Record-breaking human imaging project crosses the finish line: 100,000 volunteers provide science with most detailed look inside the body

UK Biobank

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There is an accompanying press briefing being hosted by the Science Media Centre in the UK. Please contact UK Biobank for the details.

In a remarkable achievement that is already impacting how we detect and diagnose disease, UK Biobank has completed the world’s largest whole body imaging project, scanning the brains, hearts, abdomens, blood vessels, bones and joints of 100,000 volunteers. These scans, on this scale, show us what is happening in people’s bodies as they age so we can understand how, why and when we get sick.  

Since 2015, UK Biobank’s imaging data have been released in batches1 and scientists around the world are using these data to develop better diagnostic tests for life-altering conditions such as heart disease, dementia and cancer. Soon, approved researchers will have access to over one billion de-identified images, from 100,000 volunteers. Used alongside UK Biobank’s existing information on lifestyle, medical history, genetics and blood proteins collected from the same volunteers over the past 15 years, these imaging data allow researchers to see, in ways that were previously impossible, how all aspects of our lives influence our health. 

So far, over 1,300 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published based on UK Biobank's imaging data. Results from these are already improving patient care in the NHS and beyond. For example: 

• NHS memory clinics across the UK now use processes developed from UK Biobank to analyse brain magnetic resonance (MR) images2, helping to more accurately diagnose dementia.  

• Cardiac care has been improved in over 90 countries as clinicians use an AI tool, developed using UK Biobank data3, to analyse heart scans in less than a second - where it used to take nearly a quarter of an hour - allowing them time to focus on the cases that require most care4. 

After 11 years, 100,000 imaging appointments lasting around 5 hours each, and over £60 million investment5, UK Biobank has reached this momentous milestone. “The unprecedented scale of this imaging project – more than 10 times bigger than anything that existed before – makes it possible for scientists to see patterns of disease that just couldn’t otherwise be seen. Collecting scans from 100,000 volunteers seemed to be a pipe dream… some experts even asked if we’d included an extra zero by mistake! This massive imaging project is making the invisible visible. What’s more, by combining these images from different parts of the body with all the genetic and lifestyle information from our volunteers, scientists are getting a far better understanding of how our bodies work,” said Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive of UK Biobank. 

During each appointment, over 12,000 Magnetic Resonance (MR) images from the brain, heart and abdomen were collected per person, as well as whole body scans that measure bone density and body fat, and an ultrasound of the carotid arteries. Each volunteer also provided the same detailed data as when they first signed up to UK Biobank around 15 years ago, including lifestyle information, physical measures (like height, weight and grip strength), and a blood sample. “I signed up to my imaging appointment because I want to help create a healthier future for all of us to enjoy. That’s why I first volunteered to be part of UK Biobank over 15 years ago – to be of use to scientists who are working hard to help future generations,” said, Alison, a member of UK Biobank’s Participant Advisory Group.  

Imaging data on this scale provides more information on rare diseases and the different stages of common diseases. Scientists can also better compare healthy bodies to ones with multiple conditions, ultimately leading to researchers finding more powerful markers of disease. “UK Biobank’s imaging study has transformed the landscape of biomedical research forever. The sheer volume of data propelled major advances in computerised image analysis. Now researchers can measure the size, shape, and composition of nearly every organ and tissue in the body in seconds, rather than hours per person,” said, Professor Louise Thomas, Professor of Metabolic Imaging at the University of Westminster. 

As well as providing impacts which are benefiting patients right now, these imaging data are driving discovery science, which should lead to new diagnostic tests and treatments. These include:  

• Developing an AI model that creates a personalised version of a healthy heart (based on the individual’s age, sex, weight and height), that could be used to pinpoint the differences between a patient's real heart and its healthy model and catch potential signs of heart diseases early6. 

• Revealing how our organs can be biologically older than our chronological age, so that doctors might be able to look at someone’s body scan and clinical data to see what organs are at risk of developing disease, and find ways to prevent it, ultimately extending lifespan7. 

• Uncovering new ways in which the heart and brain are connected. For example, how structural changes to the heart cause an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, including depression. This is crucial for our understanding of brain diseases8. 

