Say hello to the next generation of lobsters — August’s best science images

A new generation of juvenile European lobsters is being carefully nurtured in controlled environments to improve their survival rates before they are released back into the ocean. At the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, UK, scientists use pipettes to transfer individual lobsters into separate pods, preventing them from preying on one another. The image capturing this process was among the finalists for the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. Alongside this image, other notable entries included photographs of an egg-carrying shrimp, a chocolate-lined top snail, grooved brain corals, a scorpionfish feeding on a lizardfish, and a great hammerhead shark. Winners of the competition will be announced later this month. In a remote location approximately 540 kilometers off Mexico's western coast, marine biologist Madalena Cabral worked closely with a female giant manta ray. Using an ultrasound device, she observed the movement of the developing embryo inside the ray. Cabral confirmed pregnancies in three different manta rays through these underwater scans. Her research focuses on understanding how the Revillagigedo National Park, one of North America's largest marine protected areas, influences the behavior and survival of marine species. She is particularly interested in determining whether industrial fishing activities affect the navigation patterns of these animals within the park. On 12 August, a total solar eclipse occurred over parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, as the Moon fully obscured the Sun. Observers in Europe, Western Africa, eastern Canada, and the eastern United States witnessed a partial eclipse, prompting many to purchase eclipse glasses, colanders, and pinhole viewers to safely watch the event. Scientists traveled to locations experiencing total darkness to study the solar corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere, which becomes visible only during such eclipses. The next total solar eclipse will occur on 2 August 2027. Researchers recently uncovered evidence of a new type of alloy formed due to the intense heat generated by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima 81 years ago. This alloy, identified in a fragment of 'hiroshimaite' rock, consists of seven elements. The extreme temperatures, exceeding 1,800 degrees Celsius, created conditions suitable for forming complex alloys with unique properties, including enhanced strength and flexibility. The findings were published in Science Advances and highlight the potential applications of such materials in various industries. Photographer Kouyu Wang captured the movement of newly launched Starlink satellites orbiting Earth using a time-lapse technique. By stacking multiple images, he illustrated the satellites' orbital paths and highlighted the increasing concern regarding light pollution caused by satellite constellations. His photograph won the 'Impact of Light Pollution' category in the 2026 Capture the Dark photography contest. Wang emphasized how these images demonstrate the growing influence of artificial satellites on the night sky. At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, a Bolivian waterlily known as Victoria boliviana supported a remarkable 102 kilograms of human weight. This achievement surpassed the previous record of 83 kilograms set last year during the annual Waterlily Weigh-off event organized by the Denver Botanic Gardens in Colorado. Participants in the competition use various objects, ranging from everyday items to human volunteers, to test the load-bearing capabilities of waterlily leaves. The results of this year's competition will be announced in September.