Valve's wireless VR headset, the Steam Frame, doesn't yet have a nailed down release date beyond the vague window of 'later this year'. I've got a hunch it'll drop soon though—and not because I put any stock in the Steam Frame subreddit's wild release date rituals. No, I'm instead feeling optimistic because both Lepton and FEX are now publicly available via Steam.
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Both of these pieces of software are key for the Steam Frame and required for its operation. Lepton can be thought of as a 'container' for gaming on Linux that lets it run Android games inside of it. FEX is a similarly important tool for the Snapdragon-powered device, but a smidge more complicated.
At the risk of oversimplifying, FEX takes 32-bit and 64-bit x86 games and translates them so they can be understood by Arm-based systems. The Steam Frame uses an Arm-based Snapdragon SoC, hence why FEX is required. Without it, it wouldn't be able to play most of the VR games available on Steam.
To be clear, neither Lepton nor FEX have an easily accessible Steam store page. This 'public release' is mostly good news for developers. For instance, Android devs can easily create an Android depot containing an apk for their game on Steam (the first Android game to be purchasable on Steam popped up back in November, in the form of an apk file for Walkabout Mini Golf).
From there, devs can set the apk as the launch executable for players using the Steam client. Steam Cloud will even support save data stored in the external Android data directory—that's some thought out integration.
(Image credit: Future)
FEX could be handy for any Arm system. Besides Valve saying it's 'definitely' already investigating an Arm-based gaming future, Nvidia's recently unveiled RTX Spark 'superchip' pairs an Nvidia GPU core with a MediaTek Arm chiplet.
Though I personally doubt an RTX Spark laptop or notebook will be the most affordable option, the SoC seems set to be a disruptive presence in the space no matter what. Our Dave has already played a native Arm build of Alan Wake 2 on an RTX Spark laptop, but that still leaves plenty of games that will benefit from Valve's work on the FEX translation layer in the future.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Jess has been writing about games for over ten years, spending a significant chunk of that time working on print publications PLAY and Official PlayStation Magazine. When she’s not investigating all things hardware here, she's either constructing a passionate defence of a 7/10 game, daydreaming about her debut novel, or feeling wistful about the last time she chased some nerds around a field with an oversized foam sword. %!s()
Graphical abstract. Credit: Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.06.016
As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are racing to understand why heat so profoundly threatens fertility across the animal kingdom. A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and collaborators has uncovered a surprising answer: The brain itself may help decide whether reproductive cells can withstand environmental stress.
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The research by Dr. Yonatan Tzur of Hebrew University, together with Dr. Chee Kiang Ewe, Dr. Hanna Achache and Professor Oded Rechavi of Tel Aviv University, reveals that nerve cells communicate with reproductive cells using RNA-based signaling, enabling the brain's perception of the environment to influence fertility long before damage occurs.
The findings, published in Current Biology, uncover a previously unknown pathway linking sensory perception, environmental stress and reproductive resilience.
Neurons prepare the germline
For decades, scientists believed that reproductive cells responded directly to environmental conditions such as heat. Instead, this study demonstrates that neurons actively help prepare and protect the germline—the cells that produce sperm and eggs—by transmitting molecular signals that influence how these cells cope with stressful conditions.
In the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the researchers discovered that small RNA molecules produced in neurons help preserve fertility under heat stress. When this signaling pathway was disrupted, animals became largely infertile at elevated temperatures because their sperm failed to develop properly. Remarkably, restoring the pathway only in neurons substantially rescued fertility.
The researchers also identified an unexpected player in this process: oxygen-sensing neurons. Simply altering how the nervous system perceives oxygen—even without changing the surrounding environment—improved reproductive success under heat stress. This finding suggests that animals integrate multiple environmental cues before investing energy in reproduction, allowing the nervous system to anticipate whether conditions are favorable for producing healthy offspring.
Loss of RDE-4 compromises sperm thermotolerance. Credit: Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.06.016
A broader stress response
Beyond fertility, the neuronal signaling pathway also helps maintain the genetic integrity of reproductive cells, reducing DNA damage that accumulates during heat stress. The discovery provides new insight into how nervous systems coordinate whole-body responses to environmental challenges and raises the possibility that similar communication mechanisms could exist in other animals, including mammals.