• Highlighting how an invasive surgical procedure can be replaced with an MRI scan to diagnose and monitor a common condition called fatty liver disease9.  

• Predicting the early onset of 38 diseases by combining MR images with other health data and using AI, showing the power of advanced technology to foresee health risks well before symptoms appear10. 

• Showing how consuming one to two units of alcohol per day is linked to potentially harmful reductions in brain size and brain structure11, which is likely to lead to an increased risk of memory loss and dementia.   

• Revealing that people with the same BMI can store fat in very different ways based on their genes – some which raise the risk of diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and others in a protective way12. 

• Using DEXA scanning to identify that 1 in 10 middle-aged people, with no other symptoms, have calcification in the abdominal area of the aorta (main blood vessel of the body), a largely under-diagnosed lethal condition13.   

Data on this scale are unlocking opportunities to use machine learning to help predict disease years before symptoms start to appear. “The beauty of UK Biobank is the breadth of the data collected from the generous volunteers, and the imaging scans add another layer of exquisite detail. One recent study used the brain imaging data from 20,000 participants, along with activity monitoring and genetic data, to develop an AI tool to predict who may go on to develop Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases14. I can’t wait to see what imaging data on 100,000 individuals will reveal!” said, Professor Paul Matthews, Chair of the UK Biobank Imaging Working Group.   

This project has also led to a global democratisation of access to imaging data, by turning the MR images into data that are useable by researchers outside the imaging field, including those in less wealthy countries. “We’ve had such incredible feedback about how researchers across the world are using findings from the imaging project in areas of science that would not have ever considered using body scanning information before,” said, Professor Naomi Allen, Chief Scientist at UK Biobank. 

UK Biobank’s imaging project was piloted in 2014 with over 7,000 volunteers scanned – a record-breaking number at that time. The main phase started in 2016, welcoming 100,000 of UK Biobank’s 500,000 volunteers to a 5-hour imaging appointment at one of four dedicated imaging centres across the country. The project is continuing to invite UK Biobank’s volunteers to imaging appointments beyond the 100,000 target. 

A second phase of the imaging project was launched in 2022, aiming to perform repeat imaging on 60,000 of these 100,000 scanned participants, at least two years after their first imaging appointment. This project is ongoing and expected to reach completion in 2029. 

UK Biobank data are made available to approved researchers in staggered releases via the secure cloud-based UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform (UKB-RAP). Imaging data from all 100,000 participants are expected to be made available to researchers by the end of 2025. 

 

-ENDS- 

 

For a digital pack containing photos and more details about the project please visit this link. For more information and requests for interview please contact: Naomi Clarke, Head of Press, UK Biobank naomi.clarke@ukbiobank.ac.uk +44 (0)7903 158 979 or Grace Tyrrell, Press Officer, UK Biobank grace.tyrrell@ukbiobank.ac.uk +44 (0)7484 075217. 

Notes to editors: 

UK Biobank is the world’s most comprehensive source of biomedical data available for health research in the public interest. Over the past 15 years we have collected biological, health and lifestyle information from 500,000 UK volunteers. The dataset is continuously growing, with additions including the world’s largest set of whole genome sequencing data, imaging data from 100,000 participants and a first-of-its kind set of protein biomarkers from 54,000 participants. Since 2012, scientists from universities, charities, companies and governments across the world can apply to use the data to advance modern medicine and drive the discovery of new preventions, treatments and cures. Over 21,000 researchers, based in more than 60 countries, are using UK Biobank data, and more than 16,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published as a result. The data are de-identified and stored on our secure cloud-based platform. UK Biobank is a registered charity and was established by Wellcome and the Medical Research Council in 2003. You can read more about our funding here. www.ukbiobank.ac.uk, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram 

 

 References: 

1. New tranches of data from UK Biobank’s imaging assessment are uploaded to UK Biobank’s Data Showcase on a regular basis, with the first imaging data for 5,000 participants uploaded in October 2015. Currently, imaging data for over 80,000 participants are available to approved researchers. 

