The next time you breathe, consider this: photosynthesis of algae, powered by iron dust in the ocean, made it possible. Now, a new Rutgers University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pulls back the curtain on this vital process. Iron is a critical micronutrient for marine phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that form the foundation […]
Research
Be it Feast or Famine, Orangutans Adapt With Flexible Diets
Humans could learn a thing or two from orangutans when it comes to maintaining a balanced, protein-filled diet. Great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are marvels of adaptation to the vagaries of food supply in the wild, according to an international team of researchers led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick […]
National Association Establishes the Dr. Carl Pray Appreciation Club in Recognition of his Outstanding Global Contributions
At the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), scholars, colleagues and friends came together to celebrate the establishment of the Dr. Carl Pray Appreciation Club in recognition of the outstanding scholarly contributions, mentorship and international leadership of Carl Pray, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (DAFRE) […]
Can Saving Fish and Whales Help Fight Climate Change?
A new study in Global Biogeochemical Cycles explores whether protecting ocean animals like fish, whales, and other marine life could help slow climate change. The authors reviewed current science to see how these animals store and move carbon in the ocean—a process that could help keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Grace Saba, an affiliate […]
Are Superfund Cleanups Keeping Up with Climate Change?
Over a thousand contaminated sites across the U.S. are so dangerous to people and the environment that they’ve been put on the federal Superfund list. These sites often sit near rivers, coasts, or in wildfire-prone areas. As climate change brings more flooding, stronger hurricanes, and more frequent wildfires, these old industrial sites could pose even […]
Teaching Climate Change in Spanish Helps Reach More Students
Derek Shendell, an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute and professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at Rutgers School of Public Health, is co-author of a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Health. You can read the full study here1. Many students in New Jersey and across the […]
Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program Wins North American Agrivoltaics “Solar Farm of 2025″ Award
The North American Agrivoltaics Awards (NAAA) program announced on August 5 that Rutgers’ work in agrivoltaics had won its “Solar Farm of 2025” award. For the past several years, a project at Rutgers University, the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP), has been focused on “agrivoltaics,” also known as “dual-use” solar, and is showing that a farm’s […]
Rutgers Unveils New Sweet Bicolor Grape Tomato
After nearly a decade of painstaking research, a new tomato variety is ready for its moment in the sun. “Scarlet Sunrise,” a bicolor grape tomato developed through a long collaboration between Rutgers researchers Peter Nitzsche and Tom Orton, is a sweet, crack-resistant tomato with a golden hue and a reddish blush. Its name is meant to be evocative […]
Mississippi River Disruptions Could Raise Food and Fertilizer Costs, Study Finds
When drought and extreme weather lower water levels on the Mississippi River, it doesn’t just slow boats—it can ripple through the whole economy. A new study in Risk Analysis shows how climate change–related disruptions to fertilizer shipments along the river can shrink GDP and raise prices, especially in states like Illinois and Minnesota. Fred Roberts, an […]
How Puerto Rican Communities Stepped Up After Hurricane María
When Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico in 2017, it left behind widespread destruction—no power, destroyed homes, and thousands dead. Many people felt abandoned by the government. But some local groups stepped up to take care of their neighbors when official help never came. In a new study published in Geoforum, the authors explore how two […]
