News

Announcements

Saving the Last Rookery Island in Aransas Bay

NOAA awarded $4M to restore Deadman Island in Aransas Bay, vital for colonial waterbirds and local nature tourism.

Snowy Egrets, with their elegant white plumage and striking yellow feet, stand on a tree branch at the rookery island in Aransas Bay.

Research

Positive Feedback Loop Suggested for Ocean Acidification and Global Warming

Research shows ocean acidification disrupts nitrogen cycling by slowing nitrification and increasing nitrous oxide emissions, worsening global warming impacts.

Charles Bay showcases a serene and expansive body of water, bordered by lush greenery.

Accolades

NSF Awards Graduate Research Fellowships to 23 UT Natural Sciences Students

Dozens of graduate and undergraduate students of UT Austin's College of Natural Sciences were honored this year by the National Science Foundation.

Graduate students sit and stand in rows in a library setting

Announcements

Newly Opened Patton Center for Marine Science Education Offers Opportunities to Explore

A newly renovated and reimagined space for exploring the science of marine life and ecosystems is now open to the public, free of charge, on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas.

Two young children play at an exhibit that shows underwater sea life on a screen

Features

Visualizing Science 2022: Illuminating the Intrinsic Beauty in Academic Research

The winners of our most recent Visualizing Science contest include an image related to “smart” material research, simulations of a meeting between a neutron star and a black hole and the connection between two wildly different areas of mathematics.

Winning Image

Research

These Tiny Coral Reef Fish Parents Decide When Their Embryos Hatch

Leaving the comfort and safety of home to explore the world is a difficult decision. However, in a tiny coral reef fish called a neon goby, dads help their offspring take the plunge by pushing them out the door when the time is just right.

A pair of fish larvae newly hatched from eggs

Research

Adding Predictability to the Carbon Market

Salt marshes are a hot but unpredictable commodity in the carbon market.

A salt marsh seen from an aerial view on a clear day with a boat in the foreground

Announcements

The University of Texas at Austin Selects Director for Marine Science Institute

Ed Buskey, formerly the interim director of the UT Austin Marine Science Institute, has been selected to serve as director.

Director Buskey outside near jetty and pier in coastal setting

Research

Newly discovered bacteria and their proteins could advance our understanding of global nutrients

Marine microbiologists discovered five new bacteria phyla with unique proteins from deep-sea sediments, potentially redefining oceanic nutrient cycles.

Five new phyla, highlighted in the color background, contain an unusually high amount of novel proteins.

UT News

Virus Discovery Offers Clues About Origins of Complex Life

The first discovery of viruses infecting a group of microbes that may include the ancestors of all complex life has been found.

Illustration of the inside of a biological cell