signals

The researchers explain that acoustic signals are fundamental for the communication and social interaction of various species and that previous research had already found that noise made by humans is a major environmental stressor for animals. However, until now most studies on the subject had focused on marine ecosystems, while the present one focuses on the effects of noise pollution on terrestrial species.

To this end, the researchers recorded the sounds of certain areas of Ardley Island during the summers of 2022 and 2023. The island is located very close to the Fildes peninsula, one of the most populated areas of Antarctica due to the fact that several bases of different countries are located there.

For this specific study, two of the recording devices of the extensive network of sensors available to the research team were used. One is on the Fildes peninsula, 300 m from the generator that caused the noise; and the other, on Ardley Island itself, 2 km southeast of the aforementioned sound source. Each device was programmed to record five minutes of audio per hour.

It was thus possible to determine the specific acoustic characteristics of the power generator and the differences with respect to other noise sources such as land vehicles, ships and aircraft. The relationship of the recorded sound with the wind speed and direction at any moment was also analysed.

The research has led to the conclusion that the soundscape of Ardley Island is altered by the presence of the power generator, a source of nearby noise, which may affect the fauna of this protected area. In this regard, Martín Rocamora (UPF) explains: “Animals typically respond to noise exposure by altering their usual behaviour, including changes in the type and frequency of vocalization and efficiency in foraging and responding to predators. They may also develop hearing loss or increased levels of the stress hormone”. Regarding the incidence of the wind, the study establishes that it is the main barrier to sound reaching the island.

Improve the management plans for Antarctica’s protected areas to reduce noise pollution

The researchers warn of the need to increase awareness of the impact of noise pollution on Antarctic ecosystems and to introduce improvements to this end in the management plans of the ASPAs. Therefore, they consider there is a need to introduce acoustic monitoring strategies in environmental monitoring programmes and to implement measures to mitigate the impact of human noise in the region.

Reference article:

Maximiliano Anzibar Fialho, Martín Rocamora, Lucía Ziegler. Detection of anthropogenic noise pollution as a possible chronic stressor in Antarctic Specially Protected Area N°150, Ardley Island. Ecological Informatics, Volume 87, 2025. 103117, ISSN 1574-9541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103117

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Journal

Ecological Informatics

DOI

10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103117 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Detection of anthropogenic noise pollution as a possible chronic stressor in Antarctic Specially Protected Area N°150, Ardley Island

 

Pregnant women are often uninsured and go without needed care in abortion-ban states, study show

An analysis in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that states with abortion access have better Medicaid programs and better pregnancy care

Elsevier

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Ann Arbor, June 5, 2025  - Pregnant women are more often uninsured and have worse access to routine medical care in states that ban (or restrict) abortion care, according to a new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, from researchers at Harvard Medical School, the City University of New York’s Hunter College, and other institutions. The researchers also link the deficiencies in pregnancy coverage and care to abortion-ban/restriction states’ skimpy Medicaid programs.

The study analyzed data on 20,919 pregnant women who participated in the 2014-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a health survey led by the CDC and state health departments. It assessed how many pregnant women were uninsured, were unable to afford a doctor’s visit in the past year, or lacked a personal healthcare provider, and compared states that have imposed abortion restrictions after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022 to other states.

The researchers found that 258,362 pregnant women in the US lacked health coverage in 2022, 62% of whom lived in abortion-ban states. The three states where the largest share of pregnant women lacked coverage were Texas (21.0%), Arkansas (18.8%), and Florida (18.6%) – all of which are abortion-ban/restriction states. Nationwide, pregnant women in abortion ban/restriction states (compared to other states) were significantly more likely to be uninsured (15.0% vs. 9.9), unable to afford physician care (19.5% vs. 13.1%), and to lack a personal healthcare provider (29.2% vs. 21.5%). 

The study also identified pregnant women with chronic illnesses that require careful medical treatment to reduce maternal and infant health risks. Women who had diabetes before becoming pregnant more often lacked a personal doctor in abortion-restriction states, and those who developed diabetes during their pregnancies were more likely to be uninsured or to have gone without doctor care.

The researchers assessed whether differences in the generosity of states’ Medicaid programs explained why abortion ban/restriction states had worse access to pregnancy care. They found that worse access was almost entirely explained by three Medicaid policies:

1. Failure to implement the ACA’s Medicaid Expansion;
2. Banning Medicaid coverage for pregnant immigrants who were documented for less than 5 years; and
3. Setting a relatively stringent income threshold for Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women.

These findings suggest that worse access to care in abortion-ban states is mostly driven by those states’ stingy Medicaid policies, and that the deep Medicaid cuts included in the Republican budget bill could worsen care for many pregnant women. 

Senior author of the study Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Hunter College, City University of New York, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, and Public Citizen Health Research Group, Washington, DC, notes, “America’s high maternal and infant mortality rates are a national disgrace, and states that have banned abortions have the worst record. Politicians in those states claim to care about children and families, but their policies that deny care to pregnant women speak louder than their words.”      

