More Ocean Sustainability
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News
Regenerating worms have genetic control over their algal partners
Researchers have found that when Convolutriloba longifissura, a species of acoel that hosts the symbiotic algae Tetraselmis, regenerates, a genetic factor that takes part in the acoel regeneration also controls how the algae inside of them reacts.
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News
From roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
Scientists investigated the relationship between the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora and the microbial communities that inhabit their roots, identifying the bacteria and their roles.
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Weaker ocean currents lead to decline in nutrients for North Atlantic ocean life during prehistoric climate change
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have finished investigating how the prehistoric weakening of a major ocean current led to a decline in ocean nutrients and negative impacts on North Atlantic ocean life. The results support predictions about how our oceans might react to a changing climate — and what ...
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Antibiotic resistance genes found deep in sediment of mangroves
Antibiotic resistance genes have been found deep in sediment within mangrove areas in Mexico, a new study has found.
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New Rhizobia-diatom symbiosis discovery solves long-standing marine mystery
Scientists solve a longstanding marine mystery by uncovering a partnership between a diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean, with exciting implications also for agriculture.
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News
Marine bacteria team up to produce a vital vitamin
Researchers have conducted various experiments to analyse the interaction between two species of marine bacteria from the North Sea in the synthesis of vitamin B12.
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News
Swarms of miniature robots clean up microplastics and microbes simultaneously
A study describes swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.
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News
Genomes of ‘star algae’ shed light on origin of land plants
An international group of researchers has generated the first genome data of on four filamentous ‘star algae’ of the genus Zygnema - among the most closely related to land plants.
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For microscopic organisms, ocean currents act as ‘expressway’ to deeper depths
New research shows how tiny plant-like organisms hitch a ride on ocean currents to reach darker and deeper depths, where they impact carbon cycling and microbial dynamics in the subtropical oceans.
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‘Picky eater’ parasitic archaea drive their hosts to change the menu
Scientists show that the parasitic archaeon Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeum antarcticus does not contain all the lipids that his host Halorubrum lacusprofundi contains, and the host responds to the presence of its parasites.
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News
Biodegradable ‘living plastic’ houses bacterial spores that help it break down
Researchers have developed a biodegradable form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.
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News
Tropical red seaweed protects Ostrea edulis larvae against pathogen
A new study finds that extracts of tropical red seaweed Acanthophora spicifera are a natural alternative for pathogen control management in O. edulis cultures.
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News
Coral identified as oldest bioluminescent organism, suggesting new model of ancient ecology
Researchers have identified eight organisms with previously unknown luminosity. Using genetic findings, they estimated coral bioluminescence originated about 540 million years ago in the Cambrian period, making them the earliest bioluminescent organisms.
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News
‘Sunny day flooding’ increases fecal contamination of coastal waters
A new study finds that ‘sunny day flooding’, which occurs during high tides, increases the levels of fecal bacteria in coastal waters, suggesting policymakers and public health officials should be aware of potential risks associated with tidal flooding.
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Accelerated marine carbon cycling forced by tectonic degassing over the Miocene Climate Optimum
Massive carbon inputs from volcanism and seafloor spreading have impacted the orbital phase relationships between carbon cycle and climate change, a new study finds.
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News
Marine microbial populations: Potential sensors of the global change in the ocean
A new study analyzes the knowledge generated to date on marine microbial populations and their role in the ecosystem, concluding that their analysis through space and time could reflect the effects of global change.
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Features
Under the microscope: microplastics
Examining the issue of plastic pollution with a round-up of microbial advances from the last few years.
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News
Marine plankton behaviour could predict future marine extinctions, study finds
Marine communities migrated to Antarctica during the Earth’s warmest period in 66 million years long before a mass-extinction event.
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Coral reef microbes point to new way to assess ecosystem health
A new study shows that ocean acidification is changing the mix of microbes in coral reef systems, which can be used to assess ecosystem health.
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News
Microplastics, algal blooms, seafood safety are public health concerns addressed by new US Oceans and Human Health Centers
The NIH and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two centers as part of a marine-related health research program.