Articles tagged with Plankton
A groundbreaking study has documented the simultaneous position, size, and density of 36 different types of planktonic organisms in the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers found that smallest organisms formed the largest patches, with greater patchiness in shallow waters closer to shore than deeper ocean waters.
Eukaryotic plankton are highly diverse taxonomically, phylogenetically, and ecologically. The study found that ocean currents significantly influence their biogeography, with smaller organisms being more sensitive to local environmental conditions.
A new study reveals human activities have drastically altered the ocean's biodiversity, with significant losses in larger species like whales and dolphins. Biomass estimates show a 60% reduction in large fish and marine mammals, outpacing even extreme climate change scenarios.
A new analysis reveals that plankton-eating fish play a central role in driving local spikes of extreme biological productivity in tropical coral reefs. These 'sweet spots' concentrate abundant fish production, making them optimal for fishing. The study's findings hold significance for the future of tropical reef fisheries as coral ree...
A study found that climate change will alter functioning of marine microbial communities, with plankton at the poles being particularly badly damaged by rising temperatures. In temperate zones, they'll suffer from reduced nutrient flows, while in the tropics, increased salinity will affect them.
A new study reveals that giant plumose anemones off the coast of Washington state consume a surprising variety of prey, including pale-legged field ants and occasional spiders. The research utilized DNA metabarcoding to analyze the gut contents of a dozen anemones, greatly expanding the known list of their diet.
A new species of manta-like planktivorous shark, Aquilolamna milarcae, was discovered in northern Mexico, revealing an unexpectedly early evolutionary experimentation with underwater flight. The ancient shark's unique features included long, slender pectoral fins and a wide mouth adapted for filter-feeding.
The discovery of Aquilolamna milarcae sheds light on the evolution of oceanic animals and reveals a new facet of sharks' evolutionary history. The species is characterized by extremely long pectoral fins reminiscent of wings, feeding on plankton.
Scientists have discovered that ancient giant armored fish Titanichthys likely fed on plankton using a continuous ram-feeding technique. This finding contradicts previous assumptions about the species' feeding strategies, and sheds new light on the evolution of suspension-feeding vertebrates.
A new study reveals a dramatic decrease in cold-water plankton during the 20th century, replaced by warmer subtropical species. The change is linked to shifting ocean circulation patterns, driven by freshwater input from melting ice and climate change.
A new study found profound long-term changes in plankton communities, which are the base of the marine food web. Changes in sea surface temperature have led to a significant reorganisation of plankton populations, with some species increasing in abundance while others decrease.
A new study found that as ocean warming increases, cold-water species are replaced by warm-water species in marine communities. This shift is driven by species' thermal affinities and can be predicted based on regional temperature changes.
Researchers tracked basking sharks using satellite tags, finding they spent most of summer at surface, but dove to deeper depths in winter. The sharks also performed 'yo-yo' dives towards late winter and early spring, reaching depths over 1000m.
A study led by Dr Chancey MacDonald found that fussy fish can survive and even thrive in deeper waters due to their ability to adapt their diets. The Triangle Butterflyfish, a dietary specialist, fed more selectively on preferred corals, while the Eight-Band Butterflyfish, a generalist, became more flexible in their diet with depth.
A global evolutionary regime shift around 170 million years ago changed the success of organisms living in the ocean. Biological factors such as predator-prey relationships became increasingly important after the emergence of calcium carbonate-secreting plankton, stabilizing ocean chemistry and enabling diverse marine life.
Researchers found that bioluminescence helps dinoflagellates ward off copepod grazers, allowing them to survive longer and compete better. This defense mechanism may be crucial for the species' success as a poor competitor.
Researchers found that eukaryotic microorganisms, such as dinoflagellates like Pfiesteria piscicida, thrive on microplastic particles, reaching densities 50 times higher than in surrounding water. This discovery highlights the potential for microplastics to transport microorganisms over long distances.
A new numerical model suggests that plankton biomass controls the carbon cycle in the ocean, leading to a self-sustained 40k yr climate cycle. This finding challenges the standard theory of climate change driven by solar radiation and orbital forcing.
The discovery of ancient molecules, including bisnorgammacerane, reveals that predatory plankton played a crucial role in shaping the evolution of modern ecosystems. This finding suggests that massive predation helped 'clear' out bacteria-dominated oceans and create space for algae, paving the way for more complex lifeforms to evolve.