Lead author Adam Gaffney, MD, MPH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, concludes, “Many state governments are coercing women into continuing unwanted pregnancies, yet also maintain barriers that keep them from getting needed pregnancy care. These care gaps will get worse if Congress goes ahead with slashing Medicaid. Instead of undermining the healthcare safety net, Congress should expand coverage and assure that all women can get the care they need before, during, and after pregnancy, and have access to abortion care.”

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Journal

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107671 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Healthcare Access among Pregnant Women in States with and without Abortion Restrictions

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2025

COI Statement

Adam Gaffney is a former president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), a nonprofit organization that favors coverage expansion through a single payer program. The spouse of Adam Gaffney was an employee of Treatment Action Group (TAG), a non-profit research and policy think tank focused on HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C treatment. Samuel Dickman is a plaintiff in several lawsuits challenging abortion restrictions in Montana. These organizations, and authors’ other affiliated organizations, had no role in the conduct of the study.

 

Two big events shaped the herbivores during 60 million years but their role remains

University of Gothenburg

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image: 

Illustration of the Global network of ecological roles among large herbivores, different species on different places and over time, but with the same ecosystem role.

view more 

Credit: Illustration: Fernando Blanco

Two major environmental shifts have triggered global transformations in large herbivore communities. A new study with researchers from the University of Gothenburg show how these ecosystems remained remarkably resilient despite extinction and upheaval.

From mastodons to ancient rhinos and giant deer, large herbivores have been shaping Earth’s landscapes for millions of years. A new study, published in Nature communications, shows how these giants responded to dramatic environmental shifts – and how their ecosystems found ways to stay together, even as species disappeared.

An international team of scientists analyzed fossil records from over 3,000 large herbivores across 60 million years.

“We found that the large herbivores ecosystems stayed remarkably stable over long periods of time, even as species came and went,” said Fernando Blanco, leading author and a researcher at the University of Gothenburg at the time. “But twice in the last 60 million years, the environmental pressure was so great that the entire system underwent global reorganization.”

Two major global shifts

The first major change occurred around 21 million years ago, when shifting continents closed the ancient Tethys Sea and formed a land bridge between Africa and Eurasia. This new land corridor unleashed a wave of migrations that reshaped ecosystems across the globe.  Among the travelers were the ancestors of modern elephants, which had evolved in Africa and now began to spread across Europe and Asia. But deer, pigs, rhinos, and many other large plant-eaters also moved into new territories, altering the ecological balance.

The second global shift came around 10 million years ago, as Earth’s climate became cooler and drier. Expanding grasslands and declining forests led to the rise of grazing species with tougher teeth and the gradual disappearance of many forest-dwelling herbivores. This marked the beginning of a long, steady decline in the functional diversity of these animals – the variety of ecological roles they played.

Fewer species, same structure

Despite these losses, the researchers found that the overall ecological structure of large herbivore communities remained surprisingly stable. Even as many of the largest species, like mammoths and giant rhinos, went extinct in the last 129,000 years, the basic framework of roles within ecosystems endured.

“It’s like a football team changing players during a match but still keeping the same formation,” said Ignacio A. Lazagabaster, researcher at CENIEH in Spain and co-author of the study. “Different species came into play and the communities changed, but they fulfilled similar ecological roles, so the overall structure remained the same.”

Third tipping point

This resilience has lasted for the past 4.5 million years, enduring ice ages and other environmental crises up to the present day. However, the researchers caution that the ongoing loss of biodiversity – accelerated by human activity – could eventually overwhelm the system.

“Our results show that ecosystems have an amazing capacity to adapt. But the rate of change is so much faster this time. There’s a limit. If we keep losing species and ecological roles, we may soon reach a third global tipping point, one that we’re helping to accelerate, ” says Juan L. Cantalapiedra, researcher at MNCN in Spain and senior author of the study.

African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Tanzania.

Credit

Photo: Juan López Cantalapiedra

Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) in the Tanzanian savanna.

Credit

Photo: Juan López Cantalapiedra

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-59974-x 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Two major ecological shifts shaped 60 million years of ungulate faunal evolution

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2025

 

A new mathematical model helps European regions set suitable targets to close gender gaps in education

The method supports European policymakers in reducing gender disparities, whether favoring men or women, at both national and regional levels

Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche

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The gender gap in education doesn’t always disadvantage women. In countries like Estonia, Iceland, or Sweden, women outperform men in key indicators such as tertiary education and lifelong learning. But that, too, is a gender gap. That’s the starting point for researchers at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), who have developed a mathematical model to support European education authorities in improving performance and reducing gender disparities, regardless of which group is underperforming.

“In many European countries, women outperform men at every educational level. If we’re serious about equality, we must also address these differences,” explains Inmaculada Sirvent, professor of Statistics and Operations Research at UMH and co-author of the study.

Published in Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, the study analyzes four key indicators used by the European Commission to track access to knowledge: tertiary attainment, adult participation in learning, early leavers from education and training, and the share of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs).

One of the study’s most striking findings is that, on average, women outperform men in three of the four indicators. The most significant gap concerns tertiary attainment: 38.5% of women in Europe have completed tertiary education, compared to 32% of men. “This imbalance, even if favorable to women, is still a gender gap—and one the education system can and should help close,” says Sirvent.