"We found that the nervous system isn't simply reacting to the environment—it actively instructs reproductive cells on how to respond," said Tzur of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "The brain appears to integrate environmental information and relay it to the germline, helping preserve fertility under stressful conditions. It changes how we think about the relationship between the nervous system and reproduction."
Rechavi of Tel Aviv University added, "As climate change increasingly affects fertility across many species, understanding the mechanisms that naturally protect reproductive cells becomes especially important. Our work reveals a completely unexpected communication channel between the brain and the germline that may represent a fundamental biological strategy for adapting reproduction to changing environments."
The findings deepen scientists' understanding of how organisms balance reproduction with environmental stress and open new avenues for studying fertility, adaptation and the biological consequences of climate change.
Publication details
Chee Kiang Ewe et al, Neuronal RNAi and oxygen-sensing circuit shape germline resilience to heat stress, Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.06.016
Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.
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How the brain helps protect fertility from heat-induced damage (2026, August 3)
retrieved 3 August 2026
from https://phys.org/news/2026-08-brain-fertility.html
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Lioness actress Laysla De Oliveira has become somewhat of an accidental action star. “I did not lift a single weight before I booked this part,” she jokes.
During the first season of the Paramount+ spy thriller, the 34-year-old actress’ character, Cruz Manuelos, was mostly undercover. That meant her action sequences, while exhilarating for the actress, were quite minimal. Then along came season two, where her character becomes a Delta Force operator and things get much more hands-on.
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“I had to up the workout routine because if you’re not ready, you don’t survive,” De Oliveira tells The Hollywood Reporter on a recent Zoom. Thankfully, for season three of the Taylor Sheridan series, which premiered Sunday on Paramount+, De Oliveira knew what to expect and has been training accordingly. She adds, “It’s such a sensorial experience, and a part of being able to get through the day is being able to have the strength to do so.”
There’s more to these action sequences, which Lioness is chock-full of, than looking comfortable in the scene. Training is needed to even get to the point where one can act. “The reality of the situation is you do it so that you can even hold the weight of the weapons, of the vests, of the helmet,” De Oliveira explains. “[It’s about] learning how to breathe when you have the weight of the vest on your chest, and it’s really, really hot and you have to run.”
De Oliveira tries to separate herself from the character and the physical toll the role takes in between season. She admits it’s hard to shed the character but it’s a necessity. The actress still goes to the gym when she’s not working on the show; she’s grown to enjoy it, but she’s firm about not pushing herself like she might when training for the show.
De Oliveira jokes that she wasn’t into working out before joining Lioness: “I did not lift a single weight before I booked this part.”
Ari Michelson
It’s unsurprising that while some of the training fades when she’s not shooting, it comes creeping back in once preparation for the season begins. She and the rest of the cast are sent to a pre-season bootcamp at Sheridan’s ranch, meant to help them prepare for shooting a new season. There they work with an individual trainer and learn close-quarters combat. The actors memorize every single position in these scenarios, so once the scripts come out, they’re ready to jump into whatever is needed of them.
Now three seasons in, De Oliveira notices just how much of Cruz she’s taken in. She recalls a conversation she had with a New York City server about their aversion to crowds. The pair realized that the server’s family had a background in the type of work De Oliveira portrays in Lioness.
“It’s just completely changed my brain composition,” she says of the show. “I went from a girly pop to a girly pop who now walks into a room and tries to figure out how to clear it if necessary.”
While shooting, De Oliveira and the others actors, who include Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, are always on, as the show shoots with up to seven cameras at times. There’s no such thing as coverage for one actor or the other on the set of Lioness — the actress likens it to a play. “It’s a different style of shooting. You have to be on the entire time,” she says.
De Oliveira jokes that if production can “stick a camera” in a spot that catch something another camera isn’t getting, they will. She adds, “If the camera gets to you and you run out of ammunition, you better remember how to do that reload.”
The show has led the actress to some experiences she likely never saw for herself before the role. Her first time in a helicopter was thanks to the show. She rightfully thinks of it as the “craziest experience” she’s had yet.
Genesis Rodriguez as Josie, De Oliveira as Cruz andJill Wagner as Bobby in Lioness season 3.
Lauren “Lo” Smith/Paramount+
“They took me up there, and they strapped me to the helicopter, and I was shooting guns,” she says, but thankfully, anything where she’s on the outside of the helicopter is done on the ground. “Taylor is very adamant about making it as truthful as possible, so it creates a very exciting environment for us.”
De Oliveira is adamant that safety is a huge priority on set, especially with weapons. “We do shoot with blanks,” she explains. “It looks very realistic, and it’s extremely dangerous.”
She notes that many productions opt to not use blanks for safety purposes, so on Lioness they “don’t go in all willy-nilly” and take protocol seriously. Part of their military training is learning how to lower their weapon as soon as someone crosses in front of them. De Oliveira notes their “incredible teachers” are “very, very adamant” about that.
When asked if she and the actors are able to communicate when they’re feeling uncomfortable with the weapons on set, she immediately confirms and reiterates that anyone not feeling comfortable with the weapon shouldn’t be stepping on set. The production also employs several military advisers, according to De Oliveira.
“The important thing is to do it in advance because there’s so many moving parts on the day. You never want to show up on the day and not feel secure about what you’re doing,” she says. The cast are given their instructions information and can write to them when they feel they need more practice. The actress notes that the entire process of learning to act with weapons and gear is a “forever learning process” that she and everyone else continues to settle into.
De Oliveira credits Sheridan with opening a big door for her with Lioness. Despite not being in the same location as the cast during season one, he sat with he,r and the pair ran every scene together. She finds him to be an “incredible acting coach” and misses that time from season one.
De Oliveira as Cruz and Ian Bohen as Grady in Lioness season 3.
Emerson Miller/Paramount+.
The actress jokes that she’ll call him now about a scene and he’ll tell her that she’s good. “We all love having his take on it because it comes from inside his head. He’s very talented. He operates on a different vibration,” she says of her boss.
“If you think about it as a sport, your vessel has to be ready to go because you will not survive the pace in which he works in and things change last minute. You just got to be a hundred percent on your game,” she continues. “If you can survive it, you come out a better artist and [with a better] skillset than you went in with.”
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This savory, rich, veggie-packed Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Ramen is about to seriously up your ramen game. But I know what you’re thinking. Instant ramen takes 3 minutes to cook, so why would you wait 3 hours? Because instead of using those simple seasoning packets, I build a bold, slow-simmered broth packed with fresh vegetables and layers of flavor. Think savory soy sauce, tangy rice vinegar, spicy sriracha, and brown sugar, all rounded out with cozy ginger and garlic. Add mushrooms, onions, and peppers, then let everything slowly meld into one seriously delicious broth. This easy slow cooker ramen is also totally budget-friendly and makes 8 generous servings all in one go!
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All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
A Slow Cooker Chicken Ramen That’s Big on Flavor
We’re no strangers to ramen here at Budget Bytes. It’s an inexpensive way to fill your belly, and there are so many easy ways to make instant ramen noodles taste better. My slow cooker version takes that idea one step further. It turns two humble packets of noodles into a hearty standalone meal with tender shredded chicken, plenty of vegetables, and a complex-tasting broth made from affordable pantry ingredients.
Unlike many of our other ramen recipes (which make one or two bowls at a time), this one makes a BIG batch, so there’s enough to feed the family, serve a small group, or portion out for later. As the chicken and veggies cook together, the broth becomes deeper, more rounded, and even more delicious. Then I add the noodles during the final 15 minutes, once the chicken is ready to shred. This helps them get nice and tender without sitting in the slow cooker for hours and turning mushy.
This slow cooker chicken ramen recipe already includes some of my favorite ramen add-ins, but there’s still plenty of room to pile on extra toppings if you’re feeling fancy. It’s not your average college ramen, but would still work on a college-student budget!
