More Ocean Sustainability – Page 21
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NewsHalophilic fungi can restructure cell walls to withstand extreme environments
Researchers have shown how microorganisms known as halophilic fungi stand up to high salt concentrations that would be lethal to other microbes.
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NewsRecreation of ancient seawater reveals which nutrients shaped the evolution of early life
Scientists know very little about conditions in the ocean when life first evolved, but new research published in Nature Geoscience has revealed how geological processes controlled which nutrients were available to fuel their development. All life uses nutrients such as zinc and copper to form proteins. The ...
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NewsZooplankton in ocean and freshwater rapidly escalating the global threat of plastics
Rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics. Each rotifer can create between 348,000 and 366,000 per day.
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NewsBacteria use organic phosphorus and release methane in the process
Researchers have investigated how bacteria inadvertently release methane in order to obtain phosphorus – with significant effects on atmospheric greenhouse gases.
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NewsClimate crisis could trigger outbreak of new and lethal infectious diseases
Researchers have identified Candida orthopsilosis, a hybrid microorganism that originated from two other parental fungi in a marine environment, as a potential pathogen that could pose a future threat to human health.
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NewsUptake of methylmercury by phytoplankton is controlled by thiols
A new study shows that the concentrations of so-called thiols in the water control how available the methylmercury is to living organisms.
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NewsNew algae species rewrites understanding of reef systems
Scientists have identified and officially named four species of algae new to science, challenging previous taxonomical assumptions within the Porolithon genus.
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NewsExperiment shows biological interactions of microplastics in watery environment
Microplastic-induced eating difficulties limit the ability of zooplankton to control algal proliferation, researchers have found.
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NewsAnalysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
Scientists have discovered that even among the sulfur-cycling microbes that are responsible for the “rotten egg gas” smell in salt marsh air, diversity extends all the way to genomes and even to individual nucleotides.
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NewsNew calcifying phytoplankton species discovered off Bermuda
Researchers’ discovery bolsters the scientific record, indicating the global distribution of a coccolithophore species now formally described as Calciopappus curvus.
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NewsBizarre new fossils shed light on ancient plankton
A scientist from the University of Leicester has discovered a new type of fossil that reveals life in the oceans half a billion years ago.
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NewsResearchers share up to $13.6 million to solve maritime challenge
Researchers are working on a more sustainable alternative to antifouling paint that would employ natural marine microbes as “building blocks” to form smooth, stable biofilms that reduce drag.
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NewsSoft, living materials made with algae glow under stress
A team of researchers has developed soft yet durable materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, such as compression, stretching or twisting, and deriving their luminescence from single-celled algae known as dinoflagellates.
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NewsSoil carried on sea freight loaded with dangerous plant diseases
Soil collected from the external surfaces of sea freight was found to support live microorganisms, worms, seeds and insects,, confirming that shipping containers provide a pathway for the movement of exotic species.
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NewsMarine bacteria take a bite at plastic pollution
A bacterium found in the sea can degrade a plastic that otherwise resists microbial breakdown in marine environments.
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NewsFlesh-eating bacteria found in Florida’s coastal waters following Hurricane Ian
When Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida in September 2022, it unleashed a variety of Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans, according to a new study.
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NewsClimate change coping mechanism discovered in humble algae
One of the building blocks of ocean life can adapt to cope with the effects of climate change, according to new research.
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CareersIn search of the perfect seaweed probiotic: Helen opens up on her Summer Placement
Helen Kehoe (22) has made some intriguing findings during her AMI-supported summer placement investigating the potential for bacteria to become biocontrol agents for seaweed aquaculture.
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NewsScientists uncover new pathway of diatom-mediated calcification
Researchers have found that the photosynthesis of a common diatom can induce substantial aragonite precipitation from artificial/natural seawater under significantly lower supersaturation levels required for the precipitation of inorganic CaCO3.
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NewsGenetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater
Researchers have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water - specifically, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing.