Move over, highways. Now you can sponsor an ocean sanctuary
In a novel conservation strategy, the small South Pacific island state of Niue is offering individuals and institutions the opportunity to sponsor its marine sanctuary, home to pristine coral reefs, sharks, whales and hundreds of fish species......»»
Gravity study gives insights into hidden features beneath lost ocean of Mars and rising Olympus Mons
Studies of gravity variations at Mars have revealed dense, large-scale structures hidden beneath the sediment layers of a lost ocean. The analysis, which combines models and data from multiple missions, also shows that active processes in the Martian.....»»
Apple is well on its way to making iPhones theft-proof
Apple’s latest theft-prevention measure went live for beta testers yesterday: Activation Lock for iPhone components. The move is likely to generate some controversy, as it introduces another barrier to DIY repairs using parts harvested from brok.....»»
New research reveals how El Niño caused the greatest ever mass extinction
Mega ocean warming El Niño events were key in driving the largest extinction of life on planet Earth some 252 million years ago, according to new research......»»
Microbe dietary preferences found to influence effectiveness of carbon sequestration in deep ocean
The movement of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the surface of the ocean, where it is in active contact with the atmosphere, to the deep ocean, where it can be sequestered away for decades, centuries, or longer, depends on a number of seemingly small proce.....»»
Wreck discovered of French steamship that sank in Atlantic in 1856
A US dive team has discovered the wreck of a French steamship, Le Lyonnais, that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1856 after a "hit-and-run" collision with an American sailing vessel, claiming 114 lives......»»
International team decodes the genome of the Greenland shark
The Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus), an elusive dweller of the depths of the northern Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, is the world's longest-living vertebrate, with an estimated lifespan of about 400 years......»»
How the oceans" most abundant bacteria impact global nutrient flows
If you were to collect all the organisms from the ocean surface down to 200 meters, you'd find that SAR11 bacteria, though invisible to the naked eye, would make up a fifth of the total biomass. These bacteria, also known as Pelagibacterales, have ev.....»»
Reassessing the stability of the Florida Current: New insights from 40 years of observations
There is growing scientific interest in quantifying how large-scale ocean circulation is evolving as part of a changing global climate. Of particular interest is the potential weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)......»»
Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source
The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world's largest feeding ground for baleen whales—species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed roughly 2 million large whales in the Sou.....»»
The fascinating secrets of plant reproduction that scientists are still uncovering
You might think flowers don't have much choice about who they mate with, given they are rooted to the ground and can't move......»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»
Jellyfish under attack: Study uncovers parasitic spillover of a burrowing sea anemone
Many marine organisms, like sea anemones, struggle to spread across the ocean, especially if they lack long, mobile larval stages. Unlike their jellyfish relatives, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage, making their dispersal challenging. Their on.....»»
NASA spacecraft to study Jupiter moon"s underground ocean cleared for October launch
NASA on Monday approved next month's launch to Jupiter's moon Europa after reviewing the spacecraft's ability to withstand the intense radiation there......»»
First robot leg with "artificial muscles" jumps nimbly: Study
Researchers said on Monday they had designed the first robotic leg with "artificial muscles"—oil-filled bags allowing machines to move more like humans—that can jump nimbly across a range of surfaces......»»
With AI, extreme microbe reveals how life"s building blocks adapt to high pressure
An assist from a Google Artificial Intelligence tool has helped scientists discover how the proteins of a heat-loving microbe respond to the crushing conditions of the planet's deepest ocean trenches, offering new insights into how these building blo.....»»
The case for adding iron to the ocean for carbon dioxide removal
While the urgent reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions is needed as the primary activity to curb climate change, there is broad agreement for the need to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere. Given its outsized role in.....»»
Could comets have delivered the building blocks of life to ocean worlds like Europa, Enceladus and Titan?
Throughout Earth's history, the planet's surface has been regularly impacted by comets, meteors, and the occasional large asteroid. While these events were often destructive, sometimes to the point of triggering a mass extinction, they may have also.....»»
Surf therapy connects people to water—ocean health depends on this "blue attunement"
As a lifelong surfer, born to pioneering surfing parents and named after a wave, the ocean has shaped my identity and sense of belonging. The movement and touch of ocean waves ignites a whole cascade of changes in emotions in me and affects how I sen.....»»
California to get first new national marine sanctuary in 32 years, banning offshore oil drilling along miles of coast
A long-running effort by native tribes and environmentalists to establish the first new national marine sanctuary along California's coastline in 32 years—the aquatic version of a new national park—where offshore oil drilling would be prohibited.....»»
CarMax signs on as stadium sponsor for Flying Squirrels
CarMax has signed a multiyear stadium naming rights deal with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, a Minor League Baseball team near its Virginia headquarters......»»