Koyo Murata left his small hometown for Tokyo and returned a few years later to convert an abandoned community center into a guest house. Provided by Koyo Murata
Koyo Murata, now 25, grew up in a small rural town in Japan.
He moved to Tokyo to study electrical engineering and spent three years working in the city.
Last year, he returned to his hometown to transform an abandoned community centre into a modern guesthouse.
This is based on a conversation with 25-year-old Koyo Murata, the founder and operator of Essay. Villa Aso Guest House in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, Japan. His words have been edited for length and clarity.
I grew up in a quintessential rural town in Japan with a population of about 8,000. My elementary and middle schools only had about 100 students combined. Now there are fewer children there too.
After school, we used to play in the river or organise football matches in the park. I felt lucky to be surrounded by rivers, mountains and the sea.
Looking back, I realise that my hometown, Taiki, was already part of a broader trend in Japan.
As people move to Tokyo, rural towns like it are disappearing. The capital is where you find the best jobs. Most kids like me who grow up in small towns dream of moving to a big city.
i want to live that dream
I went to Mie University to study electrical engineering at the age of 19; after graduating, I spent three years in Tokyo working in construction management and later independent sales.
I had a busy life, but I didn’t like the city being so crowded. Approximately 37 million people live in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. The trains were always packed, and the people seemed more excited than the friendly people at home. Over time, I began to realise how valuable life in the countryside really was.
Murata received a call from his father, informing him that the community center in his hometown was being demolished. Provided by Koyo Murata
That’s why, in August 2025, I decided to go back home. In Japan, we call this a “U-turn” – when someone leaves for the city and later returns to their hometown.
My parents and elder brother now live in Tokyo and run their businesses. I wanted to challenge myself by building my own career. At the same time, I wanted to discover a way to share the beauty of the Mie countryside with the rest of the world.
That opportunity came when my parents called me one day to tell me that an abandoned community centre in our town was going to be demolished.
Murata hired a construction company to complete 70% of the work, but completed the rest with some friends. Provided by Koyo Murata
“This might be your chance to do something,” my father said.
That’s when I made my U-turn and moved back to Taiki to start my own business and find a new use for the old building. I started a project to convert the former community centre into Villa Aso, a guest house for visitors to the area.
reviving the old
The former community centre was a gathering place for local residents and also served as an evacuation gathering point. But it was lying unused for 10 years.
When I started my company, NexusTown, my idea was to renovate the building and convert it into a guest house that could accommodate a group of 8 people. I hope we can bring more tourism to our shrinking city.
I borrowed about 10 million yen, or $62,000, from my brother’s company and received another 10 million through a government-backed startup loan from Japan Finance Corporation.
Villa Aso, a private villa, opened in December 2025. Provided by Koyo Murata
Over three months, we hired a construction company to do 70% of the work, but the rest was DIY – just me and a few friends. It was hard work; none of us had any experience of renewal. I also had to teach myself how to market a guesthouse, how to list it on Airbnb and Booking.com, and how to set the right prices.
In December, when it officially opened, and I saw our first guests enjoying their stay, I was glad I did it.
A maximum group of 8 people can live in the house. Provided by Koyo Murata
to make it successful
In January, we were operating at 30%, in February at 60%, and by March we reached 100%.
Our guests include college students on spring break, multi-generational families, and working adults from across the country. So far, we have only had a group of tourists coming from abroad, but I hope we can host more foreign visitors in the future. The house is close to the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route that attracts hikers and travellers from all over the world.
The villa has a private sauna, and there is a natural hot spring a 3-minute walk away. Provided by Koyo Murata
People who come to Villa Aso enjoy the same mountains, river and ocean that I did when I was growing up. They can slow down and enjoy the stars at night. They can meet my loving people.
In addition to the villa’s private sauna, there is also a natural onsen or hot spring a three-minute walk away, which I always recommend and where guests can visit for free.
Villas cost an average of 28,900 to 33,700 JPY or $179 to $208 for two guests, with 5,000 yen added for additional party members.
The living room and kitchen are one big open space. Provided by Koyo Murata
In the future, I’m hoping to combine the villa experience with local restaurants and activities like sitting meditation and fishing in the harbour.
My goal is to revive the city’s economy, and my work is never done. Along with managing the guest house, I also work for a talent-matching agency. I’m always thinking of new ways to renovate and improve a villa. I expect to recoup the investment in about three to four years.