2. Adapting UK Biobank imaging for use in a routine memory clinic setting: The Oxford Brain Health Clinic, Griffanti et al, NeuroImage: Clinical, November 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213158222003382  

3. A population-based phenome-wide association study of cardiac and aortic structure and function, Bai et al, Nature Medicine, August 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1009-y  

4. A Multicenter, Scan-Rescan, Human and Machine Learning CMR Study to Test Generalizability and Precision in Imaging Biomarker Analysis, Bhuva et al, Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, September 2019 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.119.009214  

5. The programme to image 100,000 participants was funded by the government-funded Medical Research Council (MRC), Wellcome, the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), who together provided a total of £62million.  

6. A personalized time-resolved 3D mesh generative model for unveiling normal heart dynamics, Qiao et al, Nature Machine Intelligence, May 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-025-01035-5  

7. Heterogeneous aging across multiple organ systems and prediction of chronic disease and mortality, Tian et al, Nature Medicine, April 2023. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02296-6  

8. Heart-brain connections: Phenotypic and genetic insights from magnetic resonance images, Zhao et al, Science, June 2023. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn6598  

9. Cardiac and liver impairment on multiorgan MRI and risk of major adverse cardiovascular and liver events, Jackson et al, Nature Medicine, May 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03654-2  

10. Deep learning predicts onset acceleration of 38 age-associated diseases from blood and body composition biomarkers in the UK Biobank, Ji et al, GeroScience, June 2025. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-025-01702-w  

11. Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank, Daviet et al, Nature Communications, March 2022. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28735-5  

12. Genetic Evidence for Different Adiposity Phenotypes and Their Opposing Influences on Ectopic Fat and Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease, Martin et al, Diabetes, May 2021. https://diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/article/70/8/1843/137911/Genetic-Evidence-for-Different-Adiposity  

13. Calcification of the abdominal aorta is an under-appreciated cardiovascular disease risk factor in the general population, Sethi et al, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, October 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.1003246/full  

14. Multi-modal machine learning approach for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases leveraging brain MRI and wearable sensor data, Li et al, PLOS Digital Health, April 2025. https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000795 

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Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the acc

 

Bio detection dogs successfully detect Parkinson’s disease by odor, study finds

University of Bristol

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People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have an odour that can be reliably detected from skin swabs by trained dogs, a new study has shown.

The research, in collaboration with Medical Detection Dogs and the Universities of Bristol and Manchester, is published in The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease today [15 July].

Two dogs were trained by the charity, Medical Detection Dogs, to distinguish between sebum swabs from people with and without Parkinson’s disease.

In a double blind trial, they showed sensitivity of up to 80% and specificity of up to 98%.

Not only that, they detected it in samples from patients who also had other health conditions.

The dogs were trained over a number of weeks on over 200 odour samples from individuals that had tested positive for PD and control samples from people who did not have the disease. Samples were presented to the dogs on a stand system and the dogs were rewarded for correctly indicating a positive sample and for correctly ignoring a negative sample.

In the double-blind testing, meaning that only a computer knew where the correct samples were, each line was also presented in reverse order so that samples for which no decision was made were re-presented. Then any unsearched samples were collected together in new lines, until a decision had been made for all samples.

A definitive diagnostic test for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) remains elusive, so identification of potential biomarkers could help diagnosis and timely intervention.

Claire Guest, Medical Detection Dogs CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, says: “We are extremely proud to say that once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease.

“There is currently no early test for Parkinson’s disease and symptoms may start up to 20 years before they become visible and persistent leading to a confirmed diagnosis.

“Timely diagnosis is key as subsequent treatment could slow down the progression of the disease and reduce the intensity of symptoms.”

Nicola Rooney, Associate Professor at Bristol Veterinary School at the University of Bristol and lead author, says: “Identifying diagnostic biomarkers of PD, particularly those that may predict development or help diagnose disease earlier is the subject of much ongoing research. The dogs in this study achieved high sensitivity and specificity and showed there is an olfactory signature distinct to patients with the disease. Sensitivity levels of 70% and 80% are well above chance and I believe that dogs could help us to develop a quick non-invasive and cost-effective method to identify patients with Parkinson’s disease.”

