Environmental scientists Drs Carol Turley and Phil Williamson and Professor Richard Thompson will discuss ocean acidification and plastic pollution at the US Department of State conference. They emphasize the urgent need for a coordinated, global approach to address these pressing issues.
Research found that adult sea turtles' migration patterns and feeding site selections are based on their past experiences drifting with ocean currents as juveniles. This suggests that turtles imprint on suitable locations during their juvenile development phase, influencing their adult migrations.
The OCULLAR instrument can measure ocean color under low-light conditions, allowing scientists to monitor the health and chemistry of the oceans around the clock. This capability will enable researchers to study phytoplankton, microscopic ocean plants that form the base of the oceanic food web.
Researchers found that both denitrification and anammox are at work in the oceans, with a 70-30 ratio of nitrogen removal. The study settles a decades-long debate over how nitrogen is removed from the ocean and has real-world applications for understanding global climate and productivity.
The Ocean Health Index assesses ocean health across 10 categories, with Brazil scoring lowest in Natural Products and Food Provision. The index provides a framework for strategic management of ocean resources, with opportunities for improvement identified in various states.
During the last ice age, wind-borne dust carried iron to the Southern Ocean, driving plankton growth and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process, known as iron fertilization, is believed to have played a key role in amplifying the ice ages.
The Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Deepwater Horizon oil spill model accurately predicted shoreline oil impact, utilizing Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). By combining satellite images with ocean circulation models, NRL developed BioCast to forecast water clarity and contaminant distribution.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed new statistical models to increase the accuracy of ocean forecasting. The models improved predictability of sea surface temperature extremes, wind fields, and plankton distribution, ultimately benefiting fisheries and ecosystems.
An international team of researchers found that deep winter mixing plays a crucial role in transporting iron to the surface, supporting phytoplankton growth and the aquatic food chain. The study highlights the unique aspects of the iron cycle and its sensitivity to climate changes.
A novel mechanistic model assesses the global ocean carbon export by incorporating the lifecycle of phytoplankton and zooplankton into a food-web-based approach. The researchers found that oceans are a central component in the global carbon cycle, with a mean global carbon export flux of 6 petagrams per year.
A study by McGill University researchers shows that climate change has led to a decrease in ocean salinity, creating a freshwater lid that prevents mixing with warm waters underneath. This has resulted in the suppression of naturally rare events like the Antarctic polynya and contributed to the shrinking of Antarctic Bottom Water.
Sharks are tracked using instruments ingested by researchers gaining new awareness into their feeding habits and role in the ocean ecosystem. The 'shark's eye' view provides unprecedented understanding of shark behavior and movements.
A new study suggests that Atlantic deep water formation may be much more fragile than previously realised, with sudden and large reductions in the influence of these North Atlantic waters in the deep ocean. This could have widespread impacts on regional sea level, droughts, and ocean acidification under future climate change scenarios.
Growing industrialization threatens deep ocean ecosystems, which provide vital functions such as carbon sequestration. Experts urge a new 'stewardship mentality' to balance human needs with ecological impact, highlighting the need for international cooperation, regulation, and research funding to protect the world's last frontier.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that mesopelagic fish have a stock estimated at 10,000 million tons, surpassing previous estimates of 1,000 million tons. This discovery has significant implications for the understanding of carbon fluxes in the ocean and the operation of ocean deserts.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid ice loss, driven by ocean warming and increased surface melting. This phenomenon can lead to fresh water input into the North Atlantic Ocean, potentially disrupting global climate circulation patterns.
Marine scientists in Palau found corals living in acidic waters to be diverse and healthy, contradicting previous observations. The unique environment in Palau's Rock Islands is believed to provide a 'perfect storm' of conditions that allow corals to thrive.
Researchers discovered that coral reefs in Palau's Rock Islands are surprisingly diverse and healthy despite being exposed to acidic water. The unique conditions in Palau, including a residence time of seawater that allows for continuous calcification and respiration, contribute to the corals' resilience.
A study reveals a shift in competitive dynamics among crustose coralline algae due to ocean acidification, altering biodiversity. The researchers found that the dominant species, Pseudolithophyllum muricatum, no longer enjoys its competitive advantage, likely due to lower pH levels recorded over the last 12 years.
Giant underwater waves, invisible to the eye, are produced by temperature and salinity differences in ocean water. These internal waves, resembling surface waves in shape, play a key role in mixing ocean waters, driving warm surface waters downward and drawing heat from the atmosphere.