Murata is teaching himself how to market guest houses and set the right prices. Provided by Koyo Murata
the future of small-town japan
The declining population of Taiki worries me. I don’t think the town will ever disappear completely, but it may eventually be annexed into another township. It saddens me to think that this could happen to the place where I was born.
If this project can help even one or two more people fall in love with my hometown, I will be happy.
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Alexander Zverev after defending his Wimbledon crown
Janek Jr welcomed competition from Alexander Zverev after defending his Wimbledon crown to win a fifth Grand Slam title and hoped rival Carlos Alcaraz would soon return to deliver more.
The junior overcame a hard-fought four-set battle against Xavier as the Italian emerged from a tough French Open to become a two-time Wimbledon champion for the second year in a row.
The world No. 1 had won his last nine matches against Zverev in 14 sets in a row, but it was closer than previous meetings, and the final could go either way until the senior got a crucial break in the third.
Sinner and Xavier, who ended their long-awaited Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, have claimed major titles while Alcaraz has been sidelined with a wrist injury. The Spaniard is looking to get back in time for the hard-court season and could play the US Open.
“Big, big respect to Sasha, because he’s doing something amazing. His game is growing and growing,” Sner said. “At the same time, that’s precisely what’s good, because you always have someone pushing you to the limit.
“We hope Carlos is coming back, because tennis needs him. Along with Novak [Djokovic], all the young players coming in are still around; it’s really, really good. At the same time, you always need to work hard and have moments like these.
The junior suffered a shock second-round exit from the French Open last month, as he wilted in the sweltering Paris heat and lost in straight sets to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
He arrived at Wimbledon without playing a warm-up tournament on grass and took his time to find his form, but later in the tournament he defeated Djokovic in the semifinals and Zverev in the final.
(Getty)
Last year, the junior recovered from a crushing loss in the French Open final to Alcaraz, when he squandered three championship points, and went on to beat the Spaniard and win Wimbledon for the first time.
“For me it means a lot because after Paris it was difficult again. Last year was also difficult. But coming here I tried to put myself in as competitive a position as possible.
We put in a lot of long work days in Monaco. This win means a lot to me, especially considering the sacrifices of time and effort I made to be in this position. Today was a wonderful day.”
Janic sinker lies on his back after beating Alexander Xavier (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
Zaverio was buoyed by a run to his first Wimbledon final, and the new world No. 2 felt the gap was closing on the Sunner despite suffering his 10th straight defeat at the hands of him.
“I think so,] G. Verif said. “He’s still the best player in the world. I believe that. I think he is. I believe there are only two, maybe three people – you have to give it to Novak – who can challenge him.
“We all have to work for that. I’ll keep working on that. I think I challenged him today. Not enough, obviously, because I’m still sitting here as a loser, as a loser in a match. I’ll keep working. Big tournaments are still coming up.
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“I will meet you there,” I told my mother before bed one evening, a few months ago. “I’m not feeling well, but I’ll try my best,” I confirmed before hanging up the phone. The next morning, my 71-year-old mother had surgery to lift her bladder.
My 74-year-old father is a stage 4 tongue cancer survivor and now struggles with the extreme negative effects of radiation — and I live with multiple sclerosis (MS) — so usually my otherwise healthy mother takes on the role of carer.
She was present at most of my appointments during the 13 years I spent exploring the diagnosis through early adulthood. She accompanies my father to every medical visit and often takes me for immunosuppressant injections.
She was with me when my elder son was born in 2011, and later when my younger son was born in 2014, she took care of him. Lying in a hospital bed on Monday morning, he completely upended our normal family story.
I have never seen my mother so weak before
As soon as she arrived from recovery, I walked into her hospital room, the anaesthesia still coursing through her system.
Can you please fill it out for me?” he asked, handing me the cafeteria menu for my night’s stay. “I can’t read right now,” she continued, her words a little slurred. At that moment, I realised I had never seen her like this: vulnerable and dependent.
“Pasta Alfredo with chicken or mac and cheese for dinner?” I asked, laughing, knowing the absurdity of a hospital only offering a pasta option would sound ridiculous.
“I will write Chicken Breast with Vegetables and Rice,” I suggested, handing her the cranberry juice that remained just out of her reach. She asked me to plug in my cell phone charger before reading the remaining menu options.
My legs were nervous and my hands were shaking as I walked around the room with purpose.
I’ve been living with MS for two decades, and it always flares up at the worst times; stress worsens it.