Use chicken breasts or thighs! I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they shred easily and soak up plenty of flavor from the broth. I also tested this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and they worked great. Thighs actually give the broth a slightly richer flavor thanks to their higher fat content. Use whichever you prefer.
Know when your chicken is done. The size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary quite a bit. It’s a good idea to check the thickest part of your chicken breast with an instant-read thermometer before shredding. Once it’s 165°F and pulls apart easily with two forks, it’s ready.
Add the ramen during the final 15 minutes. The noodles are the last thing to go in because they need far less time than the chicken and vegetables. Once the chicken is cooked, add the ramen and press it into the broth. Stir it gently after 15 minutes. You’re looking for tender noodles that still have a little structure.
Got a few veggie odds and ends hanging around in the fridge? Toss them in! I think broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, corn, peas, and green beans would all be delicious here.
Jazz up the broth. I love this recipe as is, but I’m always up for playing around with the flavors. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp miso paste, 1-2 Tbsp curry paste, or 2 Tbsp peanut butter during the final 15 minutes, whisking each one with a little hot broth first so it blends in smoothly. For a creamier bowl, add ½-1 cup canned coconut milk. Miso adds salty savory flavor, curry paste brings warmth and spice, peanut butter makes the broth richer, and coconut milk gives it a creamy finish. I’d choose one optional add-in rather than adding them all at once.
Cost $12.03 recipe / $1.50 serving
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This Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables Ramen transforms a couple of ramen packs into a big-batch dinner with tender chicken and fresh vegetables.
▢ 8 oz. mushrooms (cleaned and sliced, (227g) $1.94)
▢ 1 small onion (sliced thinly, (2 cups, 225g) $0.62)
▢ 1 red bell pepper (sliced thinly, (1 cup, 100g) $1.48)
▢ 2 garlic cloves (minced, (1 Tbsp) $0.12)
▢ 2 tsp fresh ginger (minced, $0.03)
▢ 3 cups chicken broth (24 oz., $0.39**)
▢ 1 cup soy sauce (8 oz., $0.85***)
▢ ½ cup rice vinegar (4 oz., $0.97)
▢ 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.31)
▢ 1 Tbsp sriracha ($0.14)
▢ 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)
▢ 2 packs ramen noodles (3 oz. each, $0.94)
▢ 2 green onions (sliced, $0.21)
Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Place the chicken, mushrooms, onions, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger, chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar in the crockpot. Fold all the ingredients together to combine.
Place the lid on and cook on high for 3 hours.
After 2 hours and 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the crock pot and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Using two forks, pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Open the packs of ramen and discard the flavor packets. Place the ramen noodles in the crockpot and top with the chicken to submerge it in the broth. Continue cooking for the last 15 minutes.
Turn off the slow cooker, stir everything together, and top the ramen with sliced green onions and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
*I tested this recipe with both chicken breasts and chicken thighs (boneless & skinless). Both work great with no adjustments needed, so use what you’ve got! Always thaw frozen chicken before adding it to the slow cooker to ensure it cooks safely and evenly.
**I like to use Better Than Bouillon for my chicken broth to keep costs low.
***If you’re sensitive to salt, use a low-sodium soy sauce and taste before adding any extra seasoning.
You can adjust the seasoning to your preference: Add more or less sriracha to control the spice, use less soy sauce (or a low-sodium option) if you don’t love a salty broth, or add more brown sugar if you want it sweeter.
The nutrition data is automatically calculated using all ingredients listed on the recipe card, including any listed as optional.Percentages are of daily value.
how to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables Ramen Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Build the broth: Add 1½ lb. chicken breasts, 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, 1 sliced onion, 1 sliced red bell pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 2 tsp minced fresh ginger to your slow cooker. Pour in 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp sriracha, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Gently stir everything together to coat the vegetables and dissolve the sugar.
Slow cook until the chicken is tender: Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. The vegetables will soften, the broth will become deeply flavorful, and the chicken should be cooked through and easy to shred. If you’re unsure, check the thickest part of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. It should register 165°F.
