More Ocean Sustainability
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NewsNutritional supplements boost baby coral survival
Feeding coral larvae a coral ’baby food’ can dramatically increase their chances of survival, offering a new avenue for reef restoration as climate change continues to threaten coral ecosystems, a new study finds.
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NewsTiny ocean organisms missing from climate models may hold the key to Earth’s carbon future
The ocean’s smallest engineers, calcifying plankton, quietly regulate the Earth’s thermostat by capturing and cycling carbon. However, a new review finds that these organisms are oversimplified in the climate models used to predict our planet’s future.
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NewsFunctional extinction of Florida’s reef-building corals following the 2023 marine heatwave
The record-breaking 2023 marine heatwave has killed nearly all of Florida’s critically endangered Acropora coral colonies, marking the species’ functional extinction in Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR), researchers report.
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NewsUnderwater thermal vents may have given rise to the first molecular precursors of life
A new study shows that, without the presence of enzymes, natural gradients of pH, redox potential, and temperature present in underwater hydrothermal vents could have promoted the reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid and the subsequent formation of acetic acid.
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NewsMarine algae use unique pigment to shield photosynthesis from excess light
Researchers have discovered that marine algae have evolved unique pigments not only to capture the green-blue light available underwater but also to enhance their resilience against excessive sunlight.
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NewsArtificial ocean carbon recycling system converts seawater CO2 into valuable chemicals
Researchers have developed an artificial ocean carbon recycling system that captures CO2 from seawater and uses microbes to directly convert it into succinic acid.
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NewsImportant algal phenomenon discovered in the Arctic – could boost marine life
The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is, overall, a disaster. But paradoxically, the melting of the ice can also fuel the engine of the Arctic food chains: algae. A new study indicates there will probably be more of it in the future than previously thought.
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NewsMicrobes at Red Sea vents show how life and geology shape each other
A new study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; Saudi Arabia) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent fields of the central Red Sea, a site first discovered by one of his co-authors and colleagues, Assistant Professor Froukje ...
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NewsHydrothermal plumes - and microbes - revealed as invisible transport pathways for iron
A new review highlights how hydrothermal vents on the seafloor shape iron availability and influence the global oceanic element cycles.
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NewsSurprising bacteria discovery links Hawaiʻi’s groundwater to the ocean
A new species of bacteria has been discovered off the coast of Oʻahu, shedding light on how unseen microbial life connects Hawaiʻi’s land and sea ecosystems.
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NewsDual feeding strategy helps Mediterranean coral thrive in rising sea temperatures
An exceptional “dual feeding” strategy underlies a Mediterranean coral’s resilience to rising sea temperatures, according to a study. The stony coral Oculina patagonica is known to feed itself with or without algae.
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NewsWhat we know and what we need to know about Antarctic marine viruses
Antarctic marine viruses, while proven to be important players in the ecosystem, are not completely understood. In a new paper, researchers aim to fill in the gap between what is known and what is unknown, with a primary focus on RNA viruses, the influence of climate change and their implications.
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NewsClimate change may increase the spread of neurotoxin in the oceans
Climate-driven oxygen loss in the Black Sea thousands of years ago triggered the expansion of microorganisms capable of producing the potent neurotoxin methylmercury. That is shown in a new study which suggests that similar processes could occur in today’s warming oceans.
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NewsTiny architects, titanic climate impact: scientists call for coccolithophores to get their own day
Five European research organisations have launched an initiative to make 10 October International Coccolithophore Day, highlighting their crucial role in regulating the planet’s carbon balance, producing oxygen, and sustaining the ocean ecosystems that underpin all life.
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NewsScientists discover regulatory pathway behind cyanobacteria’s carbon-fixing factories
A new study illuminates a key regulatory pathway between cyanobacteria’s light-harvesting systems and the inner compartments where carbon fixation happens, helping us to understand how cyanobacteria balance their energy demands.
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NewsMarine heatwaves have hidden impacts on ocean food webs and carbon cycling
A new study analyzing data from robotic floats and plankton records reveals how marine heatwaves reshape ocean food webs and slow transport of carbon to the deep sea.
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NewsVolcanic ash may enhance phytoplankton growth in the ocean over 100 km away
A research group has suggested that ash released from volcanic eruptions on Nishinoshima Island led to a temporary surge in phytoplankton levels in the seawater around Mukojima Island, 130 km northeast of Nishinoshima.
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NewsAncient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life
A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. They analyzed nitrogen isotopes preserved in the shells of tiny plankton called foraminifera.
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NewsDo stranded dolphins have Alzheimer’s disease - and how are cyanobacteria involved?
Scientists have come up with an unusual hypothesis: perhaps dolphins become disoriented by suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s disease. It appears that Alzheimer’s-type neuropathology and disorientation may result from chronic exposure to toxic molecules produced by cyanobacteria.
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NewsHigh-latitude phytoplankton particularly sensitive to climate change
A team of researchers have investigated how high-latitude phytoplankton communities responded to ancient climate warming. High-latitude communities are historically understudied and likely to be particularly sensitive to human-driven climate change.