Perdita Barran, Professor of Mass Spectrometry at The University of Manchester, said: "It’s wonderful to be part of this research inspired by Joy Milne and our Nose2Diagnose programme. This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that simple, non-invasive skin swabs can be used to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, offering a faster and more accessible method for early detection."

The two dogs in the study were Golden Retriever, Bumper and Black Labrador, Peanut.

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Journal

Journal of Parkinson’s Disease

DOI

10.1177/1877718X251342485 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease

Article Publication Date

15-Jul-2025

 

How plants survive drought: The unsuspected role of myosin XI in guard cells

Harnessing the plant motor protein myosin XI to engineer drought-resilient crops

Waseda University

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Myosin XI plays a surprising role in hormone-driven stomatal closure, helping plants conserve water during drought stress

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Credit: Professor Motoki Tominaga from Waseda University

With intensifying global warming and climate change, drought has become a major threat to global agriculture, impacting crop yields and food security. To survive such adverse events, plants have evolved several strategies. One such strategy to counteract water scarcity is ‘stomatal closure,’ where stomata—the tiny pores on leaf surfaces responsible for gaseous exchange—close to limit water loss. This process is regulated by the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which plays a crucial role in the plant’s internal stress-response mechanisms.

While the role of ABA in drought response is well-established, researchers have now identified a surprising contributor to this process: myosin XI, a motor protein traditionally known for transporting cellular components. To explore this, a team of researchers led by Professor Motoki Tominaga from Waseda University, Japan, conducted a study to determine whether myosin XI actively contributes to drought response in plants and to uncover the processes involved. “Although previous studies have suggested a potential involvement of myosin XI in drought stress responses, the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear,” shares Tominaga. The findings of this research were published in Volume 44 of Plant Cell Reports on June 19, 2025. The study was co-authored by Graduate Student Haiyang Liu, also from Waseda University.

Researchers used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model to investigate the role of myosin XI in drought response. They used genetically modified plants lacking one, two (2ko), or all three (3ko), major myosin XI genes. These were then compared to wild-type plants across several tests, including drought survival assays, water loss measurements, stomatal aperture analysis, and ABA sensitivity. They also measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, visualized microtubules with fluorescent markers, and tracked expression of ABA-responsive genes via qRT-PCR. This comprehensive approach allowed them to assess the functional contribution of myosin XI to drought tolerance and ABA signaling in plants.

The results were striking. Plants lacking myosin XI, especially the 2ko and 3ko mutants, showed a higher rate of water loss, impaired stomatal closure, and lower survival under drought. They were also less responsive to ABA, as seen in higher germination rates and reduced inhibition of root growth under hormone treatment. At the cellular level, these mutants exhibited reduced ROS production as well as disrupted microtubule remodeling, both of which are essential for ABA-induced stomatal closure. Key stress-related genes also showed decreased expression, indicating that myosin XI plays a regulatory role in ABA signaling.

These findings reveal that myosin XI is not just a transport protein, but it actively supports plant drought defense by coordinating ROS signaling, microtubule remodeling, and gene activation in guard cells. This enables plants to close stomata more effectively and conserve water. “It was found that in multiple mutants of plant myosin XI, the rate of water loss during drought is four times faster than in the wild type,” notes Tominaga. “This finding offers a new perspective on how plants adapt to environmental changes.”

This study presents several important breakthroughs and paves the way for new research directions. It reveals a previously unrecognized role of myosin XI in the plant abiotic stress response, offering deeper insight into how intracellular transport systems aid environmental adaptation. Additionally, it identifies a promising molecular target for enhancing drought resistance in crops.

“This discovery is expected to advance fundamental research on how plants respond to stress and contribute to the development of technologies that improve water-use efficiency in crops grown in drought-prone regions,” shares Tominaga. “We aim to further advance our research so that this knowledge can be applied to agricultural technologies that support farming in the face of climate change,” he adds.

In summary, this study uncovers myosin XI as a critical player in the plant drought response, linking cellular transport machinery to hormone signaling. As climate pressures grow, insights like these offer promising paths toward developing resilient, water-efficient crops for a changing world.