Researchers found that sharks can become giants by evolving two possible pathways: mesothermic adaptation for self-temperature control or filter-feeding pathway for plankton consumption. However, these giant sharks face risks such as prey scarcity and toxic microplastics threatening their extinction.
Chemists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena have discovered a previously unknown metabolic pathway in plankton that produces a key compound in the global sulfur cycle. This finding provides valuable information about the earth's sulfur cycle and has important implications for atmospheric and climatic models.
Scientists developed a new mathematical model using game theory to explain the biodiversity paradox, which predicts that hundreds of plankton species can coexist in open sea water despite limited resources. The model shows that biodiversity increases exponentially with the number of resources, leading to a large number of potential spe...
A new international study found that plankton's body size and ocean currents are crucial in determining their dispersal in the ocean. The larger the plankton, the smaller the connection between distant communities. Climate change is rapidly warming marine waters, making it essential to understand how this affects biological communities.
A pan-European sampling campaign has shed light on the vast diversity of freshwater plankton in lakes across Europe. The research team found that plankton communities are highly specific to distinct lakes and reveal signals of the past due to geological changes over the past 12,000 years.
Scientists have discovered that foraminifer shells are originally formed as metastable carbonate vaterite and later transform into calcite. This finding resolves discrepancies between natural shell observations and laboratory experiments, with significant implications for climate archives.
Giant larvaceans, a type of plankton, consume tiny pieces of plastic and pass them in their fecal pellets, which sink to the ocean bottom. This process suggests that these filter feeders may contribute to faster transfer of plastic pollution from surface to sea floor.
Researchers from KAUST have developed a model predicting how climate change impacts plankton populations. Temperature, nutrient availability, and mortality rates influence the numbers of heterotrophic planktonic prokaryotes.
Foraminifera, single-celled plankton, build microscopic calcite shells that reflect environmental conditions. Recent experiments reveal magnesium levels vary in shells due to daily light/dark cycles, increasing confidence in plankton as climate records.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have developed underwater robots that mimic the movement of plankton to study ocean currents and marine life. The robotic plankton, also known as M-AUEs, were deployed in a swarm to capture a three-dimensional view of the interactions between ocean currents and marine life.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports found that dispersal distances rank biological groups by genetic and community levels, supporting neutral theory predictions for marine biological connectivity. Dispersal limitation maintains species coexistence and promotes regional biodiversity.
A new study on plankton's jumping behavior shows that velocity is the primary factor determining whether an animal can break the water's surface. Only certain species of copepods with high impact speeds of around one meter per second can jump out of the water, suggesting they may be the smallest animals capable of this feat.
Researchers found malformed fossil plankton with high concentrations of toxic metals, linked to ocean anoxia and potential extinction causes. The study suggests that metal poisoning may have contributed to some world's largest extinction events.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have developed a novel plankton sampling system utilizing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to collect and analyze small planktonic larvae in coastal waters. The SUPR-REMUS system combines cutting-edge technologies, including DNA barcode analysis, to provide fine-scale information...
A single-celled marine plankton has evolved a tiny eye-like structure that resembles the complex eyes of humans and other animals. The ocellloid contains sub-cellular organelles similar to those found in multicellular eyes, potentially aiding prey detection through light shift detection.
Scientists discovered a single-celled plankton's 'eye' contains layers of mitochondria and plastids that resemble the lens, cornea, iris, and retina of multicellular eyes. The researchers found clues suggesting the structure may aid in detecting prey and communicating with other parts of the cell.
The Tara Oceans expedition has produced a comprehensive catalogue of over 40 million genes from 35,000 unknown species, showcasing the vast diversity of planktonic organisms. Climate change impacts on ocean ecosystems are being studied using this global dataset.
Research reveals how tiny creatures' movements affect temperature estimates, allowing scientists to refine past climate studies. By analyzing plankton shells and ocean currents, researchers created a tool to estimate the impact of drift on temperature estimates.
Researchers developed a way to simplify modeling of 'bistable' systems, involving two evolving species with different timescales. This new approach can accurately predict population dynamics and time to extinction in predator-prey models.
