More than 60,000 African penguins vanished from two of South Africa’s most important breeding islands in less than a decade, and scientists say they now understand why.

A study published in the journal Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology has revealed that the collapse of sardine stocks triggered an unprecedented wave of starvation, wiping out more than 95 percent of the colonies on Dassen Island and Robben Island between 2004 and 2012.

The discovery highlights a crisis unfolding across the entire species. African penguins have declined by nearly 80 per cent globally in the past thirty years, and the dramatic losses on these islands show how dangerously close they are to disappearing altogether.

Penguins died due to the collapse in food supply

The research, conducted by the University of Exeter and South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, found that the birds died primarily because their main prey fish virtually disappeared.

Sardine biomass fell to less than 25 per cent of its historical maximum for years, creating conditions that made it impossible for many penguins to survive. Around 62,000 birds are thought to have died between 2004 and 2011, a period when sardine stocks remained critically low.

The study contends that these shortages were caused by changes in the environment of the area, such as warmer and saltier waters that made it harder for sardines to reproduce, along with constant fishing pressure that continued even as sardine numbers fell.

Starvation during the moult proved fatal

One of the most striking findings concerns the penguins’ annual moult. During this process, African penguins shed and regrow their feathers, which means they cannot enter the water to hunt for about twenty-one days.

They rely entirely on stored fat and muscle to survive this fasting period. Lead researcher Dr. Richard Sherley explained that if penguins are unable to find enough food before the moult, or immediately afterwards,

They simply do not have the reserves needed to stay alive. With sardines in short supply, thousands of birds entered the moult already weakened, and many never recovered.

Colonies that once thrived now nearly empty

Dassen Island and Robben Island were once strongholds for African penguins, hosting tens of thousands of breeding birds. By 2012, more than 95 percent of these populations had disappeared.

The islands now serve as powerful illustrations of how quickly a species can collapse when its food chain fails.

The losses formed a major part of the evidence that led to African penguins being classified as critically endangered in 2024, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining worldwide.

Fisheries mismanagement is under scrutiny.

Marine conservation experts say the crisis also reflects long-term failures in managing sardine fisheries. The study found that commercial fishing continued even when sardine numbers fell below safe biological thresholds.

Removing prey fish at such low levels meant penguins had little chance of recovering their strength after the moult or feeding chicks successfully. Some scientists argue that the penguin die-off was not an isolated event but part of a wider pattern affecting several sardine-dependent species in South African waters. Recently,

South Africa has introduced fishing bans around the six largest penguin breeding colonies to reduce competition for sardines. Other interventions include providing artificial nests, controlling predators and rehabilitating undernourished chicks.

There are early signs of stability in a few colonies, although researchers warn that recovery remains uncertain. Sardine stocks must rebuild to sustainable levels before penguins can begin to recover their population strength.

A species on the edge

The study concludes that future success depends on strict limits to sardine fishing whenever stocks fall below 25 percent of their maximum abundance. Allowing sardine numbers to rebuild would give penguins a chance to survive the moult and raise chicks more successfully. For now,

The mass die-off on Dassen and Robben Islands remains one of the most severe wildlife losses in modern South African history. It also stands as a warning that without urgent action, one of Africa’s most iconic seabirds could disappear within a generation.

The launch of Sentinel-6B, a new environmental monitoring satellite developed as part of a multibillion-dollar worldwide programme, marks a significant advancement in climate monitoring.

NASA has made a major advancement in its long-term climate monitoring mission. Launched in mid-November atop a SpaceX rocket, the satellite is expected to provide highly precise data on sea-level rise and atmospheric conditions, letting scientists follow the growing impacts of climate change.

Measuring 19.1 feet long and weighing around 2,600 pounds when fuelled, Sentinel-6B has powerful sensors capable of capturing minute changes across Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. Currently in orbit, Sentinel-6B flies about 30 seconds behind its twin, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite.

When scientists and engineers have completed cross-calibrating the data collected by the two spacecraft, Sentinel-6B will take over the role of providing primary sea level measurements, while Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will move into a different orbit.

Sentinel-6B: NASA’s new satellite advances sea-level and climate change research.

