Researchers at the University of Florida have found suitable substrates and growth patterns for long-spined sea urchins, a keystone species in maintaining coral reef health. The study provides a crucial step towards restoring these vital ecosystems by growing corals in ocean nurseries.
Researchers developed novel bottom drifters to track ocean currents and improve the discovery of cold-stunned sea turtles. The new design revealed significant differences in stranding location trajectories, optimizing rescue operations and potentially saving more lives.
A recent study published in Molecular Ecology found widespread hybridization between two species of sea stars along the North Atlantic coast. The researchers used genomic data to analyze the genetic differences between the species and found that hybrids were thriving in areas with temperatures tolerable by both species.
A research team led by the University of Göttingen has discovered fossil spines that indicate the existence of irregular echinoids in the deep sea for at least 104 million years. The study provides insights into the past, including a mass extinction event that caused smaller species to thrive and changes in spine morphology.
Researchers found that sinking culled fruit trees into the Wadden Sea boosted local marine life diversity and abundance. The study shows native biodiversity can be restored using trees as reefs.
Researchers find catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins due to Antarctic sea ice loss. The study indicates that over 90% of emperor penguin colonies will be quasi-extinct by the end of this century, based on current global warming trends.
A team of scientists has discovered extremely rare 160-million-year-old sea spider fossils in Southern France that are closely related to living species, providing new insights into their evolution. The findings suggest that the diversity of sea spiders had already started to form by the Jurassic period.
A new study led by Brown University researchers provides unprecedented insights into the forces influencing Arctic sea ice motion. The analysis reveals how local tidal currents affect sea ice movement and highlights the crucial role of the seafloor in causing abrupt changes.
Scientists used distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) on a 37.4-kilometer-long fiber optic cable to track sea ice formation and retreat with fine spatiotemporal detail, revealing rapid changes up to 10 kilometers in less than a day. The technique offers improved resolution compared to satellite images.
A recent study by GEOMAR researchers found that fluctuations in the Labrador Sea can significantly influence the strength of sinking processes east of Greenland. This phenomenon affects the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a crucial climate system that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to Europe.
Sea urchins struggle to 'get a grip' as climate change causes lower salinity levels, affecting their ability to attach to surfaces. The study found that low salinity conditions negatively impact righting response, movement, and adhesive ability.
Research reveals a significant cross-seasonal connection between Arctic sea ice and Eurasian summertime temperature fluctuations. The study found that changes in Arctic sea ice influence atmospheric waves over the North Atlantic–Barents-Kara Sea–Central Asia regions, leading to corresponding changes in temperature fluctuations.
A new underwater mass spectrometer has successfully completed sea trials to detect dissolved gases in the deep sea, with long-term detection capabilities reaching 25.8 hours. The technology paves the way for research on global climate change and the origin of life.
The 'warm Arctic–cold Eurasia' pattern influences winter sea-ice anomalies in the Barents–Kara Sea, with a subseasonal transition from negative to positive ice coverage. This phenomenon is linked to atmospheric and oceanic changes driven by global warming.
Researchers have discovered that green sea turtles have been returning to the same seagrass meadows along Egypt and West Libya coasts for approximately 3,000 years. This long-term diet has allowed scientists to connect past dietary habits with specific locations, shedding light on human-induced effects on the environment.
Researchers have identified over 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice, suggesting they may play a role in controlling sea-lice populations. The viruses' ability to rapidly replicate and weaken their hosts maintains balance in nature.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered twenty species of sea lettuce in the Baltic Sea region, including three invasive species. The survey highlights the importance of knowing which species grow in specific areas to maintain and protect valuable ecosystems.
A new parameterization scheme incorporating sea ice thickness improves wave forecasting accuracy in the Marginal Ice Zone. The model effectively captures directional attenuation and spreading of waves caused by sea ice.
A UC Riverside-led study reveals the Salton Sea environment is toxic, causing sulfuric smells, dust storms, chemicals, and fires that contribute to chronic health conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses. The study's findings have important public health implications for vulnerable child populations.
The Antarctic and Arctic seas are responding differently to climate change, with the Arctic experiencing more rapid melting and thinning. Continuous monitoring is crucial to understand how global warming affects each region's unique characteristics.
A community science survey reveals an abundance of floating sea creatures in the North Pacific Garbage Patch, including jellyfish, snails, and crustaceans. The study found a positive correlation between plastic waste and three groups of sea creatures, highlighting the complex relationships within this ecosystem.