Using data from 93 European regions, the model provides tailored improvement targets for each region based on two simultaneous goals: getting closer to best practices and reducing gender disparities for each indicator.

“This bi-objetive approach is the key innovation in our work,” says Sirvent. The model allows decision-makers to prioritize different strategies: for instance, setting closer targets as the result of benchmarking against the most similar peers (even if gender gaps persist), or choosing more ambitious, gender-balanced targets that may require a greater effort.

The methodology is based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a widely used tool for assessing the relative efficiency of comparable units, such as hospitals, schools, or regions, based on their inputs and outputs. In this case, DEA is adapted to suggest customized educational targets that both improve performance and close gender gaps.

“One of the most striking examples is Estonia, where 54% of women have completed tertiary education, compared to just 31% of men,” notes José L. Ruiz, UMH professor of Statistics and Operations Research and co-author of the study. “Our model shows that Estonia could reduce this gap without significantly burdening its education system.” Similar patterns are seen in Iceland and several regions of Poland, Finland, and Spain. In contrast, some areas of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria still show gender gaps favoring men.

The study is also notable for being the first to apply DEA at a subnational level in the European education context and for incorporating gender equality as a key optimization objective in policy planning.

Sirvent and Ruiz, both affiliated with UMH’s Institute for Operations Research, collaborated with Dovilė Stumbrienė of Vilnius University’s Faculty of Philosophy, who led the research.

Among the study’s limitations, the authors cite the lack of more granular territorial data and the absence of relevant social variables such as socioeconomic background, cultural context, or ethnic diversity. They also note that the indicators used measure educational outcomes but not necessarily access opportunities or conditions within the education system.

The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2021-122344NB-I00), the Department of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society of the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2021/063), and the Research Council of Lithuania (agreement S-PD-22-87).

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Journal

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.seps.2024.102138 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Towards gender equality in education: Different strategies to improve subnational performance of European countries using Data Envelopment Analysis

 

Surrey teens’ path to healthier lives littered with barriers, finds study

University of Surrey

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Even in seemingly affluent counties such as Surrey, teens are unable to access healthy lifestyles due to poverty, geographical inequalities, discrimination and mental health challenges, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. The research, published in the journal Nutrients, looked into the experiences of youth workers and captured the voices of young people, finding that, while teenagers understand the importance of good food and exercise, they face a daily struggle against factors often beyond their control.  

The study, which was funded by Surrey County Council, involved 27 participants, aged 12 to 16, who reported how poverty impacted their access to sport and healthy diets. For example, participants noted how healthy food in schools is often too expensive and therefore cheaper, less nutritious options become more appealing. Plus, the cost of sports clubs, equipment, and even getting to activities also puts a significant strain on families’ ability to lead healthier lives. 

Teens in less affluent areas felt stark differences in access to sports facilities and safe outdoor spaces, depending on where they lived in Surrey. Those in less affluent areas reported run-down or non-existent facilities and feeling unsafe outdoors, limiting their opportunities to be active. 

Alarmingly, sexism continues to be a barrier for teen girls wanting to participate in sports. The participants reported feeling unwelcome, being ridiculed for their appearance or labelled negatively for playing sports traditionally seen as “for boys”. 

Professor Jane Ogden, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, said: 

 "We can't simply tell teenagers to “eat better and exercise more” - there are significant, structural issues that need to be addressed at both a community and societal level. By spotlighting these barriers, we can start creating a fairer and more supportive environment that will help young people in Surrey access healthier choices and have an opportunity to thrive.” 

  

Unsurprisingly, for many young people, the pressure of school, social media, and bullying takes a toll on their mental health, making it harder to focus on healthy eating and exercising. 

The study also involved 35 adult participants working in either education or youth work, who reported a lack of training and clear referral pathways for weight management and specialist help. 

  

Dr Helen Lambert, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition, added: 

“This research highlights systemic issues beyond individual choices and offers insights into the structural barriers limiting young people's healthy choices across the country. It's important to recognise that even seemingly prosperous counties such as Surrey face these challenges. Addressing these issues through public health strategies locally and nationwide, may ultimately lead to a healthier future for all young people, regardless of their postcode or socioeconomic background.” 

Dr Negin Sarafraz-Shekary, Head of Surrey Health Determinants Research Collaboration, Public Health, Surrey County Council, added: 

“The valuable findings from this research provide critical insights into the challenges faced by 13- to 17-year-olds in Surrey when it comes to healthy eating. It highlights the importance of taking a holistic approach to healthy eating habits and balanced nutrition. As a county council we are committed to addressing these issues through our whole system food strategy action plan. Through the Surrey Food Partnership we are working with partners to implement evidence-based interventions that support our young people to be healthy and thrive.” 

[ENDS] 

Notes to Editors: 

• Professor Jane Ogden is available for interview, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.   

• The full paper is available at https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/8/1312 

• An image of Professor Ogden is available upon request. 

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Journal

Journal of Nutrients

DOI

10.3390/nu17081312