As I struggled to stand, I realised that this disease, which had affected my personal functioning and my ability to parent for decades, was now hindering my ability to care for my mother, something I had always imagined I would do without limits.
The author lives with MS, which can make caring for her parents more difficult. Courtesy of Lindsey Karp
I’ve always imagined taking care of my parents as they grow old.
When I was young, my grandfather stayed at our house while he recovered from surgery. I would come home from school to find him relaxing in his favourite armchair. My great-grandmother moved in to live with my grandmother during her final months.
I remember watching my grandmother bring turkey and cheese sandwiches to her bedside and caring for her, as I imagine my great-grandmother would have done for my grandmother when she was sick as a child. I still remember that scene well.
Now things have changed, and my mother takes my 94-year-old grandmother to her weekly errands and to the doctor when the time comes. She has been battling lymphoedema and infections in her legs, so she has been in and out of the hospital with him.
And one day I too will take on myself in the role of a carer. Just as I stayed home with my children, not wanting someone else to raise them,
I always had a desire to personally care for my parents when the time came, especially when my grandfather, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, was involved in an incident at his nursing home that still haunts me and my family 10 years later.
My father suffers from severe dysphagia (i.e., inability to swallow), voice disorders, blood pressure dysfunction and other problems caused by radiation to the head and neck two decades ago.
He now uses a feeding tube, and his voice becomes permanently hoarse and extremely difficult to understand. “Will you be my voice?” he messaged me the day before my parents’ 50th anniversary celebration last November. “I want you to read it for me,” he said of a toast he wrote for my mother.
The day after my mum’s surgery, I checked in on her at the hospital visitor centre, where the day before she had struggled to understand. Watching him struggle makes me nervous, but knowing that I can ease some of his struggle is reassuring.
I was glad I was there to walk her down the hall to her room that morning because she was feeling dizzy due to blood pressure instability and often needed a seat. My strong and capable father, who once fixed broken things, fixed car problems, and refinished kitchen cupboards, now depended on me in a way I never imagined.
My diagnosis has made my vision for the future more difficult
Slowly, the time of need that I had imagined since childhood is approaching me, but I am not the strong adult of my youthful imagination. I am coming to understand that I cannot be the limitless carer I always believed I would be.
I can’t drive endless miles with a foot that often has difficulty holding the pedals. I cannot walk the perimeter of the hospital and back again, as my legs have become weak simply from being alive. And it is not so easy for someone suffering from chronic weakness and fatigue to go to the store at the last minute.
Despite my father’s medical battles, he continues to work full-time as a civil engineer and president of his firm because he retains the vibrant spirit without which I never knew him. My mother has made a full recovery from her procedure and is still the same carer I know her as.
He doesn’t need me right now, but watching him in the hospital and slowly pushing against the pain over the coming weeks at home gave me a glimpse of how he might need me one day soon — and of the reality of my own limitations.
As a child, I promised myself that I would take care of them like they always took care of me. My care won’t be perfect, but I’ll give them everything my body will allow: my voice, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and everything.
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Cruise ports, including those in New Jersey, serve as gateways to the world. Leave soaring skyscrapers and busy streets behind for tropical beaches, rugged Arctic landscapes, charming European streets, the Panama Canal, or an around-the-world adventure.
You can cruise to just about anywhere from New York City. Norwegian Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Viking, Virgin Voyages, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises, and Holland America sail from midtown Manhattan, steps away from Times Square and Broadway’s iconic theatres.
Princess and Cunard sail from a cruise terminal in Brooklyn that’s just a couple of miles from the Brooklyn Bridge and a short walk from Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where you’ll find one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline.
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity sail from New Jersey, making it a breeze to catch a postcard view of the Statue of Liberty en route to your dream vacation.
New York City is home to the oldest cruise port in the US, and there are few better places to experience a pre-cruise city break. Catch a show before boarding your ship. Head to the top of the Empire State Building, One World Trade, or the Rockefeller Center. Shop your heart out on Fifth Avenue, museum hop across Manhattan, eat your way across Queens, or explore Brooklyn art galleries. Depending on where you stay, you may even be able to walk to your cruise ship, which could be the best perk of all for sailing from New York City.
Best overall cruise from NYC
Trade the soaring skyscrapers of New York City for coastal Canada, remote Greenland, and endless Icelandic summer days.
