More Ocean Sustainability – Page 3
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NewsWhale poo contains iron that may have helped fertilize past oceans
A new study suggests that nutrients that whales excrete may provide a key fertilizer to marine ecosystems. Whale excrement contains significant amounts of iron and nontoxic forms of copper, another essential nutrient that in some forms can harm life.
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NewsNew technology lights way for accelerating coral reef restoration
Scientists have developed a novel tool designed to protect and conserve coral reefs by providing them with an abundance of feeding opportunities. The autonomous, programmable underwater light works to draw in nearby zooplankton for coral to feed on.
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NewsStudy tracks algae species interactions to help predict harmful algae blooms
A study yields new insights into how algae species interact with each other and their environment in coastal waters, aiming to understand how harmful algal species interact with other phytoplankton and environmental factors like temperature and salinity.
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NewsEfforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that triggers microbes
Scientists explored microbial movement as a possible biosignature to detect life on Mars and beyond, cheaper and faster than ever before.
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NewsCultivation of microalga for food production shows that two-stage process yields best results
A new study looking into cultivating the microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica for food production shows that temperature and light are key factors in the yield of key nutrients.
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NewsThe deadly pathogen that decimated sea urchins in Eilat has now spread to the Indian Ocean
The pathogen responsible for the mass deaths of sea urchins along the Red Sea coast is the same one responsible for mass mortality events among sea urchins off the coast of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
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NewsScientists reveals how tiny algae shaped the evolution of giant clams
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the most widespread species of giant clam, Tridacna maxima, to reveal how these creatures adapted their genome to coexist with algae living inside them.
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NewsResearchers develop new weapon against harmful algal blooms
Few studies have looked into how algal biomass, especially cyanobacteria, can be used to create materials that remove phosphate from water. Now, researchers have transformed cyanobacterial biomass, which is typically a hazardous waste, into custom-made adsorbent materials that can pull harmful phosphorus out of water.
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NewsCoastal waters: An underestimated source of methane
A new study revealed that methane emissions in coastal habitats are highly influenced by natural factors like tides and seasonal changes, which also affect the activity of methane-eating microbes.
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NewsMicrobial solutions for boosting seaweed farming and carbon capture
A new study reveals how manipulating the microscopic life living on seaweed can contribute to developing industrial-scale seaweed farming and boost its potential for fighting climate change.
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NewsFloat like a jellyfish: New coral mobility mechanisms uncovered
A new study has investigated how the free-living mushroom coral Cycloseris cyclolites moves, navigates and responds to light in its natural environments.
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NewsLooking to Kenya’s Lake Victoria for what may come for Lake Erie
Scientists conducted a genetic survey on cyanobacteria in the Winam Gulf of Kenya’s Lake Victoria, which serves as a model for the cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanHABs) in Lake Erie under the warming climate.
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NewsShip sliming study could enable lower costs and emissions in ocean transport
A model was recently developed to find out the correlation between the speed and extent of biofilm growth and the shear stress of the ship hull. Thus, it helps save fuel consumption by preventing fluid friction from slime fouling.
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NewsCycle of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef now at ‘catastrophic’ levels
Marine scientists have published the first peer-reviewed study documenting the devastating coral bleaching events that occurred on the southern Great Barrier Reef in early 2024. 66 per cent of the colonies were bleached by February 2024 and 80 per cent by April.
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NewsMachinery behind bacterial nanowires discovered
Almost all living things breathe oxygen to eliminate the excess electrons produced when nutrients are converted into energy. However, most microbes that mitigate pollution and climate change don’t have access to oxygen. Instead, these bacteria—buried underground or living deep under oceans—have developed a way to eliminate electrons by “breathing minerals” ...
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NewsNew study provides insight into how some species thrive in dark, oxygen-free environments
A new study sheds light on how a species of foraminifera, single-celled organisms found in almost all marine habitats, thrives in a dark, oxygen-free environment.
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NewsBeach guardians: How hidden microbes protect coastal waters in a changing climate
Coastal water quality is closely impacted by the microbial compositions living in groundwater within beach sands due to the rising sea level, a new study reveals.
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NewsResearchers develop novel reverse osmosis membrane to reduce biofouling
Researchers have developed a dual-functional reverse osmosis (RO) membrane which demonstrates broad-spectrum, sustained antibacterial activity and resistance to various foulants, making it suitable for water purification, seawater desalination, and high-salinity wastewater treatment.
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NewsScientists explain how a compound from sea sponge exerts its biological effects
Girolline, a compound extracted from the sea sponge Pseudaxinyssa cantharella, has been investigated for possible antitumor effects and also found to have anti-malarial effects. Now researchers have a better idea of how it works.
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NewsBacteria linked to successful restoration of elkhorn coral colonies
Coral restoration should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community, a new study suggests.