All Marine Science articles
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NewsCorals in Brazilian archipelago capture carbon equivalent to the burning of 324,000 liters of gasoline per year
A single species found in the Alcatrazes Archipelago, brain coral, produces around 170 tons of calcium carbonate annually. This represents the retention of approximately 20 tons of carbon in mineral form, which can last for centuries or millennia.
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NewsNew imaging approach transforms study of bacterial biofilms
Scientists have reimagined the capabilities of atomic force microscopy, transforming it into a tool that captures large-scale biological architecture. This advance offers an unprecedented view of biofilm organization.
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NewsGreat Barrier Reef more volatile with sharp declines in coral cover
Hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef has declined substantially from the high levels of recent years back to near long-term average levels, underscoring a new level of volatility.
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NewsImperfect underground processes help filter wastewater in Florida Keys
Researchers find that microbial and other processes do not completely clear wastewater shallowly injected into groundwater of potentially harmful contaminants.
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NewsNew study illuminates how diatoms thrive in — and light up — the Southern Ocean
An area of the remote Southern Ocean that’s long confused ocean color satellites by reflecting large amounts of turquoise-colored light appears to be full of silica-rich diatoms, according to a new study. There is also evidence in these polar waters of coccolithophores.
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NewsNew mega RNA virus may hold the key to mass oyster die-offs
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown virus in farmed Pacific oysters during a mass die-off in B.C., Canada. The discovery serves as a reminder that growers should exercise caution when moving young oysters, to prevent potential spread of pathogens.
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NewsScientists call for urgent policy reform to accelerate cross-border coral restoration efforts
An international team of coral scientists is calling for urgent regulatory reform to support assisted gene flow (AGF)—a powerful tool to boost coral resilience—before climate change causes further reef decline and irreversible damage to coral ecosystems.
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NewsMicrobially synthesized bioplastic may solve marine plastic pollution problem
Researchers have demonstrated a new eco-friendly plastic that decomposes in deep ocean conditions. In a deep-sea experiment, the microbially synthesized poly(d-lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate) (LAHB) biodegraded, while conventional plastics persisted.
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NewsFecal samples from bowhead whales link ocean warming to rising algal toxins in Arctic waters
Rising toxins found in bowhead whales, harvested for subsistence purposes by Alaska Native communities, reveal that ocean warming is causing higher concentrations of algal toxins in Arctic food webs.
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NewsAlgae of polar origin may impact tropical ocean biogeochemistry and food webs
A single-celled algae genus may have a big impact on how the world’s chemical building blocks cycle between living things and the non-living environment. Polarella was thought to be restricted to polar cap regions, but turns out to be abundant in the tropical Pacific ocean.
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NewsDrones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching
New research has revealed alarming coral mortality rates of 92 per cent after last year’s bleaching event at Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, marking one of the highest coral mortality rates ever documented globally.
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NewsScientists discover the ‘ticking’ mechanism driving nature’s simplest circadian clock
Researchers have uncovered the molecular mechanism that drives the ’ticking’ of the circadian clock in cyanobacteria. A clock protein called KaiC controls chemical reactions with precision, acting like the hand of a clock that waits, then moves at just the right moment.
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NewsNorthward jet stream shift hits phytoplankton in the Mediterranean Sea
In just over 20 years, the northward shift of the subtropical jet stream — a high-altitude airflow — caused by climate change has reduced primary production in the northwestern Mediterranean by about 40%, affecting the base of the marine food web.
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NewsFish ‘beauty salons’ offer insight into how microbes move within reefs
A new study highlights the potential impact of cleaner fish in coral reefs and the need to demystify their role in shaping reef microbial diversity and transmission.
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NewsCoral Art: Drawing out the secrets of coral reef resilience to high ocean temperatures
A researcher uses her art to explain how corals from more variable ocean environments may be better equipped to survive rising ocean temperatures than corals from more stable environments.
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NewsScientists discover 230 new giant viruses that shape ocean life and health
Using high-performance computing methods, researchers have identified 230 novel giant viruses in publicly available marine metagenomic datasets and characterized their functions.
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NewsBacterium yields secrets of how it produces ‘organic dishwashing liquid’ to degrade oil
The marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis feeds on oil by producing an ’organic dishwashing liquid’ which it uses to attach itself to oil droplets. Researchers have now discovered the mechanism by which this “organic dishwashing liquid” is synthesized.
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NewsStrongest hints yet of biological activity outside the solar system
Astronomers have detected the chemical fingerprints of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18b. On Earth, these are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton.
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NewsCoral reefs exude myriad chemicals, fueling dynamic microbial recycling of nutrients
New research reveals the remarkable chemical diversity of substances exuded by coral reefs and demonstrates that thousands of different chemicals derived from tropical corals and seaweeds are available for microbes to decompose and utilize.
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FeaturesHow microbes can detoxify heavy metal pollution in the ocean
Researchers have successfully used microbes to reduce the heavy metal toxicity of soils and wastewater through bioremediation. Could they eventually use a similar approach to target heavy metals in the ocean?