This Viking itinerary makes two stops in Canada and two stops in Greenland before circumnavigating Iceland, beginning with the remote Westfjords and ending in Reykjavik. Sail the same seas as legendary Norse explorer Leif Erikkson (on a far more luxurious Viking ship) while learning about the American Revolution and Canadian exploration from the cruise line’s resident historian.
Lounge by the pool, visit the spa, or look out for whales and puffins. Viking has several nearly identical ocean ships sailing this itinerary from New York—each can accommodate a maximum of 930 passengers, allowing them to dock in ports larger ships cannot access.
Best for solo travelers
You may step aboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady as a solo traveller, but chances are you’ll leave with new friends. From fitness classes to creative writing sessions and unforgettable parties, Virgin Voyages journeys help you make new friends.
Virgin Voyages sails round-trip from New York City to Bermuda, and these adults-only, five- to eight-night itineraries include two full sea days—plenty of time to experience an immersive Scarlet Night party, live music, sunset cocktails, Virgin’s highly lauded dining options, and maybe even a spin class.
Cruise fares include Wi-Fi, food, nonalcoholic beverages, and fitness classes, making it a breeze to relax without needing to worry about anything. Best of all, cocktails on board can be ordered for around $11, including tip. Good luck finding that in Manhattan.
Best family cruise from NYC
One thing’s for sure, no one is getting bored on board the Norwegian Aqua. One of Norwegian’s newest Prima-class ships, the Aqua, features the world’s first slide coaster—a thrill ride that’s a combination of water slide and roller coaster.
Or go for a spin on the 10-foot drop slide, which will make you feel like the ground just slipped away underneath your feet. Prefer something a little less thrilling? There’s something for every interest on board: Grab the family for a game on the glow court, a little geography-themed mini golf, or a pickleball challenge.
Catch a Fleetwood Mac tribute show or sing your heart out to Prince’s greatest hits; lounge by the pool; spend a day at the spa; and in between it all, eat your way around the world at the ship’s food hall, which includes Indian, vegetarian, pasta and barbecue spots.
Best cruise from NYC for US history
This 11-night itinerary on the Scenic Eclipse is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Sail the Atlantic Coast on what feels like your own private yacht, visiting historic sites like Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began; Jamestown, the first English settlement in the US; and Mount Vernon, the former home of founding father George Washington.
This cruise stops in Baltimore, Maryland; Yorktown, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Key West, Florida, before ending in the Bahamas. En route, dive deeper into US history with lectures from an onboard historian.
Eat and drink your way across more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and lounges, one of which has a whisky menu with more than 130 options. Or relax on your spacious veranda while a butler tends to your every need.
Best cruise from NYC to Puerto Rico
This cruise departs from Manhattan, exchanging the city’s skyscrapers for the turquoise waters and sandy beaches of the Caribbean.
Sail on the newly revamped Crystal Serenity, a ship that accommodates up to 740 passengers and includes almost everything—beer, wine, spirits, Wi-Fi, soft drinks, fitness classes, and speciality coffees—in cruise fares.
Start your nine-night vacation onboard the Crystal Serenity with a laid-back sea day en route to Bermuda before heading to Antigua, Guadeloupe, and St Barts before pulling into San Juan, Puerto Rico’s lively, colourful capital. Onboard, take advantage of the 3,000-square- foot fitness centre, tennis and pickleball courts, a glamorous casino, and a supper club.
Best luxury southern Caribbean cruise from NYC
Take the long way from New York to Miami on the luxurious Oceania Vista. This 14-night cruise stops in 10 idyllic ports, including St Lucia, Curacao, St Kitts, and Aruba, and includes five sea days to enjoy a space that feels more like a luxurious resort than a high-end cruise ship.
This is one of Oceania’s newest ships, and with capacity for just 1,200 guests, it feels manageable but will still keep you busy on sea days. Catch a comedy show or Broadway-style revue.
Eat your way through a dozen dining venues, or lounge around your cabin, taking in endless ocean views. Worried you’ll feel cramped? Don’t be. Staterooms start at 240 square feet; the largest suites on board the Oceania Vista are around 2,400 square feet.
Best cruise to Iceland from NYC
Iceland and Greenland are two bucket-list travel destinations that can be pricey and difficult to reach. Fret not: The Celebrity Silhouette makes the journey accessible and affordable.
This cruise sails from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, stopping in charming Eastern Canadian towns, a town in Greenland, and three fascinating Icelandic destinations. Wander the colourful streets of Reykjavik, look for whales or puffins in Isafjordur, or seek out waterfalls, lava fields, and fjords around Akureyri.
