Our new research shows that “forever chemicals” (PFAS) have reached every corner of the ocean, contaminating a far wider range of whales and dolphins than expected, even deep-diving species far from human activity. Surprisingly, habitat had little influence on exposure while age and sex mattered more. These findings reveal PFAS are deeply embedded in marine food webs, raising urgent concerns for ocean health and the species that depend on it, including us.

Rextinct is a new R package that estimates extinction dates using radiocarbon-dated fossils. It implements CRIWM, a method that accounts for gaps in the fossil record and dating uncertainty. Unlike older tools, it doesn’t assume fossil ages are evenly spread or errors are normally distributed, making it more accurate and flexible. Rextinct helps scientists track when species disappeared—and understand why.

As the world’s oceans absorb over 90% of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions, rising sea temperatures are driving major changes in marine ecosystems. We predict that both sperm and blue whales will shift their range southward around New Zealand by 2100, especially under more severe climate scenarios. This mouvement threatens key foraging grounds like Kaikōura and South Taranaki Bight. Protecting emerging southern habitats could offer future sanctuaries for these vital o