Sea Turtle Conservation: Olive ridley sea turtles have been recorded nesting on America’s West Coast for the first time, with scientists linking the surprise to El Niño–driven ocean conditions. Ocean Monitoring & Enforcement: OceanMind launched Syndra in Southeast Asia to help governments crack down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing using multi-source surveillance. Costa Rica AI Adoption: A Microsoft report says Costa Rica leads Latin America in generative AI use, with about 29.7% of working-age people using AI tools. Local Climate & Agriculture Risk: A Chilean climatologist warns this year’s El Niño could worsen Latin America’s economic woes by disrupting rainfall, driving heatwaves, and hitting agriculture and jobs. Fintech & Payments: Jeeves raised $110M to expand stablecoin-native banking cards, adding Costa Rica among new markets. Connectivity: Starlink Mobile launched in Ecuador via state carrier CNT, and Costa Rica is noted as a recent rollout stop. Biodiversity Research: A Costa Rica-led study estimates the country could host over 40,000 fungal species, far above what’s been formally documented. Coffee Waste to Forests: Costa Rica research highlights how spreading coffee pulp on degraded land can accelerate early tropical forest regrowth. UN Leadership Watch: Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan gained support in a UN Security Council straw poll as the secretary-general race stays wide open.