Prices start at around $5,500 per person for 13 nights, not including alcohol or Wi-Fi. The ship has space for about 2,900 passengers. On board, there’s a spa, fitness centre, casino, and kids’ camp. Many of the ship’s cabins have balconies perfect for taking in glacier views.
Best Panama Canal cruise from NYC
For those with vacation days to burn (or retirement plans in sight), spend 19 nights on the Viking Polaris, a luxurious expedition ship that largely splits its time between the Great Lakes and Antarctica.
This sailing includes a full transit of the Panama Canal—a 50-mile waterway that connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Transiting this engineering marvel takes between 8 and 10 hours, allowing for a close-up look at the lock system that lifts and lowers ships to help them pass through the artificial waterway.
Expert guides will walk you through the mechanics and help you recognise the geographical features and wildlife you pass along the way.
This ship accommodates just under 380 passengers, making it cosy enough to make new friends while still spacious enough not to feel crowded. There are four restaurants onboard, as well as a fitness centre and Nordic spa, all of which are free to access. This itinerary also visits the Bahamas, Jamaica, Peru, and Chile.
Best cruise from NYC to Canada
There’s no place like the eastern coast of Canada in the fall, and there’s no better way to experience it than on board an Explora Journeys ship.
These family-friendly ships are perfect for leaf-peeping in luxury, whether it’s from the pool deck, outdoor gym, or your spacious private balcony. Every cabin on board this ship is a suite, and even the smallest suites are larger than the average Manhattan studio.
Luxury bathrooms come equipped with Dyson hair dryers, and your cruise fare includes almost everything onboard—including premium beverages, high-speed Wi-Fi, and most speciality dining.
Best world cruise from NYC
Let New York be your literal gateway to the world with this 92-night cruise on the Seven Seas Mariner. Leave the skyscrapers and hustle and bustle of Manhattan behind as you set off toward Halifax, Casablanca, Lisbon, and beyond.
This cruise visits more than 60 ports, including several of Europe’s most popular capitals. Museum-hop across Berlin. Stroll the charming Old Town of Tallinn, Estonia. Sip a Guinness in Dublin. Stroll along the River Thames in London.
Soak in Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon. Onboard the ship, enjoy the comforts of home. Every cabin on this ship is a suite. There’s a desk, bedside USB chargers, and even a walk-in closet. Every guest is greeted with a bottle of Champagne, and it’s hard to find better service at sea.
Best transatlantic cruise from NYC
High flight prices got you down? Consider cruising from New York to Europe on this 14-night cruise onboard Odyssey of the Seas.
For under $1,500, this transatlantic sailing will take you from Bayonne, New Jersey, to Rome via Malaga, Barcelona, the Azores, and the Cinque Terre. And if you’re wondering how to spend all those sea days, don’t worry.
There’s so much to do on this ship, you’ll run out of time before you run out of options. Refer to the view from the North Star glass capsule, which rises to 300 feet above sea level to show off unforgettable 360-degree views. Go roller skating.
Test your bumper car skills, try out a surf simulator, play laser tag, or give yourself a taste of skydiving with the ship’s onboard skydiving simulator. Don’t worry about going hungry, either. The ship has 15 dining venues, ranging from a poolside taco joint to high-end immersive experiences.
FAQ:
Which cruise lines sail out of New York?
Both large cruise ships and a few smaller ships cruise from New York, giving you the option to pick a vessel with lots of restaurants and lounges or one that’s more intimate and can visit smaller ports.
A variety of cruise lines—including Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America, Cunard, Silversea, Oceania Cruises, and Viking—sail from New York City.
This variety caters to all types of traveller budgets, so whether you’re looking to cruise from New York for as little as a few hundred dollars or to drop thousands on a bucket list vacation, there’s something for you.
Where do cruises go from New York?
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Cruises from New York sail to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, the United Kingdom, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and beyond. Several world cruises also stop in New York. The short version of the story is that whether it’s a short island escape or the unforgettable journey of a lifetime you’re after, a cruise from New York will result in PTO well spent.
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Tash Farrant hailed Heather Knight as “one of the greats” after the former England captain announced her retirement from international cricket.
Knight, 35, will be out of England alongside Tammy Beaumont at the end of the first women’s Test against India at Lord’s this week.