A new study found that male California sea lions have grown bigger as their population increased over the past 50 years. The researchers analyzed skull and bone samples to find that males expanded their ecological niche, foraging on a more diversified group of prey. This expansion allowed them to grow larger despite increased competition.
A new study by UMD criminologist Gary LaFree and former graduate student Bo Jiang found a link between rising sea surface temps and piracy. Rising temps caused an increase in piracy attacks in East Africa, while decreasing temps led to decreases in piracy attacks in the South China Sea due to changes in fish production.
Researchers found that male sea lions have increased in size and strengthened muscles for fighting, while females' body size remained stable. They also diversified their diets to overcome food shortages and adapt to changing prey availability.
Researchers discovered parallels between the brain architecture of sea slugs and more complex segmented creatures with jointed skeletons and appendages. The study suggests that simpler organisms like sea slugs adapted a network of neurons to govern locomotion and posture, which was later inherited by more complex animals.
A team of researchers conducted simulated whale fall experiments using cow carcasses in the South China Sea, revealing a strong dissimilarity between whale fall communities at different ocean depths. The study highlights the importance of whale falls as unique biodiversity hotspots for sustaining deep-sea life.
Research reveals that Arctic ice algae, Melosira arctica, contain ten times more microplastic particles than surrounding seawater. The clumps of dead algae transport plastic pollutants quickly into the deep sea, posing a threat to creatures that feed on them.
A parasite identified as Philaster apodigitiformis has been found responsible for the massive die-off of long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean Sea. The loss of these vital herbivores threatens coral reef health and balance, with devastating consequences for marine ecosystems.
A new study published in Palaeontology sheds light on the swimming styles of Mesozoic marine reptiles, finding a gradual diversification of locomotory modes that peaked in the Cretaceous period. The research also explores the evolution of body size, with the widest spread occurring during this time.
Researchers found record-low Antarctic sea ice in austral summer 2022 due to stronger positive sea surface temperature anomalies and unprecedented ozone reduction. The anomalies triggered the deepening of an Amundsen Sea Low, leading to sea ice retreat via horizontal wind anomalies.
Salt marshes along the US East Coast have accumulated soil more quickly over the past century to keep up with rising waters. However, this rate of growth will eventually slow down as sea levels continue to rise, and many coastal wetlands may not be able to adapt in time.
The study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of deep-sea adaptation in Ilyophis brunneus. Researchers identified critical genes, including TUGBCP3 and ITGA, that underwent specific mutations related to cytoskeleton maintenance and regulation.
A recent study has identified a rare strain of Toxoplasma gondii, COUG, in sea otters that caused fatal steatitis and toxoplasmosis. The strain is virulent and can rapidly kill healthy adult otters, posing a health threat to other marine wildlife and humans.
A rare strain of Toxoplasma has been found in California sea otters, killing them with severe inflammation and potentially threatening other marine life. The COUG strain was first detected in Canadian mountain lions, and its impact on humans and other animals is unknown.
Researchers warn that Arctic sea ice may soon vanish during summer months, mirroring a phenomenon from 10,000 years ago. This could lead to increased global warming and disrupt marine ecosystems, which rely on the sea ice for food chains.
Scientists have calculated that the Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica has lost over 3,000 billion tonnes of ice over a 25-year period. The ice loss is attributed to extreme snowfall events and changes in ocean temperature and currents, contributing up to nine millimetres to global sea levels.
A research team led by Dr Lisa Levin assessed the potential risks of OBCIs on deep-sea ecosystems, raising substantial concern about their impacts on biodiversity and biogeochemistry. The study highlights the need for an integrated research framework to carefully consider the cost and benefits of each intervention.
A new study by Monterey Bay Aquarium reveals the key components contributing to successful releases of orphaned southern sea otters back into the wild. The research emphasizes the strong maternal drive of surrogate female sea otters in nurturing and caring for pups, resulting in a three-quarters success rate.
A new study highlights Asian megacities like Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila as facing significant risks from sea level rise by 2100. The research incorporates natural sea level fluctuations to show how climate change amplifies this effect, leading to more frequent extreme flooding events.
A new study found that sea stars, such as the sunflower sea star, play a crucial role in protecting kelp forests by preying on kelp-eating urchins. The research suggests that these sea stars can consume urchins at rates sufficient to maintain and perhaps reset the health of kelp forests.
A study by Pusan National University researchers investigates the effects of mild acid hydrolysis on sulfated fucans in sea cucumbers and sea urchins. The results show selective 2-desulfation, leading to an 8-sugar-long oligosaccharide production.
