Marine heatwaves decimate sea urchins, mollusks and more at Rottnest
Curtin University researchers believe rising sea temperatures are to blame for the plummeting number of invertebrates such as mollusks and sea urchins at Rottnest Island off Western Australia, with some species having declined by up to 90 percent bet.....»»
How a filmmaker, a pile of old shells and a bunch of amateurs are bringing Australia"s oyster reefs back
Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They're busy restoring Australia's native oyster and mussel reefs......»»
"Everywhere we looked, we found evidence": Microplastics expert on 20 years of pollution research
Thirty years ago, while counting barnacles, limpets and seaweeds along rocky shores, I started noticing a daily tide of litter, mostly plastic. As a marine biology Ph.D. student at Liverpool University, I kept removing it, but the next day, there'd b.....»»
Marine sharks and rays "use" urea to delay reproduction, finds study
Urea—the main component of human urine—plays an important role in the timing of maturation of sharks, rays and other cartilaginous fish......»»
Climate change reveals intricate dynamics of reproductive barriers in marine species
Monash University scientists have uncovered insights into how rising temperatures influence the reproductive interactions and species boundaries of marine organisms......»»
Bioluminescence first evolved in animals at least 540 million years ago, pushing back previous oldest dated example
Bioluminescence first evolved in animals at least 540 million years ago in a group of marine invertebrates called octocorals, according to the results of a new study from scientists with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History......»»
From the coast to the deep sea, changing oxygen levels affect marine life in different ways
Earth's atmosphere maintains a constant level of oxygen, whether it is a wintry, rainy day or hot summer. Across the ocean, oxygen concentrations vary enormously between different places and over time. Sometimes oxygen levels change within the course.....»»
Laser-treated cork absorbs oil for carbon-neutral ocean cleanup
Oil spills are deadly disasters for ocean ecosystems. They can have lasting impacts on fish and marine mammals for decades and wreak havoc on coastal forests, coral reefs, and the surrounding land. Chemical dispersants are often used to break down oi.....»»
Marine microbial populations: Potential sensors of the global change in the ocean
Animal and plant populations have been extensively studied, which has helped to elucidate ecosystem processes and evolutionary adaptations. However, this has not been the case with microbial populations, due to the impossibility of isolating, culturi.....»»
Respiratory stress response that stunts temperate fish also affects coral reef fish
Coral reef fish, like the fish in other marine and freshwater ecosystems, are likely to reach smaller maximum sizes and start reproducing earlier with smaller and fewer eggs as climate change continues to warm up the ocean......»»
The largest marine reptile ever could match blue whales in size
Bones from the head of a reptile suggest a body that was well over 20 meters long. Enlarge (credit: Sergey Krasovskiy) Blue whales have been considered the largest creatures to ever live on Earth. With a maximum length o.....»»
Ocean environment safety of nanocellulose investigated in study of mussels
Cellulose nanofibers represent a promising resource for multiple industrial sectors, but what is their impact on the marine environment? A study published in Environmental Science: Nano recently addressed this issue in a study on marine organisms con.....»»
Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile
The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more than two meters long has been found on a beach in Somerset, UK. Experts have identified the bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur, a type of prehisto.....»»
Marine plankton behavior could predict future marine extinctions, study finds
Marine communities migrated to Antarctica during the Earth's warmest period in 66 million years long before a mass-extinction event......»»
Spectator boats at large sailing events could be impacting marine wildlife with noise pollution
New research led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, suggests that international sailing events should try to reduce the underwater noise they create to avoid impacting marine wildlife......»»
Climate-change-driven cold snaps threaten marine life
Tropical marine species venturing into new areas as the climate changes could fall victim to another effect of the phenomenon—as bursts of cold water from the deep sea suddenly kill them......»»
The seabed needs to become a top priority, and the UN agrees
"The science we need for the ocean we want"—this is the tagline for the UN Ocean Decade (2021-2030), which has just held its first conference in Barcelona, Spain. Marine scientists from around the world, including me, gathered alongside global lead.....»»
Where have all the right whales gone? Researchers map population density to make predictions
Marine researchers have mapped the density of one of the most endangered large whale species worldwide, the North Atlantic right whale, using newly analyzed data to predict and help avoid whales' harmful, even fatal, exposure to commercial fishing an.....»»
No two worms are alike: New study confirms that even the simplest marine organisms tend to be individualistic
Sport junkie or couch potato? Always on time or often late? The animal kingdom, too, is home to a range of personalities, each with its own lifestyle. In a study just released in the journal PLOS Biology, a team led by Sören Häfker and Kristin Tess.....»»
"Fallout" finale gives a major clue to the setting of Season 2
The Prime Video 'Fallout' finale gives a major clue to the setting of Season 2: New Vegas. If you've made it through the murderous Mister Handy robot butlers, mutant marine creatures, and major truth bombs of Prime Video's Fallout series, chanc.....»»
Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems
Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research from University of British Columbia botanists......»»