Making her debut in 2010, Knight went on to win 320 caps for England while she captained the team from 2016 to 2025, most notably leading the team to a memorable victory on home soil in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Heather Knight explained her decision to retire from international cricket, saying the time felt right and shared a special moment in the dressing room announcing the news yesterday.
“It’s a giant moment, isn’t it? She’s been one of the greats to play for England,” said former team-mate Farrant. Sky Sports Cricket.
“She has been so integral to England cricket and women’s cricket in general over the past 16 years that her career has spanned quite a bit.
“She wanted to go out on her own terms. Not many people are able to do that, and she also loves Test match cricket, so to be able to play a Test match at Lord’s – the first – I’m not surprised by the decision.”
“England will truly miss him.”
The ‘gritty’, ‘hardy’ knight loved hard times.
Farrant added: “I think it will be the 2017 World Cup title here [at Lord’s], which will always be remembered.
“And indeed, she came in at a difficult time. It is not an especially straightforward task to follow Charlotte Edwards as England captain. She has to mobilise this team quickly and win the World Cup.
Image: Heather Knight led England to victory in the 2017 50-over World Cup
“One thing I always admired about her is that she was so charming on the pitch, such a tough cricketer.
“She loved those tough times and felt that’s what made her a better cricketer.”
Knight is currently the third highest run-scorer in England in T20I and ODI cricket, while she was also the first English player to score centuries in all three formats.
But Farrant also stressed that it was Knight’s often ‘overlooked’ work off the field that she will remember most.
“Playing under her, she was such a good leader – more so than for the things she did off the field,” Farrant added.
“As a young player, you can succeed in international cricket, can’t you? And you can lose pieces of your life – your friends, your family – because you’re so immersed in it.
“I always admired Heather because she always had such a beautiful balance between working hard – making sure you’ve done everything, so you’re ready to be on the pitch – and also other things when we went on tour, making sure that as a captain we got to go and immerse ourselves in the culture of the new country we were in.
“Those are the memories I’ll have of him. Not just on the pitch, but the things he did off the pitch. Things that sometimes go unnoticed.”
Image: Heather Knight was the first English player to score a century in all three formats.
‘Good time for night retirement.’
Fellow former England international Ebony Rainford-Brint also hailed Knight as “brilliant” but believes he should retire now.
“My first thought was to have a good time, to be honest,” Rainford-Brent said. “I think it’s critical to go high.
“He has done a lot for the game. He has captained us here to win the World Cup final at Lord’s.
‘He’ll be hoping they can win on home soil again [in the T20 World Cup], but she got to the final, and I think she’s just waiting, thinking, “I’ve got a lot to leave and I’ve given it my all.”‘
“Get out while your name is still at its peak. There’s nothing worse than players who hang on too long.
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Scientists have uncovered an unexpected source of food in the deep ocean that could change how researchers understand both marine ecosystems and Earth’s carbon cycle. A new study from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) suggests that deep ocean microbes are not living in such a nutrient-starved environment after all.
The research found that tiny sinking particles known as marine snow release dissolved carbon and nitrogen as they descend into the deep sea. Those leaked nutrients become an immediate food source for microbes living in the surrounding seawater.
Deep ocean pressure unlocks hidden nutrients
Marine snow is made up of tiny clumps of dead algae, microbes, and other organic material drifting through the ocean. According to the study, once these particles reach depths of about 2 to 6 kilometres, the enormous hydrostatic pressure begins forcing dissolved organic matter out of them.
“The pressure acts almost like a giant juicer,” says the first author of the study, biologist and associate professor Peter Stief from research centres Nordcee and the Danish Centre for Hadal Research. “It squeezes dissolved organic compounds out of the particles, and microbes can use them immediately.”
The findings were published in Science Advances in the paper “Hydrostatic pressure induces strong leakage of dissolved organic matter from ‘marine snow’ particles.”
The researchers estimate that sinking marine snow can lose as much as 50% of its original carbon and between 58% and 63% of its original nitrogen during its descent through the deep ocean.
Discovery could reshape understanding of the carbon cycle
The results also have important implications for Earth’s carbon cycle.
Scientists have long assumed that much of the carbon carried by marine snow eventually buries itself in deep ocean sediments. However, if large amounts of carbon leak out before the particles reach the seafloor, less carbon may permanently remain in sediments than previously believed.