A new study found that powerful storms called atmospheric rivers are increasingly reaching the Arctic in winter, slowing sea ice recovery. These storms carry large amounts of water vapor and produce extreme rainfall and flooding when they make landfall.
A new study finds that many US coastal communities rely on low estimates of sea level rise, omitting high-end scenarios that could result in costly and dangerous underestimates. The study's authors hope to identify and address gaps in how communities use the most recent assessments of sea level rise in their policy decisions.
A new study using high-resolution land elevation data finds the biggest increases in inundation will occur after the first 2 meters of sea level rise, covering more than twice as much land as older elevation models predicted. Coastal communities have less time to prepare for sea level rise than expected.
Researchers found wolves in Alaska replaced deer with sea otters as their main food source within a few years. The wolf pack's diet changed dramatically, with sea otters making up 57% of their diet by 2017, while deer frequency declined to 7%.
A new study found that red sea urchin populations in Northern and Southern California have different levels of vulnerability to climate change. The researchers grew juvenile sea urchins in outdoor tanks and exposed them to changing conditions, showing that the Southern California population is more sensitive to environmental changes.
Researchers have found that corals in the northern Red Sea have not experienced mass bleaching despite high heat stress due to their acquired temperature tolerance around 7,000 years ago. The region's reefs are expected to be among the last standing by the end of the century under projected warming scenarios.
A University of California Riverside study found that Salton Sea dust triggers lung neutrophil inflammation in mice, with potential implications for asthma sufferers and other terminal lake regions. The research highlights the need for further funding to understand dust-triggered inflammation and its effects on human health.
Researchers synthesized multisource data to explore spatiotemporal variations of melt/freeze onsets, revealing a 3-month delay in basal freeze onset compared to surface. The study highlights the importance of synchronous monitoring of air-ice-ocean system and suggests a possible delay in Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.
Researchers found that using coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea ice circulation models with observation-based datasets, they can predict Antarctic sea ice variability over decadal time scales. The initialization of subsurface ocean temperature and salinity fields significantly improves prediction skills, especially in the west Antarctic region.
A new study published in the Journal of Zoological and Biological Gardens highlights the successful sea otter rehabilitation program at Monterey Bay Aquarium. The program uses surrogacy as a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation, with 71% of surrogate-reared pups surviving post-release compared to 27% that underwent human-led rehabi...
Climate models show promise in simulating sea level trends, but biases persist, particularly in reproducing interannual signals over subtropical regions. Higher model resolution reduces nearshore bias, highlighting the importance of improved ocean process representation.
Despite declining coral, fish, seagrass, and manatees in the Florida Keys, sea urchin populations have remained relatively stable since the 1960s. These marine animals are essential for maintaining healthy environments by cleaning, ventilating, and enriching sediment.
Researchers are developing innovative equipment to explore deeper, wider, and longer-term deep-sea ecosystems. Advanced technologies like submersibles, microbial bioreactors, and molecular biology methods have enabled the discovery of new species and insights into adaptability and biological connectivity in extreme environments.
Research identifies Colorado River flow decline as main cause of Salton Sea's shrinking, leading to increased salt and chemical concentrations. The study highlights the need for a watershed-centric approach to mitigate the environmental risks and health impacts of the Salton Sea's decline.
Researchers found that placing layers of white hollow glass microspheres onto Arctic sea ice would darken its surface, accelerate the loss of sea ice, and further warm the climate. The study challenges a previous claim that spreading hollow glass microspheres on young Arctic sea ice could increase reflectivity and protect it from the sun.
A new study using high-resolution satellite observations confirms theoretical predictions and computational models of sea-level changes in the region surrounding the Greenland ice sheet. The research adds confidence to projections of sea level rise across the next decades and century.
A team of scientists led by Sophie Coulson and Jerry X. Mitrovica have detected the first definitive proof of elusive sea level fingerprints. The findings validate almost a century of sea level science and help solidify confidence in models predicting future sea level rise.
A team of researchers has identified three new turtle nesting sites in the central Red Sea, which could inform efforts to protect endangered sea turtles. The discovery was made using drone surveillance and sediment samples to identify optimal nesting conditions.
Researchers studied heat movement near North Pole and under Arctic sea ice, providing insights into the mechanisms of Arctic sea ice decline. Their findings suggest that strong winds cause mixing of water where ice and ocean meet, leading to enhanced heat transfer and changes in seawater salinity.