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.....»»
Global warming will "decimate" G20 economies without unity: UN climate head
UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday warned G20 nations their economies face decimation and they must overcome geopolitical divisions to tackle global warming......»»
Impact of climate change on marine life shown to be much bigger than previously known
Fish and invertebrate animals are far more affected by warmer and more acidic seawater than was previously known. This is the conclusion of a study co-led by NIOZ marine biologist Katharina Alter, based on a new analysis method published in Nature Co.....»»
Mediterranean marine worm has developed eyes "as big as millstones"
Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Lund University suspect that these marine worms may hav.....»»
What four decades of canned salmon reveal about marine food webs
Alaskan waters are a critical fishery for salmon. Complex marine food webs underlie and sustain this fishery, and scientists want to know how climate change is reshaping them. But finding samples from the past isn't easy......»»
Spain"s giant hail event worsened by marine heat waves, study finds
Hail is a semi-frequent visitor to winter, and occasionally summer, seasons across the globe and tends to pass by in a short but sharp downpour that can often be overlooked. However, sometimes these meteorological phenomena are hard to ignore. This w.....»»
Sawfish are spinning, and dying, in Florida waters as rescue effort begins
Endangered smalltooth sawfish, marine creatures virtually unchanged for millions of years, are exhibiting erratic spinning behavior and dying in unusual numbers in Florida waters. Federal and state wildlife agencies are beginning an effort to rescue.....»»
Study suggests starvation decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast: Can the giants ever recover?
When large numbers of gray whales began washing up along North America's Pacific Coast nearly six years ago, marine scientists could only speculate on the reason: Was it disease? Ocean pollution? Increasing ship collisions?.....»»
Marine protected areas safeguard more than ecology—they bring economic benefits to fisheries and tourism
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been used as a conservation measure for decades, but critics continue to argue that evidence of their economic benefits is weak, particularly with regard to fisheries......»»
New "destructive fishing" definition to kickstart fresh era in fishing policy
Many policies and international frameworks—including the UN Sustainable Development Goals—recognize the need to end destructive fishing practices to conserve marine resources, protect the ocean and ensure peace and prosperity for people and the p.....»»
How eutrophication and climate change alter food webs in the Baltic Sea
Phytoplankton is the primary energy source for all marine ecosystems: These tiny plants floating in the seawater use photosynthesis to bind energy in the form of biomass, which is then passed on step by step in the marine food webs all the way to dif.....»»
Study of 34 countries finds ocean protection delivers overlooked economic benefits to fishing, tourism
In the most comprehensive assessment of its kind to date, a new study released today reveals that marine protected areas (MPAs, national parks at sea) deliver a range of economic benefits to the fishing and tourism industries. The study examined more.....»»
Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge
Named for its ropy-looking long branches, Aplysina cauliformis, a coral reef sponge, provides a critical 3D habitat for marine organisms and helps to stabilize the foundation of coral reefs. However, these upright-branching sponges are highly suscept.....»»
Artificial reef designed by engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage
The beautiful, gnarled, nooked-and-crannied reefs that surround tropical islands serve as a marine refuge and natural buffer against stormy seas. But as the effects of climate change bleach and break down coral reefs around the world, and extreme wea.....»»
Coral research finds bleaching impedes reproduction and hinders recovery
Bleaching can suppress reproduction in a common coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef, hampering future reef replenishment, new research led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University (JCU) has identified......»»
Invasive Pacific oyster proliferation during Blob marine heat wave portends similar events as seas warm
Pacific oysters, non-native to the United States but farmed in the U.S. for aquaculture, are an invasive species. During the Pacific Blob heat wave in the mid-2010s, as sea temperatures in Washington state's Puget Sound rose to 3°C above average, th.....»»
Sea urchin killer spreads to new species, region
A parasite that devastated long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean and Florida in 2022 has caused another die-off more than 7,000 miles away in the Sea of Oman......»»
Scientists detail research to assess the viability and risks of marine cloud brightening
As the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase and climate change impacts become more costly, the scientific community is redoubling efforts to investigate the potential risks and benefits of artificially shading Earth's sur.....»»
Killer whales use specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals in the open ocean
Killer whales foraging in deep submarine canyons off the coast of California represent a distinct subpopulation that uses specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals, Josh McInnes at the University of British Columbia and colleagues report.....»»
Hypoxia is widespread and increasing in the ocean off the Pacific Northwest coast, study shows
Low oxygen conditions that pose a significant threat to marine life are widespread and increasing in coastal Pacific Northwest ocean waters as the climate warms, a new study shows......»»
Characterizing salps as predators of marine microbes
A huge fraction of global flows of carbon and other nutrients pass through marine microbes. Little is known about their causes of death, however. This information determines where those nutrients will go......»»