Shred the chicken: After 2 hours and 45 minutes, transfer the chicken breasts to a medium bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the ramen: Open 2 packs ramen noodles and discard the seasoning packets. Add the noodle blocks to the slow cooker, gently pressing them into the broth.
Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker on top of the noodles. Cover and cook for the final 15 minutes. The noodles should be tender but still hold their shape.
Garnish and serve: Give everything a good stir so the chicken, vegetables, and noodles are evenly distributed throughout the broth. Divide between bowls and top with 2 sliced green onions and any additional toppings you like (optional). Serve your crockpot chicken and vegetable ramen while it’s piping hot. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I like topping my ramen with a soy-marinated egg and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, as seen in the photos here. A soy-marinated egg is simply a soft-boiled egg left to soak in a soy sauce mixture made with many of the same ingredients already used in this recipe. You can see exactly how we make them in this video on our YouTube channel! Lime wedges, jalapeño slices, seaweed, corn, chili oil, cilantro, and our easy fermented vegetables are also delicious toppings.
This slow cooker chicken ramen also pairs nicely with our Thai cucumber salad or sesame slaw if you want something fresh and crunchy on the side.
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If you’re planning ahead, I recommend storing the broth and shredded chicken together without the noodles, then cooking fresh packs of ramen when reheating. But if everything is already mixed together, don’t worry! It’ll still taste delicious. Just note the noodles will soak up some of the broth and soften a bit over time.
Reheating
Reheat individual portions gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until steaming hot. If the noodles have soaked up some of the broth, stir in a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen everything back up.
If you stored the broth and chicken only, bring them to a gentle simmer, then add the fresh blocks of ramen and cook for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Freezing
For the best results, freeze just the broth and shredded chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (or use the defrost function on your microwave). Then reheat the broth on the stovetop and cook the fresh blocks of ramen directly in the hot broth before serving.
You can also freeze the noodles with the broth, but expect them to be a little softer after thawing and reheating!
Love Ramen? Try These Easy Recipes Next:
Our Coconut Curry Ramen is perfect for busy nights when you want all the comfort of ramen, but with a creamy curry twist and hardly any prep!
For a quick meat-free bowl, this Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen is packed with mushrooms and spinach in a smooth and flavorful broth.
This Gochujang Ramen with Tofu is another easy ramen upgrade I love, with a spicy, savory broth that’s ready in around 15 minutes.
Posted in: Asian Inspired Recipes, Budget Friendly Meal Prep Ideas, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Meal Prep, Chicken Pasta Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes, Dairy Free Recipes, Globally Inspired Recipes, Main Dish Recipes, One Pot Meals, Pasta Recipes, Recipes, Recipes under $15, Slow Cooker Recipes, Under $1.50 per serving
Melissa NolanMelissa is a proud Jacksonville native who attended FSU earning a business hospitality degree and a minor in anthropology. She then went to Johnson and Wales University to fulfill her dream of becoming a chef. Melissa’s culinary experience includes interning at Thomas Keller’s famed Per Se Restaurant in NYC and working at many of Northeast Florida’s finest restaurants. The past 5 years she has been able to share her knowledge and fallen in love with teaching at JAX Cooking Studio as a Chef Instructor. She’s excited for the next step in her career at Budget Bytes as a Recipe Developer. Her favorite things include coffee, dogs, and of course, FOOD!More About Melissa %!s()
The Arctic's frozen ground contains enormous stores of organic carbon. As permafrost thaws and coastlines erode, some of that carbon is carried into the ocean. There, microorganisms can break it down and release greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
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Until now, scientists have had limited information about how much of this carbon returns to the atmosphere and how much remains trapped in the ocean. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and MARUM - Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen have now examined this process along the permafrost coast of Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island) in Canada.
By studying sediment cores, the team found that large amounts of carbon from land are preserved in the seafloor. They also discovered that marine microorganisms behave like selective eaters, favoring fresh carbon from the ocean over older carbon released from permafrost. The findings were published in Nature Geoscience.
Vast Carbon Stores Are Beginning to Thaw
Permafrost ecosystems on Arctic land contain about 1,300 gigatonnes of organic carbon, much of it from plant remains. Another 400 gigatonnes are stored in ocean sediments and river deltas.
