Metals from cigarette butts may pose potential threat to marine environment
Littered cigarette butts may be an important source of metal contaminants leaching into the marine environment and potentially entering the food chain, suggests research published online in the journal...
View ArticleMantis shrimp roll their eyes to improve their vision
Imagine rolling your eyes to help you see more clearly. Although it wouldn't work for humans, new research published today in Nature Communications has shown mantis shrimp use eye rotations to enhance...
View ArticleUnder-reporting of fisheries catches threatens Caribbean marine life
Marine fisheries catches have been drastically under-reported in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, threatening the marine environment and livelihoods of the local community, reveals a...
View ArticleSea habits of migratory birds highlight conservation need in the Canary Current
Scientists have tracked the behaviour of seabirds migrating across the Atlantic to better understand how these animals use the marine environment and find out where they might come into conflict with...
View ArticleWarming temperatures can reduce marine diversity but increase freshwater species
In contrast to previous research, scientists have found that habitat warming can reduce the diversity of species in marine environments, but increase speciation in freshwater habitats.
View ArticleImpact of the Fukushima accident on marine life, five years later
Five years ago, the largest single release of human-made radioactive discharge to the marine environment resulted from an accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Approximately...
View ArticleResearchers use genes as early warning system for harmful algae blooms
In one of the most comprehensive studies to date, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have sequenced the genes of a harmful algae bloom, unveiling never-before-seen interactions...
View ArticleHow safe is seafood?
Seafood is the main component of European Christmas menus. But with rising concern about chemical pollution in the marine environment, is seafood safe to eat?
View ArticleStudy shows how marine microbes recycle iron from the debris of dead algae
A new study from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, shows the molecular machinery that helps move iron through the marine environment. The researchers report this week in...
View ArticleNew species discovered in Antarctica
A team of Japanese scientists has discovered a new species of polychaete, a type of marine annelid worm, 9-meters deep underwater near Japan's Syowa Station in Antarctica, providing a good opportunity...
View ArticleFrom entanglement to invasions of alien species—the harm caused by marine litter
Marine litter is a threat to the marine ecosystem, human health and economic activities. A new report by the Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) sheds light on the many effects of litter in our...
View ArticleRising water temperatures endanger health of coastal ecosystems, study finds
Increasing water temperatures are responsible for the accumulation of a chemical called nitrite in marine environments throughout the world, a symptom of broader changes in normal ocean biochemical...
View ArticleMarine conservation must consider human rights
Ocean conservation is essential for protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the resources that people rely on for livelihoods and food security. But there are many documented cases where...
View ArticleStudy finds bacteria in marine sponge produce toxic flame retardant-like...
A Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego-led research team discovered for the first time that a common marine sponge hosts bacteria that specialize in the...
View ArticleWhy microplastic debris may be the next big threat to our seas
Plastic, metal, rubber and paper are some of the materials that pollute the world's oceans, often in the form of soda cans, cigarette butts, plastic bags and bottles, and fishing gear.
View ArticleGreat opportunities for marine research with new underwater vehicle
The University of Gothenburg soon will have its first autonomous underwater vehicle for research use. This will make it possible to conduct detailed studies of the seabed at great depths and track the...
View Article'Weedy' fish species to take over our future oceans
University of Adelaide researchers have for the first time demonstrated that the ocean acidification expected in the future will reduce fish diversity significantly, with small 'weedy' species...
View ArticleArtificial coastal defences could be used to enhance marine biodiversity,...
Future coastal defences, harbours and ports could enhance biodiversity within the marine environment through the use of cement substitutes. But the materials used need to be selected carefully in order...
View ArticleScientists uncover factors that shape sea life
On its 50th anniversary, the landmark theory of island biogeography—the study of the distribution of species on islands over time—expands from land to sea with fascinating results. A team of...
View ArticleDay of reckoning for marine invaders
For centuries, marine species have moved around either by hitching ride on the hulls of ships or as stowaways in ballast water. In many instances, species have been deliberately introduced for...
View ArticleNew device zooms in on microbe behaviour at the right scale
Marine microbes play an important role in the productivity and functioning of our oceans but scientists studying their behaviour face many challenges.
View ArticleCleaning marine litter in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea
Newly funded, EU Horizon 2020 project targets increasing pollution in marine areas by focusing on the development of innovative cleaning technologies and approaches.
View ArticleOysters close their shells in response to low-frequency sounds
Oysters rapidly close their shells in response to low-frequency sounds characteristic of marine noise pollution, according to a study published October 25, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by...
View ArticleStrengthening passive sampling of nonpolar chemicals
Passive sampling is a valuable technique for monitoring concentration levels of hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the marine environment. New guidelines for the determination of...
View ArticleVirtual coasts improve understanding of possible coastal planning outcomes
A new immersive visualization allows people to make informed decisions on coastal plans by experiencing changes to an area through a first-person perspective. Published in Frontiers in Marine Science,...
View ArticleFuture climate change may not adversely impact seafood quality, research...
The eating qualities of UK oysters may not be adversely affected by future ocean acidification and global warming, new research has suggested.
View ArticleMarine organisms can shred a plastic bag into 1.75 million pieces, study shows
A single plastic carrier bag could be shredded by marine organisms into around 1.75million microscopic fragments, according to new research.
View ArticleThe incredible journey of the first African tortoise that arrived in Europe
About 95 million years ago, a river turtle adapted to marine environments and made an extraordinary migration from the ancient continent of Gondwana, which grouped what is now Africa and South America,...
View ArticleStudy finds strong support for ocean protection
The public widely believes that the marine environment is under threat from human activities, and supports actions to protect the marine environment in their region, according to a new study to be...
View ArticleTo understand the sea, focus on the seabed
A new review, led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory scientists, sets priorities for the benefit of future benthic research.
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