As per NASA, the Jason Continuity of Service mission on the Sentinel-6 spacecraft is an international partnership between the U.S. and Europe. Jason-CS/Sentinel-6 includes two identical satellites, with the first launched November 21, 2020 (Sentinel-6) and the second launched November 16, 2025 (satellite B).

These satellites will continue to detect global sea level rise, one of the most significant markers of climate change brought on by human activity, just like their predecessors. Data collected supports city planners, as well as municipal and state governments, to make informed decisions on protecting coastal infrastructure and other coastal assets.

Both satellites measure sea levels, wind speeds, and wave heights, which meteorologists feed into models that provide marine weather forecasts. The data will also enhance operational oceanography through improved forecasts of ocean currents as well as wind and wave conditions.

The sea level observations also provide information on big currents that can aid in commercial and naval navigation, search and rescue, and the tracking of debris and pollution from disasters at sea.

Key Instruments on Sentinel-6B: How NASA’s Satellite Measures Sea Levels and Atmospheric Change

NASA shows the new satellite carries several instruments to support science goals that can determine the ocean’s surface height to within a centimetre. The satellite tracks rising sea levels, which are one of the most prominent indicators of climate change.

Other onboard instruments will be used to precisely determine the satellite’s position (DORIS, Laser Retroreflector Array), perform data downlinks (S-band and X-band antennas), and supply power (Solar Array). Sentinel-6 is a combined EU and US mission.

merging the expertise of EUMETSAT, ESA, NASA, NOAA, and CNES to generate precise global sea level records. Before becoming fully operational, Sentinel-6B will undergo several months of calibration in orbit. After Sentinel 4A, Sentinel 5A, and Sentinel 1D, this launch marks the fourth successful Copernicus Sentinel mission of 2025.

Doctors warn microsleep is the sleep they fear most, a 1–30 second blackout where your brain stops processing anything, often with your eyes still open.

People often imagine danger creeping in when they stay awake too long, with the nodding head, the heavy eyes, and the drift into sleep they try to fight off. What they don’t anticipate is a sudden onset of sleep, often occurring without their eyes even closing.

Doctors call it microsleep: a brief involuntary shutdown of the brain lasting from a single second to about 30. Most people don’t realise it until they jolt awake, reread the same sentence, or drift across a lane while driving.

Sometimes it’s even more bizarre; you blink, and in that moment, an entire dream, a scene, or a story arc unfolds, as if you’ve slipped into a parallel universe and returned in an instant.

What microsleep actually is?

Microsleep is generally defined as a short, uncontrolled episode in which the brain slips into sleep-like activity while a person is still nominally awake. Several sleep laboratories describe it as lasting roughly 1–30 seconds, causing a temporary loss of attention, memory lapses, and a dramatically slowed reaction time.

People often experience it as head-drooping, zoning out, sudden muscle jerks, or a momentary lapse in awareness. Researchers widely attribute the primary cause to severe sleep deprivation; the brain simply forces itself offline when it can no longer gradually maintain wakefulness.

Monotonous or repetitive tasks, such as long-distance driving, late-night television or nightshift monitoring, can subtly trigger them, especially when a person is already tired.

Circadian rhythms also play a role, making microsleep more likely during brief natural dips in alertness, such as late at night or in the early hours of the morning, when notably low energy levels can lead to unexpected lapses.

One of the clearest public explanations of microsleep has come from Dr Myro Figura, a board-certified anaesthesiologist, medical school educator and physician entrepreneur based in Los Angeles.

Dr Figura works as an attending physician and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at UCLA Health and has more than a decade of experience teaching medical students and mentoring residents. He is also the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of HealFast, a company that makes products for surgery recovery. In a widely circulated video,

Dr Figura calls microsleep “wild and scary”, explaining, “Microsleep is wild and scary because it is your brain involuntarily blacking out for a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds. Your eyes might stay open, but your brain is not processing anything. It’s a complete reboot that happens after you don’t sleep for about 24 hours.”

He notes that it’s estimated to be responsible for around 100,000 car crashes every year, adding that healthcare workers, including himself, are particularly vulnerable because they often work 24-hour on-call shifts.

Doctors compare it to being drunk because cognitive impairment after 24 hours without sleep can resemble intoxication.

In the same video, Dr Figura warns that after 24 hours without sleep, cognitive impairment can resemble intoxication: “And the really shocking fact is, in addition to microsleep, after 24 hours of sleep deprivation, you are as impaired as a drunk driver.