Instead, much of that dissolved carbon remains suspended in deep ocean waters, where it can stay for hundreds or even thousands of years before gradually returning to the surface ocean and eventually the atmosphere. Carbon that does become buried in seafloor sediments, by contrast, can remain locked away for millions of years, accumulating over vast stretches of time. Much of the oil and natural gas extracted today formed through this long-term burial process.
“This process affects how much carbon the ocean can store and for how long,” says Peter Stief. “It’s relevant for understanding climate processes and for improving future models.”
Simulating marine snow under extreme pressure
To investigate the process, the researchers recreated marine snow in the laboratory using diatoms, microscopic algae that naturally clump together as they sink through the ocean.
The team placed these artificial particles inside specially designed rotating pressure tanks that kept the marine snow suspended instead of allowing it to settle. This setup allowed the researchers to measure how much carbon and nitrogen escaped under conditions similar to those found in the deep ocean.
Their experiments showed that up to half of a particle’s carbon content leaked out while sinking. Most of the released material consisted of proteins and carbohydrates that free-living deep ocean microbes can readily consume.
Within just two days, bacterial abundance increased 30-fold, while respiration rates rose dramatically. These results indicate that dissolved organic matter released from marine snow provides a rapid and valuable energy source for microbes living at great depths.
The researchers also observed the same leakage pattern across multiple species of diatoms, suggesting that this mechanism is likely widespread throughout the world’s oceans.
Next stop: The Arctic Ocean
The next phase of the research will move from the laboratory to the open ocean.
The team plans to search for molecular fingerprints of this process in both surface and deep waters during a future expedition to the Arctic aboard the German research vessel Polarstern. Detecting those signatures in nature would help confirm that the pressure-driven leakage observed in the laboratory is occurring throughout the deep ocean.
The study, “Hydrostatic pressure induces strong leakage of dissolved organic matter from “marine snow” particles”, was authored by Peter Stief, Jutta Niggemann, Margot Bligh, Hagen Buck-Wiese, Urban Wünsch, Michael Steinke, Jan-Hendrik Hehemann, and Ronnie N. Glud.
The research was supported by the Danish National Research Foundation, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, and the Independent Research Fund Denmark.
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For young Iranians, cafes are a refuge — a safe place to mingle and unwind in a country where social freedoms are restricted.
“I like going to cafes because you see all kinds of people with different personalities, yet they’re all socialising in the same place,” Ainaz, a 19-year-old woman living in the capital, Tehran, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda.
“I have my favourite spot, but I also enjoy trying out cafes with different vibes. I feel freer in cafes than I do on the streets,” added Ainaz, who only gave her first name for security reasons.
But a deepening economic crisis and renewed pressure from the authorities are squeezing Iran’s once-booming cafe culture, a fixture of urban social life, particularly among young people.
Economic Strain
Coffee and food prices have soared amid runaway inflation. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Iran’s overall inflation will reach nearly 69 per cent this year, the highest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Years of international sanctions and government mismanagement have crippled the economy. Iran’s war with the United States and Israel since late February has pushed the country of 90 million people to the verge of economic collapse.
Iran’s cafe scene has felt the impact, with owners grappling with rising costs and customers scaling back their spending.
A woman in Tehran said the price of 250 grams of coffee is as much as 15,000,000 rials ($8) — double what it cost last year.
“Just imagine how expensive coffee in a cafe has become,” the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told Radio Farda.
A Tehran cafe in May 2025
Another resident of Tehran, a 41-year-old man, said he was going to cafes “almost every day” during the nearly three-month-long Internet shutdown, when the authorities cut off access following the launch of US and Israeli attacks on February 28.
“Cafes were the only place where we could keep our spirits high, hang out, and avoid feeling isolated,” the man told Radio Farda on condition of anonymity, adding that he has not stopped going to cafes.
“Instead, I made changes to the things I order, such as ordering cheaper drinks like tea,” he said.
Political Scrutiny
The authorities have also targeted cafes as part of a widening crackdown on dissent following mass anti-government protests in January and the war with the United States and Israel.
For years, cafes have been regularly shut down for playing Western music, hosting mixed-gender dancing, or permitting women who do not wear the mandatory hijab, or Islamic head scarf — which are all banned in the country.
The last few months have seen another wave of cafe closures.
In early June, police forcibly closed a cafe in downtown Tehran after it played live music. Police did not disclose the name of the cafe, but they accused it of promoting “deviant sects” and “satanic activities.”
Iranian women chat in a cafe in Tehran in September 2025.
In March, the authorities ordered the closure of a popular cafe chain, Lamiz, after they deemed the designs on its takeaway cups politically offensive.