Researchers used a new ocean model to simulate the migration of eel larvae from the Sargasso Sea to Europe. The study found that small-scale ocean currents play a crucial role in determining eel population fluctuations and that eels return to specific locations within the Sargasso Sea where their mother spawned.
A new NOAA report suggests that specific types of fish farming can be done without harming the coastal ocean environment as long as proper planning and safeguards are in place. The study found minimal to no effects on the environment in cases where farms are responsibly managed.
A study by University of California, Santa Cruz researchers found a significant shift in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre's food web since 1850, driven by changes in nitrogen sources. The shift may be related to the expansion and warming of open ocean gyres, which limits nutrient delivery to surface waters.
A new analysis published in Nature suggests that the coastal ocean now takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases, potentially impacting global predictions related to climate change. Researchers propose a mechanism for the shift, which could make the coastal ocean a more important carbon sink in the future.
A University of Houston-led international expedition drilled into the lower crust of the Pacific Ocean, revealing new discoveries about the Earth's development. The team found substantial amounts of the mineral orthopyroxene in gabbros, challenging existing theories on the formation of the lower ocean crust.
Researchers found that warm ocean currents near Europa's equator and subsiding currents at the poles could create chaos terrains on the surface. This process may help initiate upwelling ice pulses, which form features like these terrains.
A recent Arctic study reveals that tiny crustaceans, known as copepods, may not survive if ocean acidity rises due to increased CO2. Copepods with a wide natural habitat range are likely to be better equipped to handle the changes.
A German-Peruvian science team found that ocean eddies play a crucial role in distributing oxygen and nutrients in the oxygen minimum zones. This discovery helps improve model computations to predict future expansions of low-oxygen areas in the ocean, addressing the threat of ocean de-oxygenation.
Experts warn of substantial economic losses from ocean acidification, with declines in shellfisheries and tropical coral reefs expected. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions can slow acidification and protect some ecosystems.
Young salmon scatter in all directions after entering the ocean, contrary to previous assumptions that most head north immediately. The study provides critical insights into salmon behavior and factors influencing survival, such as water temperature and predator presence.
Researchers quantify the extent of ancient oxygen-free and hydrogen sulfide-rich waters in the ocean during a major extinction event 93.9 million years ago. This discovery highlights the significant impact on ocean chemistry and biological activity, suggesting that even limited euxinia can have profound effects on marine life.
The OSNAP program will measure ocean's overturning circulation, a key component of global climate system. It aims to understand changes in this circulation and its impact on temperatures and precipitation.
Climate change will have far-reaching consequences for the world's oceans, affecting marine habitats and organisms, as well as human societies that depend on them. The study warns of massive disruptions to food chains, fishing, and tourism, with up to 870 million people relying on ocean goods and services.
A new study predicts that climate change will significantly impact the world's oceans by 2100, affecting marine habitats and organisms. The study reveals that no corner of the ocean will be untouched by changes in temperature, acidification, oxygen depletion, and productivity, with massive disruptions to food chains, fishing, and tourism.
Two UK-funded projects will monitor crucial ocean currents in the North Atlantic, improving long-term climate predictions and weather forecasts. The first project, OSNAP, will run for five years, with funding of around £20m, while the second project, RAPID, will continue to monitor the strength of the global conveyor belt until 2018.
A new study reveals dramatic ocean mixing in Drake Passage, crucial for regulating Earth's climate and ocean currents. The research provides detailed information needed to accurately predict long-term climate projections.
Researchers collected water samples up to six kilometres below the surface of the Southern Ocean, finding that physical transport in the ocean on currents shapes microbial communities. The study shows that communities connected by ocean currents are more similar to each other, regardless of distance.
Scientists found that ocean currents carrying anammox bacteria produce vast amounts of nitrogen gas in the Pacific Ocean, weakening the ocean's ability to absorb CO2. This process also leads to fewer algae in the water, less food for marine microorganisms and ultimately, a decrease in fish populations.
Research found that tiny plankton thrive under elevated CO2 levels, drawing down nutrients and reducing carbon export to the deep ocean. This could lead to a decrease in ocean's ability to regulate global climate, with significant implications for ecosystem balance and greenhouse gas production.
Researchers found that ocean warming is melting the Pine Island Glacier's floating ice shelf, causing rapid movement of glaciers in Antarctica. This process can lead to increased sea level rise as more ice is added to the mass of Antarctic glaciers.
