A multi-institutional research collaboration published a study in Diversity and Distributions on 2026-09-01 revealing that Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia is a globally significant refuge for marine species. ^[1] Researchers at The University of Western Australia (UWA) developed a three-dimensional microgel that mimics the physical structure of tumors, enabling study of how the surrounding tissue influences cancer cell migration; the study was published in the journal Advanced Science. ^[2] The UWA research team tracked breast and pancreatic cancer cells in environments with different stiffness and space, and found aggressive cancer cells were more sensitive to these physical conditions and moved more readily through the imitation tissue. ^[3] Jessica Pearce, lead author from The University of Western Australia, stated that marine ecosystems globally face significant threats from rising sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, overfishing, and coastal development. ^[4] Researchers identified a total of 487 unique taxa, including 440 bony fish, 37 elasmobranchs, seven birds, two mammals, and one reptile. ^[5] The study applied metabarcoding gene-sequencing techniques to seawater eDNA samples collected from 19 sites across 3,000 square kilometers in four major regions of the Exmouth Gulf. ^[6] The UWA team believes the findings could lead to better treatments for preventing cancer spread and could have applications in tissue repair, wound healing, and other diseases where cells move through complex environments, according to Choi. ^[7] Vahala said the research confirms that the physical environment around a tumor plays a major role in whether cells remain in place or start moving, and that genetic changes or chemical signals are not the only factors. ^[8]