That’s right. Not sleeping for 24 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol level equivalent to driving drunk.” For anaesthesiologists and other emergency specialists, such a condition carries a very specific implication.

Imagine having to perform surgery in this state during an emergency in the middle of the night. That’s what healthcare workers have to do,” he adds.

How people try to prevent microsleep

A number of sleep clinics and road safety organisations publish guidelines aimed at reducing microsleep risks, particularly while driving. These include practical measures such as:

These recommendations do not eliminate microsleep, but they are widely circulated as risk-reduction strategies. Some clinics also issue broad sleep hygiene advice, such as behavioural recommendations intended to promote more consistent rest.

These may include aiming for 7–8 hours of nightly sleep, keeping a regular sleep–wake schedule, reducing caffeine after 4 p.m., and using warmer, low-intensity lighting in bedrooms.

Other common guidance includes bedroom temperature suggestions (often 25–26°C), avoiding screens late at night, and maintaining a consistent bedtime.

What happens when people ignore it

Doctors and road-safety agencies warn that microsleep often occurs precisely when someone believes they can “push through” their tiredness.

Several sleep specialists note that people routinely overestimate their ability to stay awake, especially during monotonous activities or long stretches of night driving. The risk isn’t the drowsiness itself;

It’s the momentary blackout that follows, during which the brain simply stops processing incoming information. Even a few seconds of lost awareness can be catastrophic at motorway speeds.

Many sleep centres describe circadian rhythm disruptions as another contributing factor. Going to sleep late and waking up late can disrupt hormonal patterns and reduce sleep quality.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, a disorder where a person’s internal clock runs much later than the external day–night cycle, can make consistent rest difficult and increase the likelihood of insufficient sleep.

A danger you don’t feel coming

Microsleep is unnerving precisely because it often announces itself with nothing more than a blink, or nothing at all.

The person experiencing it might not realise they’ve been “offline” until a sentence suddenly stops making sense or the car drifts toward a rumble strip. As Dr. Figura explains, the danger lies in the invisibility of microsleep: the brain is “not processing anything” while the body remains upright with eyes open.

performing a task it can no longer truly control. For most people, the safest protection is simply adequate sleep and the acknowledgement that the body has limits it can’t negotiate with.

Our resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice.

Today, Dr Zoe assists a reader who has received a sinusitis diagnosis and is facing difficulties in accessing treatment.

Q) I HAVE been diagnosed with sinusitis and have an appointment at the ENT department at the hospital, but it keeps getting cancelled.

Is there anything I can get to help in the meantime?

A) Chronic sinusitis can affect physical, mental and even social health, and it is good that you are referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist for assessment, though it is frustrating when appointments get cancelled.

One piece of advice would be to start a daily nasal hygiene routine, a cornerstone of non-surgical management for sinusitis.

ASK Dr. ZOE

A filing cabinet fell on my foot, causing a fracture in my toe! Will I need an operation?

 

ASK Dr. ZOE

A Specsavers appointment stopped me from being referred to an NHS audiologist – help!

 

Use either a saline nasal spray (such as Sterimar) or a nasal douching system (for example, NeilMed sinus rinse).

You can get these from the pharmacy.

This is good practice for anyone who has nasal symptoms. Keep it next to your toothbrush and get into the habit of spraying or douching every time you brush your teeth.

But make sure to use the formula sachets provided and not tap water.
This is in addition to using any steroid sprays or drops that might have been advised.

Some find drops are more effective than sprays, and they can take several weeks of consistent use to be fully effective, so stick with it.

The douching helps the steroid medication penetrate the nasal lining more effectively.

TIP: Norovirus is a sickness and diarrhoea bug that spreads in winter. Hand sanitisers are ineffective against it.

The most effective way to prevent its spread is to wash your hands thoroughly in soap and water and to wipe kitchen surfaces with a bleach-based cleaner.

Source: Earth via X (formerly Twitter)

The night of 5 December 2025 offered sky watchers a final lunar spectacle as the full moon rose into view under a widely recognised seasonal name and a striking orbital alignment.

Known traditionally as the Cold Moon, this full moon coincided with the last supermoon of the year and appeared brighter and larger than many earlier lunar phases.