As the planet warms, the Arctic is heating faster than any other region. This rapid temperature rise is causing frozen ground to thaw and coastlines to break apart. Carbon that was previously locked in the soil can then reach the Arctic Ocean through rivers and coastal erosion.
"Consequently, up to 0.02 gigatonnes are entering the sea each year, and according to forecasts, this outflow could rise by 70 to 150 percent by the year 2100," says Dr. Manuel Ruben, lead author of the study from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). "However, how much of this is released back into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas and how much is stored in the seabed has, until now, been largely unknown."
Resolving that uncertainty is important because scientists need to know where the carbon ultimately ends up to estimate how thawing permafrost could affect the climate.
Sediment Cores Reveal Where the Carbon Goes
To investigate, the researchers collected sediment cores from several locations off the coast of Herschel Island. These cores contain layers of material deposited over roughly 50 years.
The results showed that only a relatively small share of the carbon swept into the ocean becomes part of the active carbon cycle.
"Although the sea here carries away huge quantities of organic carbon from the coast, surprisingly little of it ends up in the ocean's active carbon cycle," says Manuel Ruben. "Microorganisms convert around ten percent of the organic carbon from the sediments into gases, which rise into the water and can then enter our atmosphere."
Most of the remaining carbon stays buried in the seabed.
Chemical Clues Track Microbial Activity
The scientists analyzed the composition of the sediment cores and measured how quickly material from the permafrost accumulated on the ocean floor.
They also studied dissolved inorganic carbon found in tiny spaces between sediment particles, known as pore water. These measurements reveal how much CO2 microorganisms have released after consuming organic material.
The isotopic makeup of the pore water helped the team determine where that material came from.
"Carbon isotopes represent our atomic indicators that can identify the food source of the microorganisms," says Prof. Gesine Mollenhauer, a geochemist at the AWI and co-spokesperson for the 'The Ocean Floor - Earth's Unexplored Interface' cluster of Excellence. "The 13C isotope, for example, tells us whether they have consumed carbon from land or from the sea. By way of the 14C isotope, we were able to determine whether the single-celled organisms preferred old organic carbon from permafrost or fresh organic carbon from algae remains."
"Gourmet" Bacteria Prefer Fresh Carbon
The results suggest that the organisms living in the sediment are not equally interested in every type of carbon.
"The sediment is home to 'gourmet' bacteria that apparently prefer fresh carbon stemming from, for example, more recent algal remains over the 'old' carbon from permafrost deposits," explains Gesine Mollenhauer.
Because the microbes favor fresh marine material, older carbon from thawing permafrost may contribute less to atmospheric greenhouse gas levels than scientists once feared.
However, the researchers caution that the full picture is not yet clear.
"However, we do need further research here. This is because some of the organic carbon from the permafrost may already have been broken down before it reaches the seabed."
Coastal Carbon Could Reshape Arctic Ecosystems
The movement of carbon from land into the ocean may affect more than greenhouse gas emissions. It can also change the chemistry and biology of coastal waters that support food resources for local communities.
Sediment released by coastal erosion can reduce the amount of sunlight entering the water. Freshly eroded fragments make the coastal ocean cloudy, while dissolved organic carbon can darken the water.
That loss of light can affect single-celled organisms such as algae, which need sunlight to produce biomass and oxygen. This primary production supports a wider food web that includes fish, crustaceans and seals.
The researchers plan to explore these connections further during the international 'Arctic Pulse' campaign scheduled for 2027. Scientists will carry out coordinated observations from the Polarstern research icebreaker, aboard AWI research aircraft and at sites on land. Their goal is to understand how rapid environmental change is transforming Arctic ecosystems.
Improving Arctic Climate Models
"Our study shows, more precisely than ever before, how much carbon is safely stored in the seabed - and just how much of the decomposed material actually originates from the old permafrost," says Manuel Ruben. "This provides an important foundation for climate models that can predict the consequences of permafrost thawing for the global climate." %!s()