Researchers tracked 800-foot-high waves in the Samoan Passage, a key bottleneck for ocean circulation. The waves produce mixing 1,000-10,000 times that of surrounding slow-moving water.
A study by Tim Mattes and colleagues found that microorganisms in the dark ocean, below 600 feet, absorb considerable amounts of carbon. The team discovered sulfur-oxidizing microbes dominating carbon fixation at hydrothermal vents, which could provide insights into global biogeochemical cycles.
Researchers have developed a new tool that can predict fish habitat conditions six months in advance. The JISAO Seasonal Coastal Ocean Prediction of the Ecosystem (J-SCOPE) uses global climate models and regional coastal ocean simulations to forecast ocean temperatures, oxygen levels, and phytoplankton blooms.
Researchers have solved the mystery of how mercury enters open-ocean fish, finding that up to 80% is produced deep in the ocean by bacteria. Mercury levels are likely to rise in Pacific fish over the coming decades due to increased industrialization in Asia.
Researchers used a coupled ocean-atmosphere model to predict climate shifts in the Pacific, with good agreement found between predictions and observed climate development. The study's findings suggest the potential for successful long-term climate predictions, but caution that reliability is still around 50% for regional forecasts.
Researchers at GEOMAR found that about one third of oxygen supply in tropical oxygen minimum zones is provided by vertical turbulent mixing, surprising previous assumptions. High-precision measurements confirmed this finding, using a tracer and profiling current meters.
Marine scientists have decoded the mechanism for long-term climate fluctuations in the Atlantic, revealing that ocean currents significantly affect long-term climate variability. The study found that heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere influences decadal climate fluctuations, which are superimposed on the general warming trend.
Scientists from CSIRO and the University of NSW attribute rapid ocean warming to global greenhouse gas emissions and aerosol decline. Models show a 30-year delay in Indian Ocean warming due to aerosol levels, highlighting human-emitted aerosols' significant impact on remote ocean temperatures.
A new study suggests that increased atmospheric CO2 levels are altering the types of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in the ocean, with implications for ocean productivity and fisheries. The research found that certain strains of these bacteria thrive in high CO2 environments, while others may struggle to survive.
A new study finds that all existing coral reefs will be engulfed in inhospitable ocean chemistry conditions if civilization continues on its current emissions trajectory. Deep cuts in emissions are necessary to sustain even a fraction of existing reefs.
Researchers found at least 1000 types of bacterial cells on plastic debris, including autotrophs, heterotrophs, and symbionts. The plastisphere may alter ocean ecosystems and transport harmful microbes, sparking concerns about its impact on marine life.
Research at Princeton University found that migrating ocean animals consume vast amounts of oxygen in the ocean's 'oxygen minimum zone'. This phenomenon, known as diel vertical migration (DVM), results in oxygen depletion and can be disrupted by climate change.
Coral reefs are more vulnerable to disruption and erosion due to ocean acidification, which reduces the density of coral skeletons. The study found that corals cannot fully acclimate to low pH conditions in nature.
A global study of ocean nitrogen cycle changes at the end of the last ice age confirms the oceans' ability to balance on a global scale. However, the data suggests it is a slow process that may take centuries or millennia, highlighting concerns about current rapid changes.
A team of Spanish researchers has sequenced the global deep ocean genome using over 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. This groundbreaking study reveals a vast unknown species of microorganisms with intense biological activity.
Scientists have created global maps showing how shipping noise affects the ocean, with high levels appearing in northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and along major shipping routes. The models take into account factors like water temperature, pressure, and sediment type to predict sound wave propagation.
Researchers reconstructed Arctic circulation through sediments and found that protactinium was being swept out of the Arctic before settling to the bottom. This suggests that the water couldn't have been stagnant, contradicting assumptions about the impact of the last ice age on global ocean currents. The study's findings indicate that...
Researchers found a strong correlation between summer monsoon and climate patterns that preceded it, enabling forecasts to predict the monsoon a few months in advance. The study discovered that El Niño's influence on the Indian Ocean temperature and atmospheric anomalies in the western Pacific amplifies each other.
A team led by UCSB professors found that certain microscopic shelled plants, such as Emiliania huxleyi, can tolerate high levels of carbon dioxide and even increase shell production, but may grow slower. This discovery suggests variable responses in marine organisms to ocean acidification.
A study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that oceanographic reorganisations and biological processes linked to airborne dust in the Southern Ocean drove past rapid fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The research found large changes in chemical stratification of the Southern Ocean on millennial timescales, highligh...