The event provided an opportunity to observe the interplay between Earth’s orbital position, winter darkness and the Moon’s proximity at perigee.

Across the Northern Hemisphere the sharp winter air and early nightfall created favourable conditions for witnessing a luminous disc that seemed to glow with unusual intensity. Those who looked upward encountered a moment that blended natural rhythm with long-established cultural reference.

How the Cold Moon got its name and why it still resonates

The full moon of December has long been called the Cold Moon, a name derived from the arrival of low temperatures and the lengthening nights that define early winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Older traditions also refer to it as the Long Nights Moon or the Moon Before Yule, linking the phase to annual cycles of darkness and seasonal transition.

These names served as markers in a calendar shaped by agricultural needs, religious observances, and the practical pace of life that once depended closely on predictable changes in daylight.

The Cold Moon of 2025 continued to reflect this heritage, with many observers noting how the timing of the event aligned with familiar seasonal signals and emphasising how cultural memory often persists through recurring astronomical moments.

A study examining the relative brightness and visible size of perigee full moons provided a scientific framework for understanding what observers witnessed that evening, demonstrating that a perigee moon can appear significantly larger and more luminous than one at apogee.

The analysis highlighted how these differences become perceptible to the human eye under clear winter skies. Shortly after the Moon rose, the official account of the event was accompanied by the caption:

Behold: the final supermoon of 2025, a full Cold Moon rising like a frozen silver coin in the December sky.” The post drew wide engagement, illustrating how traditional lunar naming and modern digital culture often intersect whenever a visually striking celestial scene captures public attention.

The December Cold Moon of 2025 qualified as a supermoon because its full phase occurred when the Moon was near perigee. Since the Moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical, its distance from Earth changes, altering its appearance.

When a full moon coincides with perigee, its illuminated surface presents a larger angular diameter and reflects more sunlight toward Earth. In practice this results in a disc that can look roughly 14 per cent larger and noticeably brighter than a typical full moon.

On December 5, observers would have recognised these enhancements in ways that did not require astronomical equipment, particularly when viewing began during twilight as the moon edged above the horizon. The atmospheric clarity that often accompanies early winter nights further amplified this impression.

Unlike many astronomical events that demand specialised viewing conditions, a supermoon depends only on favourable weather and an unobstructed view toward the horizon. The contrast between the bright lunar disc and the early winter darkness created an effect that many described as unusually radiant.

For urban viewers, the glare sometimes washes against buildings and cloud edges, while those in rural areas encounter a more diffuse glow that extends across fields, waterways, and forested landscapes.

Why the December Cold Moon climbed higher than usual

The 2025 Cold Moon gained additional prominence because of its position relative to the Sun. As the December solstice approached, the Sun travelled through its lowest arc in the sky, which meant that the full Moon appeared opposite the Sun and therefore climbed to a comparatively high elevation.

This geometry allowed the Moon to remain visible well into the night with minimal obstruction from haze or surface glare. High lunar altitude typically results in stronger ground-level illumination because moonlight passes through less atmosphere. For many observers the Moon’s position combined with its perigee brightness to create some of the clearest nighttime visibility recorded in that month. Another perceptual factor shaped the experience.

Many people reported that the Moon seemed larger while rising, an effect known as the moon illusion. Although the moon’s angular size remains constant, the human visual system interprets it as larger when it appears near terrestrial features, such as buildings, hills, or tree lines. Once overhead, the illusion fades even though the Moon is no smaller.

The Cold Moon of 2025 provided a clear example of this phenomenon, especially for viewers who watched its ascent from coastal areas or expansive plains where the horizon forms a long, uninterrupted line.

The brightness of the December supermoon also had ecological implications. Studies on nocturnal species show that moonlight intensity can influence activity patterns, foraging behaviour and predator-prey dynamics.

On December 5, the increased brightness of the moon likely produced alterations in these natural rhythms, particularly in regions with minimal artificial light. Wildlife researchers have long observed that perigee full Moons can shift nocturnal behaviour in subtle ways.

causing some animals to limit movement while others take advantage of the illuminated landscape. Although these effects varied by region and species, the event illustrated how astronomical cycles intersect constantly with terrestrial ecosystems. Also Read | How orbital satellite megaconstellations could change astronomy forever