 

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Reference

 

 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-025-03538-2

 

Authors: Haiyang Liu1 and Motoki Tominaga1,2

 

Affiliations      

1Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University

2Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University

 

About Waseda University
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Waseda University is a leading private research university that has long been dedicated to academic excellence, innovative research, and civic engagement at both the local and global levels since 1882. The University has produced many changemakers in its history, including eight prime ministers and many leaders in business, science and technology, literature, sports, and film. Waseda has strong collaborations with overseas research institutions and is committed to advancing cutting-edge research and developing leaders who can contribute to the resolution of complex, global social issues. The University has set a target of achieving a zero-carbon campus by 2032, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. 

To learn more about Waseda University, visit https://www.waseda.jp/top/en  

 

About Professor Motoki Tominaga from Waseda University
Motoki Tominaga is a Professor at the Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, School of Education, Waseda University. He completed his PhD in 2000 at the Himeji Institute of Technology. Subsequently, he worked at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, RIKEN, and the Japan Science and Technology PRESTO program. He joined Waseda University in 2014 as an Assistant Professor and has, since then, risen through the ranks to become a Professor. An expert in actomyosin dynamics, he is known for his work on motor protein regulation and its applications in improving plant growth and productivity.

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Journal

Plant Cell Reports

DOI

10.1007/s00299-025-03538-2 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Myosin XI coordinates ABA‑induced stomatal closure via microtubule stability and ROS synthesis in drought‑stressed Arabidopsis

 

In a competitive world, mean leaders look smart

People who believe the world’s a social jungle more likely to admire aggressive bosses, study says

American Psychological Association

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People who view the world as a savage social jungle are more likely to admire antagonistic leaders, praising their competence, while those who see the social world as cooperative and benign might just call those leaders clueless, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

“Why do some people see antagonistic behavior in leaders – especially when it’s particularly mean or forceful or disagreeable – as a sign of incompetence, while others view it as a mark of savvy leadership?” said Christine Nguyen, a doctoral student at Columbia Business School and co-author of the paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “We suspect the answer might be not only about the leaders but also about the people evaluating them, and how those people see the world. In other words, beastly is in the eye of the beholder.”

Nguyen and co-author Daniel Ames, PhD, a social psychologist and professor of management at Columbia Business School, theorized that people who believe society is competitive are more likely to value antagonism. 

“People who see the world as a competitive jungle may forgive, or even credit, leaders for being aggressive and heavy-handed. Those who see the world as a collaborative place may see such leaders as obnoxious, ineffective or naive,” said Ames.

Antagonistic behavior includes actions perceived as mean, tough, forceful and intimidating. On the other end of the spectrum are behaviors seen as friendly, kind, agreeable and caring.

Researchers conducted a series of surveys and experiments involving more than 2,000 participants. In one experiment, participants were asked to rate the impact of a series of behaviors, some of which would be considered antagonistic (e.g., being abrasive and blunt, calling out and blaming people, making threats or ultimatums). In another, participants read about hypothetical workplace environments led by managers with varying degrees of antagonistic behavior. Some were asked to rate past behaviors of real-world CEOs.

Across all the experiments, participants who saw the world as more competitive were more likely to rate antagonistic managers or leaders as competent compared with participants who saw the world as more cooperative. Participants with stronger competitive jungle beliefs were also more likely to rate antagonistic behaviors as having a more positive impact or being more effective than collaborative behaviors.

Researchers found similar effects when they asked participants to speculate about the past behavior of widely admired leaders. When people evaluated successful CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook or General Motors’ Mary Barra, those who thought the world was a competitive jungle assumed that those leaders must have used confrontational tactics more frequently on their rise to the top and believed those tactics helped them succeed. 

One especially interesting finding was that employees higher in competitive jungle beliefs said that they would be more likely to choose and stay with, and less likely to leave, antagonistic managers, than those lower in competitive jungle beliefs. 

“When we asked employees about their current managers, we found that employees higher in competitive jungle beliefs currently had more antagonistic managers compared with those lower in competitive jungle beliefs,” said Nguyen. “This suggested to us that, over time, through processes like employees selectively joining and leaving, antagonistic leaders may find themselves surrounded by a subset of employees with stronger competitive jungle beliefs, who are more tolerant and approving of their behavior.”

