UW News • 17th December 2025

Saturn’s biggest moon might not have a global ocean — but the search for life isn’t over

More than a decade ago, data from the Cassini mission to Saturn suggested that the planet’s largest moon, Titan, had a vast ocean of liquid water below its frozen surface. In a new study, UW researchers teamed up with NASA scientists to show that the interior is likely composed of slushy layers instead.

UW News • 13th November 2025

Carbon-rich waters are becoming even more acidic as atmospheric CO2 levels rise

The Northeastern Pacific Ocean is becoming more acidic faster than other oceans as the water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and natural processes feed carbon dioxide up from the deep. The rate of CO2 accumulation is outpacing atmospheric rises and driving acidity to new extremes.

UW News • 6th November 2025

Space dust reveals Arctic ice conditions before satellite imaging

A new University of Washington-led study shows that space dust sandwiched between layers of sediment tells scientists where and when ice covered the Arctic, and what happened to marine life when it disappeared.

UW News • 5th November 2025

The chilling effect of air pollution

New University of Washington-led research attributes accelerated warming to reduced cloud reflectivity. As efforts to improve air quality have reduced pollution, clouds have become less mirror-like, letting more solar radiation reach Earth and revealing the true impact of greenhouse gases.

UW News • 17th October 2025

The Paris Agreement is working, but not well enough to offset economic growth

University of Washington researchers analyzed data collected in the decade following the Paris Agreement, an international treaty signed in 2015 to limit warming by cutting emissions. The treaty has helped nations reduce the amount of carbon released per dollar, but emissions are still too high due to global economic growth.

UW News • 8th September 2025

Ocean warming puts vital marine microbe at risk

Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthesizing organism in the ocean, might be more vulnerable to climate change than researchers thought. Population decline could weaken the foundation of subtropical and tropical ecosystems as ocean temperatures continue to rise.

UW News • 4th September 2025

This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating

New findings call into question one of the core assumptions about teeth. Adult male spotted ratfish, a shark-like species native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, have rows of teeth on top of their heads, lining a cartilaginous appendage called the tenaculum, in addition to those in their jaws. They used their tenaculum teeth to grip females while mating in water.