Researchers have discovered that plankton shells contain growth bands that record daily variations in magnesium chemistry, providing a proxy for past ocean temperature. This breakthrough allows scientists to study short timescale changes in ocean temperatures hundreds of millions of years ago.
A species of cold water plankton in the North Atlantic is declining as oceans warm, putting pressure on fisheries that rely on it. The study found no evidence of adaptation to warmer temperatures over 50 years, suggesting its range will continue to contract and eventually disappear.
Researchers launched an online platform called Plankton Portal, allowing citizens to classify millions of underwater images to study plankton diversity. The project uses high-resolution digital sensors from the In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) to detect plankton and other organisms in the open ocean.
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.
The Antarctic polar icecap emerged 33.6 million years ago, causing significant changes to plankton diversity and primary productivity. This shift influenced global primary productivity dynamics.
A study found that the development of the sea-ice ecosystem in Antarctica possibly triggered the evolution of larger organisms like baleen whales and penguins. The researchers analyzed sediment samples from drill cores, which provided new insights into the past.
A new study by UC Irvine scientists has found that ocean plankton near the surface of warm waters are much more carbon-rich than previously assumed. The researchers' findings challenge the Redfield ratio, a core principle in marine science that was thought to be constant across different depths and locations.
A long-term mesocosm experiment off Sweden investigates the effects of ocean acidification on plankton communities, shedding light on their ability to adapt to new conditions. The study also explores the impact of ocean acidification on the development of fish at the base of the food web.
The Global Alliance of Continuous Plankton Recorder Surveys has been formed to standardize methods and share data on plankton biodiversity globally. The initiative aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on ocean basin scales, crucial for understanding climate change impacts.
Scientists have found evidence that ocean acidification is happening faster today than in the last 300 million years, with potential consequences for coral reefs and other marine life. The oceans are acting like a sponge to draw down excess carbon dioxide, but at an alarming rate, putting these ecosystems at risk.
Researchers propose a novel mechanism for bioluminescence in dinoflagellates, involving voltage-gated proton channels and luciferase activation. This discovery enhances our understanding of these organisms, some of which produce toxins harmful to the environment.
A new study reveals that global warming can lead to a phenomenon where animals shrink due to the decoupling of growth rate and development rate. This effect is observed in marine planktonic copepods, which show increased growth but mature faster at warmer temperatures.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are developing means to efficiently breed saltwater fish and invertebrates in captivity. Successful breeding has been achieved for seven species, including clownfish, gobies, and coral, reducing reliance on destructive wild-caught methods.
Scientists have unraveled the environmental changes in the Arctic during an ancient bout of natural global warming. The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) led to a 15-metre succession of sediment representing a 170,000-year event, with sea level peaking about 13,000 years into the period.
Researchers studying the origin of Earth's first breathable atmosphere have found that ancient plankton played a critical role in providing oxygen. This discovery builds on earlier work that showed a reverse-greenhouse effect cooled the oceans, spawning giant plankton blooms and sending oxygen into the atmosphere.
Researchers discovered that extinct ammonites had jaws and teeth adapted for eating small plankton using synchrotron scans. The study provides new insights into why ammonites went extinct 65.5 million years ago due to an asteroid impact.
Researchers used synchrotron X-rays to reveal the last meal of ammonites, a group of extinct sea creatures that were distant relatives of squids and octopuses. The findings suggest that ammonites dined on plankton, which may have contributed to their extinction after a massive asteroid impact.
New mathematical studies suggest that oscillating biological populations can synchronize due to interactions like predation and competition. This phenomenon, known as synchronized chaos, can lead to unpredictable opportunities for invaders in ecosystems.
A sensor package is installed on Cape Cod ferry Katama to measure water temperature, salinity, oxygen levels, and take images of plankton. The project aims to build a detailed portrait of changing water conditions in Nantucket Sound over long time scales.
PLANKTON*NET offers a vast database of over 3000 images and 500 species descriptions, promoting global collaboration in biodiversity research. The project aims to network all data bases and integrate them into the World Data Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences.
Scientists discover that higher temperatures near the equator speed up metabolism, fueling genetic changes and leading to speciation. This finding helps explain why more living species exist near the equator.
A new study found that branching coral Montipora capitata sharpens its plankton intake when bleached, increasing its chances of recovery. The findings indicate that any coral, regardless of shape or location, can recover if it can increase feeding.