These findings shed light on how and why some antagonistic leaders succeed, despite creating tension or seeming off-putting, according to the authors.

“Our findings may help explain how and why antagonistic leaders might be endured, excused or even celebrated by those who work with or under them, allowing them to attain and remain in positions of power,” Ames said.

Nguyen noted that most participants were from the United States, which may limit how broadly the results apply. The study also focused on workplace scenarios and perceptions of organizational leaders. Future research could explore how these dynamics play out in broader social or cultural contexts.

Article: “Savvy or Savage? How Worldviews Shape Appraisals of Antagonistic Leaders,” by Christine Nguyen, BA, and Daniel Ames, PhD, Columbia University. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published online July 14, 2025.

Contact: Christine Nguyen can be contacted at cqn2101@columbia.edu. Daniel Ames can be contacted at daniel.ames@gsb.columbia.edu.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes 173,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.

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Journal

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI

10.1037/pspa0000456 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Savvy or Savage? How Worldviews Shape Appraisals of Antagonistic Leaders

Article Publication Date

14-Jul-2025

 

So what do the world’s coastlines look like in 2025?

University of Plymouth

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Professor Stephen Hawkins, seen here on the Devon (UK) coastline, has been studying changes to coastal environments for 50 years

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Credit: Marine Biological Association

At the dawn of the millennium, a group of eminent scientists began compiling a list of the threats they felt were most likely to impact the world’s rocky shorelines over the coming quarter of a century.

Published in 2002, it included forecasts that – among other things – pollution from oil spills would decrease, the number of invasive species across the world would rise, genetically-modified organisms would have harmful effects on the ocean, and the impacts of global climate change would be felt more intensely.

Now, 25 years on, the same academics – along with a larger and more wide-ranging team of international experts – have revisited their forecasts and discovered that many of them were correct, either in whole or in part, while others haven’t had the impacts that were envisaged at the time.

They have also charted some of the other threats to have emerged and grown in significance since their original work, with notable examples including global plastic pollution, ocean acidification, extreme storms and weather, and light and noise pollution.

In doing so, they have also highlighted that while there are key issues they believe are likely to threaten the world’s coastlines between now and 2050, others may also emerge that require varying levels of local and global action to try and tackle them.

The two studies were led by Professor Stephen Hawkins, Lankester Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association, and co-authored by Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth.

For the new study, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, they also collaborated with Dr Kathryn O’Shaughnessy and other colleagues working at the Marine Biological Association and University of Plymouth and various other organisations in the UK, USA, South Africa, Italy, Ireland, Chile, China and Monaco.

Collectively, they incorporated expertise in disciplines including climate change, marine biology, plastic pollution, light and noise pollution, and eco-engineering demonstrating – the researchers say – the importance of factoring in multiple perspectives when discussing environmental threats.

Professor Hawkins, also an Emeritus Professor at the University of Southampton, said: “Our shorelines are sentinels for the global ocean and, for many people, their window to what is happening in our seas. Protecting their continued health is essential, but they are constantly facing multiple threats from land, sea and environmental change. Our two studies have shown that over the past 25 years, it is possible to forecast some of the challenges the planet might face in the future and to identify ways they might be addressed. However, there will always be things we can’t foresee – and things that don’t materialise as scientists might expect – and finding a balance will always be key to minimising the impact we have on our planet.”

Professor Thompson, recently named by TIME magazine among its 100 most influential people in the world for 2025, said: “In the past quarter of a century, most of the world has become more aware of the threats facing our planet. The key questions have always been around the best way of tackling them. Marine scientists have shown that a combination of global and local action can bring about positive change – the successful banning of tributyltin (TBT) by the International Maritime Organization in 2003 being a notable example. As international discussions continue around factors such a Global Plastics Treaty and the most effective ways to reduce global warming, it is important that we recognise past environmental success and build on them.”

What the scientists got right

• Oil spills would decrease in frequency and quantity;
• More food would be collected from rocky shores, both recreationally and commercially;
• The global redistribution of non-native species would increase as global temperatures change;
• A combination of agricultural intensification, and riverside and coastal urbanisation, would lead to increased sediment running into rivers, estuaries and seas.

