Barnacles go to great lengths to mate
Compelled to mate, yet firmly attached to the rock, barnacles have evolved the longest penis of any animal for their size - up to 8 times their body length - so they can find and fertilize distant neighbours. view more (2008-02-07)
Shark skin saves naval industry money
Covering ship hulls with artificial shark skin could help ships sailing smoothly. The growth of marine organisms such as barnacles on ship hulls is a major cause of increased energy costs in the naval industry. Shark skin offers a structural design that prevents this so called 'bio-fouling'. view more (2005-07-18)
Non-toxic hull coating resists barnacles, may save ship owners millions
North Carolina State University engineers have created a non-toxic "wrinkled" coating for use on ship hulls that resisted buildup of troublesome barnacles during 18 months of seawater tests, a finding that could ultimately save boat owners millions of dollars in cleaning and fuel costs. view more (2009-05-29)
Living laboratory found on shoreline statues
A team from the University of Liverpool's School of Biological Sciences have found that the 100 life-size statues which make up Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' art installation on Crosby Beach have become a haven for a settlement of a particular breed of barnacle-Elminius modestus. view more (2006-10-23)
Super sticky barnacle glue cures like blood clots
Barnacles are a big problem for boats. Adhering to the undersides of vessels, carpets of the crustaceans can increase fuel consumption by as much as 25%. view more (2009-10-16)
Atlantic snails are increasing dramatically in size, Queen's researcher discovers
A Queen's University biologist has discovered that the shell lengths of northwest Atlantic Ocean snails - an important member of the Atlantic food chain - have increased by 22.6 per cent over the past century. Until now, this significant change in the marine ecosystem has gone unnoticed. view more (2009-03-25)
Yale researchers find environmental toxins disruptive to hearing in mammals
Yale School of Medicine researchers have new data showing chloride ions are critical to hearing in mammals, which builds on previous research showing a chemical used to keep barnacles off boats might disrupt the balance of these ions in ear cells. view more (2006-04-12)
Discarded human debris threatens global biodiversity
Discarded human debris is encouraging colonization of exotic marine animals in the world`s oceans and threatening global biodiversity, particularly in the Southern Ocean. The findings, reported in this week`s NATURE, are based on a 10-year study of human litter (mostly plastic) washed ashore on 30 remote islands around the globe, from the Arctic... view more... (2002-04-23)
Overfishing puts Southern California kelp forest ecosystems at risk, report scientists
Kelp forest ecosystems that span the West Coast -- from Alaska to Mexico's Baja Peninsula -- are at greater risk from overfishing than from the effects of run-off from fertilizers or sewage on the shore. view more (2006-05-26)
Scientists find 'great Pacific Ocean garbage patch'
Scientists have just completed an unprecedented journey into the vast and little-explored "Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch." view more (2009-08-28)
Ocean growing more acidic faster than once thought
University of Chicago scientists have documented that the ocean is growing more acidic faster than previously thought. In addition, they have found that the increasing acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. view more (2008-11-25)
Map For Protection Of Sea Animals
The Russian Branch of the WWF has managed to summarize vast experimental data accumulated by Russian maritime biologists and geographers. This effort resulted in the Map of maritime protected natural territories of Russia. The map contains well-known preserves and reserves completely or partially located on the sea coast, and in addition, the map... view more... (2003-09-12)
480-million-year-old fossil sheds light on 150-year-old paleontological mystery
Discovery of an exceptional fossil specimen in southeastern Morocco that preserves evidence of the animal's soft tissues has solved a paleontological puzzle about the origins of an extinct group of bizarre slug-like animals with rows of mineralized armor plates on their backs, according to a paper in Nature. view more (2008-01-10)
Caltech scientists lead deep-sea discovery voyage
Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and an international team of collaborators have returned from a month-long deep-sea voyage to a marine reserve near Tasmania, Australia, that not only netted coral-reef samples likely to provide insight into the impact of climate change on the world's oceans, but also brought to... view more... (2009-02-05)
Scientific sub makes deep-sea discoveries
A four-week expedition to explore the deep ocean south-west of Tasmania has revealed new species of animals and more evidence of impacts of increasing carbon dioxide on deep-sea corals. view more (2009-01-21)
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