All Marine Science articles
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NewsCrab shell by-products could help regulate the marine lifetime of biodegradable plastics
Researchers show that crab shell by-products can reduce the breakdown rate of biodegradable plastics in seawater by altering the microbial communities that colonize their surfaces, known as the plastisphere.
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NewsLost millennium of Galápagos deep-sea corals linked to major Pacific climate shift
Scientists have discovered that deep-water corals in the Galápagos region vanished for more than 1,000 years before eventually recovering. The findings reveal that deep-water coral ecosystems may be more susceptible to climate change than previously thought.
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NewsResearchers come up with novel strategies for coral restoration
Scientists have discovered a new way to help lab-grown baby corals survive through the early life stage. If young mountainous star corals are grown on cement tiles formulated with sodium carbonate, which raises the alkalinity of the water, they survive much better than the average lab-grown corals.
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NewsHow tiny cave shrimps grazing on microbes power the underworld of the Yucatan
Because they convert microbial growth in sinkholes beneath the Yucatan Peninsula into animal biomass, Typhlatya shrimps act as “keystone species”, introducing essential nutrients into the cave’s food web. They serve as a crucial initial link that larger subterranean predators feed on.
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NewsAndes volcanoes – the missing link between algae blooms, whales and climate millions of years ago
Record volcanic eruptions in the Andes could explain the mysterious death of dozens of whales about 5 to 8 million years ago, according to a study. A significant increase in volcanic activity in the Andes peaking between eight and four million years ago likely delivered a significant pulse of nutrients to the Southern Ocean.
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NewsSeasonal cycles - even in the depths - sustain ocean microbial biodiversity
Oceanographers discovered that microbial communities–from the sunlit surface to extreme depths–in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre exhibit robust seasonal cycles. The study provides new insight into how high levels of biodiversity are maintained in the open ocean.
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NewsViruses found in Antarctic air, including some new to science
It may seem stark and lifeless, but the air around the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia contains viruses, including some that are new to science. Using metagenomics, researchers discovered that South Georgia harbours a diverse and dynamic airborne viral community.
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NewsThe giants of the reef: New citizen science project races to document centennial corals
Coral reefs hide “scientific treasures” that have survived for centuries, yet many of these giant, ancient organisms remain largely unknown to science. A new study introduces a pioneering citizen-science initiative to find these giant coral colonies before they are lost to escalating global pressures.
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NewsMBL scientist Alexandra Z. Worden honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship
Alexandra Z. Worden, Senior Scientist in the Bay Paul Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory and a Professor in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship this week, in recognition of her groundbreaking research in ocean biogeochemistry.
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NewsStudy reveals hidden damage in stony corals using 3D imaging and AI
Researchers investigating how disease affects coral structure turned to X-ray microcomputed tomography which generates detailed 3D reconstructions down to microscopic pores, which reveal internal skeletal features, including porosity, thickness and structural orientation, in a non-destructive way.
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NewsLonger-term plankton species diversity is independent of ocean mixing
A new study identifies correlations between turbulence, plankton diversity and aggregate abundance in marine coastal regions over longer time periods, providing new insights into marine ecosystems.
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NewsTiny plankton have big impact on harmful algal bloom predictions
While some computer models can forecast potential algal blooms, their accuracy is limited.. A new study shows that coupling three models and accounting for how different algae species interact can significantly improve predictions.
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NewsHow microbes survive in the plastisphere
Trillions of persistent plastic particles of varying sizes are scattered throughout the world’s oceans, where they often accumulate in ocean gyres known as ‘garbage patches’. Two of these regions were the focus of research expeditions.
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NewsWhen algae stop growing, bacteria start swarming
A new study describes how a recently identified species of marine bacteria targets diatoms based on growth phase and nutrient availability.
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NewsProlonged exposure to microplastics disrupts the metabolism of Mediterranean octocorals
Prolonged exposure to microplastics can disrupt vital physiological processes in gorgonians, such as respiration. Although these pollutants do not cause visible damage to tissues and cells, their effects could have an ecological impact on these organisms that structure the seabed.
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NewsScientists reveal valuable secrets of Pacific coral reefs
An international consortium of scientists has uncovered new insights into coral ecosystems, revealing that different coral species host their own distinct communities of microbes. They show that coral reefs harbour diverse microbes and produce chemicals with promising potential.
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NewsStill standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls
In 2019, a marine heat wave struck a coral reef on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, killing much of the coral and the beneficial algae that colonized it. A long-term study of the area is challenging scientists’ understanding of the cycles of destruction and repair that can occur on a coral reef.
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NewsResearchers uncover hidden genetic world in Antarctic Waters
Researchers have completed the most comprehensive survey to date of DNA associated with Southern Ocean microbes, paving the way for a better understanding of their role in climate change. At least a third of the genes identified are missing from existing marine gene catalogs.
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NewsNew study finds deep ocean microbes already prepared to tackle climate change
A new study demonstrates that the microbe Nitrosopumilus maritimus may already be adapting well to warmer, nutrient-poor waters. Researchers predict that these adaptable iron-dependent ammonia-oxidizing archaea will play an important role in reshaping ocean-nutrient distribution in a changing climate.
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NewsHitchhiking bacteria can alter marine snow's role as a carbon sink
Researchers have found that when bacteria hitch a ride on marine snow particles, the microbes can eat away at calcium carbonate, which is an essential ballast that helps particles sink.