For the authorities, the issue goes beyond individual cafes. These spaces have come to represent lifestyles that do not always align with the values promoted by Iran’s clerical establishment.
The pressure on cafes is part of a broader pattern of restrictions on individual freedoms. Rights groups have long criticised Iran for limiting freedom of expression, imposing strict rules on women’s clothing, and restricting public and cultural activities that are viewed as inconsistent with official Islamic values.
Prominent hard-line politician Saeed Jalili publicly attacked cafe culture as a Western project aimed at undermining traditional family values.
“They define three spaces: the dormitory, the workplace, and a ‘third space’, like a cafe, to escape loneliness,” Jalili said in December 2025.
“In this concept, the family loses meaning. This stands in opposition to Islam’s philosophy of marriage,” he said, sparking outrage among some Iranian social media users.
A 33-year-old cafe owner in Tehran, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the “risk of getting closed down still exists over issues such as the hijab.”
Iranians sit at a cafe in Tehran in May 2025.
Despite the challenges, many cafes remain crowded.
“People say, ‘We don’t have money to save or travel anymore, so we enjoy an evening at a cafe instead,’” a 40-year-old woman in Tehran, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Radio Farda. “For many, cafes are the only places where happiness and life still exist.”
Beyond serving coffee, tea, and snacks, many cafes have evolved into cultural hubs, hosting book readings, film screenings, art workshops, live music, and other events that draw young Iranians seeking community and creative expression.
“It is like a second home for customers and for us,” said the cafe owner in Tehran.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s offices in Atlanta were photographed in 2022. The agency is investigating a rise in cyclosporiasis cases.
It’s common for cyclosporiasis infections to surge in the spring and summer, but the CDC said Friday that several states have reported a larger jump in cases over the past two weeks than the same period last year.
Federal health officials have found outbreaks of the intestinal disease that causes diarrhoea, nausea, and fatigue in 31 states, but the source is still under investigation.
As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had received reports of 843 cases of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal disease caused by the parasite. Cyclospora.
But the actual number of infections is likely much higher, as the figure only represents cases reported directly to the CDC by states. There is also a lag between symptom onset and reporting, and many people recover from the disease without medical treatment. Michigan alone reported 1,562 cases of cyclosporiasis as of Friday.
As of Thursday, there were 86 hospitalisations nationwide and no deaths, according to the CDC.
People can contract this disease by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the parasite. Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce. In 2018, McDonald’s removed lettuce from restaurants in 14 states after federal health officials linked it to dozens of cases of cyclosporiasis, and tainted lettuce imported from Mexico was suspected of sickening 400 people in the US in 2013.
Where are cyclosporiasis infections occurring?
Health officials from California to Texas and Florida have reported cases of cyclosporiasis since early May.
Some of the hardest-hit areas appear to be in the Midwest and Northeast, including Michigan and New York.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 177 cyclosporiasis cases as of July 2, the majority of which occurred in June. Ohio Department of Health Director Dr Bruce Vanderhoff said cyclosporiasis is a “serious disease that can cause dehydration and require people to seek emergency medical care, and it should be taken seriously.”
According to the CDC, the age of people suffering from this disease ranges between 5 and 88 years.
Due to an estimated six-week lag between the onset of illnesses and their reporting to federal health officials, the total number of cases nationwide is expected to rise.
What is the cause of the outbreak?
The cause is still unclear. The CDC says it is continuing its efforts to identify the source or sources of the recent surge in cyclosporiasis infections.
Investigators do their work in part by interviewing people who have become ill to find out what they ate. But then symptoms may appear between two days and two weeks or more after a person becomes infected; they may not remember everything they ate during that period.
previous US outbreaks According to the Food and Drug Administration, cyclosporiasis has been linked to raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas and lettuce.
How to Prevent Cyclosporiasis
Cooking food is an effective way to avoid infection, as heating food to temperatures of 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher results in death. Cyclospora.
Public health officials also recommend that people thoroughly wash all their fresh produce, including herbs, even if there are parasites. difficult to wash.
It is also important for home cooks to follow standard food safety rules, such as washing their hands with soap and water before and after handling fresh produce.
Anyone who suspects they have become ill with cyclosporiasis and is experiencing dehydration or severe diarrhoea should see a doctor. Cyclosporiasis infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
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-3.jpg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1 "These cruises depart from the UK and take you to the Caribbean.")