What the scientists got partly right

• The forecasts were insufficiently optimistic about reductions in the impacts of chemical compounds, such as tributyltin (TBT), which were subsequently the subject of international legislation;
• Scientists were very aware of the influence of climate fluctuations, but didn’t fully appreciate the varied impacts they would have on species and ecosystems;
• They also underestimated the importance of extreme weather events resulting from climate change;
• Scientists correctly predicted an increase in coastal defence structures to tackle rising sea levels and stormier seas but underestimated their likely impacts on wider coastal ecosystems;
• Recreational use of coastal areas has increased, but rather than having a solely negative effect it has actually led to people appreciating these regions more.

What the scientists got wrong

• Coastlines are more vulnerable now to eutrophication – an increase in the concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus – than they were 25 years ago;
• Concerns about the intensification of aquaculture, and particularly impacts from genetically modified organisms, have so far proved unfounded;
• Anticipated harm to habitats as a result of offshore renewable energy installations has not materialised;
• The impacts of ultraviolet radiation on coastal species were not fully appreciated.

What the scientists missed

• The impacts of coastal mining;
• Ocean acidification and its potential impact on marine species;
• The effects of artificial light pollution;
• The effects of noise pollution;
• Extreme flood and drought events;
• The scale and effects of plastic pollution;
• The impacts of pharmaceutical contamination;
• The combined effects of various environmental threats and chemical compounds.

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Journal

Marine Pollution Bulletin

DOI

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118214 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Hindsight informs foresight: revisiting millennial forecasts of impacts and status of rocky shores in 2025

Article Publication Date

12-Jun-2025

Ritualistically buried donkey remains provide insight into trade and culture in ancient Israel

by Krystal Kasal, Phys.org

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

Donkeys played an important role in the lives of ancient Mediterranean people, providing both food and a means of carrying goods. New evidence from an early Bronze Age (2900–2600/2550 BCE) archaeological site in modern-day Israel shows that certain donkeys were also used in ritualistic sacrifices. The study, published in PLOS One, provides evidence that Egyptian donkeys were used in trade and ritualistically sacrificed by ancient Canaanites, while donkeys of local origin were used as food.

The study describes the burial of four donkeys found under a home at the Tell eṣ-âfi/Gath site in Israel, which was a major urban center in the early Bronze Age period. All of the donkeys were young females in the prime of their lives and were buried with their legs bound and heads facing east. The head of one of the donkeys was removed and placed on its abdomen, but it was also found facing eastward. The meticulous placement and arrangement of the four donkeys indicate a sacrificial or ritualistic burial.

The jaw bone of another donkey was found in a different area of the same site, along with sheep and goat remains. It appears that these animals were consumed as food, and their remains were discarded in a non-ritualistic manner. The teeth of the five donkeys were analyzed using multi-isotope analyses of carbon, oxygen and strontium. The researchers found that the four ritualistically buried donkeys had changes in their teeth that indicated that they were from the Nile Valley region, while the remains of the donkey used for food were of local origin.

This evidence indicates that the more exotic Egyptian donkeys had higher social value than their local counterparts. The study authors explain, "It is the Egyptian import status that is one of the key criteria for an animal to be selected for sacrifice. Being young and female are the other two variables. Thus, young female donkeys from Egypt are the ideal sacrificial animal at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath." This also provides some insight into the importance of trade between the two regions, building upon the evidence of prior research.

Interestingly, the sacrificed donkeys were buried under a house that would have been considered to be in a "non-elite" neighborhood. This highlights that these ritualistic animal sacrifices were not only conducted by the wealthy and powerful people of the time, but also by more "middle-class" urban households.

Despite the limitations of the study, such as the small sample size and underdeveloped Egyptian isotopic baselines, this new information provides valuable insight into the daily life and trade customs of Bronze Age Canaanites.

Written for you by our author Krystal Kasal, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Andrew Zinin—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

More information: Elizabeth R. Arnold et al, An isotopic perspective on equid selection in cult at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, Israel, PLOS One (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0326421

Journal information: PLoS ONE 

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Tang Dynasty noblewoman buried with her donkeys, for the love of polo