Feature Channels: Marine Science

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A team of sustainability scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced in the journal PLOS ONE that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats that are widely dispersed across a varied landscape and whose solutions are not immediately obvious.

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The ocean is a critical life-support system for our planet through its role in global climate regulation. It absorbs most of the carbon emissions and heat trapped in the atmosphere which are a result of human activities. Over the years, this has led to ocean warming (OW), ocean acidification (OA), and ocean deoxygenation (OD).

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To reduce marine debris, which causes serious environmental pollution in the sea, researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) have developed a technology for reducing floating debris in rivers.

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Since 2011, parts of the Indian River Lagoon’s benthic cover has changed from primarily seagrass until 2015, to primarily the green macroalga C. prolifera after 2018. While native to the lagoon, C. prolifera acts as an invasive species that can move into new spaces and dominate due to its competitive ability in impaired habitats.

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A new study reveals deep-sea corals and sponges produce the ROS superoxide, meaning these chemicals have a string of previously unknown effects on ocean life.

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Inspired by a small and slow snail, scientists have developed a robot protype that may one day scoop up microplastics from the surfaces of oceans, seas and lakes.

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Four UNCW faculty will receive nearly $2 million to advance their research to help save the world’s endangered coral reefs. The Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP), a global organization formed by 17 of the Group of Twenty (G20) nations, awarded UNCW two of 14 grants totaling $18 million to fast-track worldwide research and development for coral conservation and restoration.

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A recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth sheds new light on the formation of the East Coast of the United States – a “passive margin,” in geologic terms – during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean around 230 million years ago.

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As California, the U.S. and the world work to make good on commitments to conserve 30% of oceans and lands by 2030, all strategies are on the table — and under the microscope.

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In sea fireflies’ underwater ballet, the males sway together in perfect, illuminated synchronization, basking in the glow of their secreted iridescent mucus.

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A new bacterial species discovered at the deep-sea hydrothermal vent site ‘Crab Spa’ provides a deeper understanding of bacterial evolution.

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Texas Tech professor’s research shines light on the alarming decline of flying foxes and related species.

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Scientists from the RUDN University and colleagues from Iran have determined the optimal dosage of a popular dietary supplement for rainbow trout. Exceeding it not only neglects a positive effect but can cause harm to the health of the fish.

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In a first-of-its-kind study, NAU research professor Chris Hakkenberg is taking a necessary step to finding a solution to biodiversity loss: mapping and measuring biodiversity across the U.S. using NASA's space-borne lidar.

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Despite their tiny sizes, aerosols, such as sea salt, dust, and ash, play a giant role in shaping weather and climate. These particles scatter light, act as the starting point for cloud formation, and can even initiate or limit rainfall.

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The return of bluefin tuna to Northern European waters is a conservation success story, but rising sea temperatures in their Mediterranean nursery grounds mean this recovery may be short-lived, according to new research led by the University of Southampton.

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Scientists rely on pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold,” as a sensitive recorder of oceanic conditions, used to reconstruct timelines of global environmental change. Research from Washington University in St. Louis helps separate out local effects and sheds new light on the role of ancient microbial activity in driving the signals.

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Whether to find food, reproduce, reduce competition, escape predators or escape winter, migration is a survival mechanism for many animal species.

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Long considered myth, freakishly large rogue waves are very real and can split apart ships and even damage oil rigs. Using 700 years’ worth of wave data from more than a billion waves, scientists at the University of Copenhagen and University of Victoria have used artificial intelligence to find a formula for how to predict the occurrence of these maritime monsters. The new knowledge can make shipping safer.

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Wild caviar, a pricey delicacy made from sturgeon eggs, has been illegal for decades since poaching brought the fish to the brink of extinction.

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Using eDNA meta-barcoding to compare phytoplankton communities in four representative regions of Qinghai Lake, the phytoplankton diversity in Qinghai Lake is shaped by a combination of seasonal water temperature variation, regional electrical conductivity variation and Cladophora biomass.

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Partners of the Ocean Pavilion at COP28 and associated stakeholders are calling on world leaders to recognize the importance of the ocean in climate and support efforts to expand and improve ocean observations worldwide, including expanding coverage in under-observed regions via the just announced COP28 Dubai Ocean Declaration.

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Evidence of climate change in the North Atlantic during the last 1,000 years can be seen in the deep ocean, according to a newly published paper led by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and University College London.

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Geochemist Alexandra Phillips has sulfur on her mind. The yellow element is a vital macronutrient, and she’s trying to understand how it cycles through the environment. Specifically, she’s curious about the sulfur cycle in Earth’s ancient ocean, some 3 billion years ago.

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It’s one of the most famous taglines in film history, immortalising sharks as ruthless predators. But beyond the horror generated by Spielberg’s Jaws series, a persistent fear of sharks remains, with consequences that extend into reality.

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A team at the University of Washington has created an interactive dashboard called WhaleVis, which lets users map data on global whale catches and whaling routes from 1880 to 1986. Scientists can compare this historical data and its trends with current information to better understand whale populations over time.

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The world’s total population is expected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050. This rapid increase in population is boosting the demand for agriculture to cater for the increased demand. Below are some of the latest research and features on agriculture and farming in the Agriculture channel on Newswise.

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Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters detected microplastics in clouds above the mountains, which could affect cloud formation and weather.

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To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of declining phytoplankton in the North Atlantic may have been greatly exaggerated. Analysis of a Greenland ice core going back 800 years shows that atmospheric chemistry, not dwindling phytoplankton populations, explains the recent ice core trends.

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In a recent publication in Nature Communications, a joint research team of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the University of Cologne, and the University of Oldenburg has presented their findings on the functioning of an atypical cryptochrome protein (Cry).

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By: Patty Cox | Published: November 13, 2023 | 11:00 am | Scientists from the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University have described and named a new species of coral in the waters of French Polynesia.Postdoctoral researcher Erika Johnston and Scott Burgess, associate professor of Biological Science, described Pocillopora tuahiniensis by studying the coral’s genome and examining the symbiotic algae that live inside its cells.

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In an incredible turn of good news for our oceans, today the government of Papua New Guinea has announced over 1.5 million hectares, more than 16,000 km2, of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

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With help from an experienced underwater cave-diving team, Northwestern University researchers have constructed the most complete map to date of the microbial communities living in the submerged labyrinths beneath Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

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Arsenic, widely present in the environment, affects approximately 100–200 million people globally. Chronic exposure to high concentrations can lead to cancers and other adverse health effects.

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An international group of scientists has cautioned against reliance on mechanical cleanup devices as a means of addressing the plastic pollution crisis.

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The projects will pursue novel investigations into how nervous systems may enable organisms, such as crustaceans, cephalopods, and zebrafish, to adapt to environmental challenges.