Ocean Sustainability
Over 70% of the earth is covered in water, which serves as a vital resource human subsistence. Contamination and acidification pose major threats to aquatic health and biodiversity. Microbes offer a promising solution in their ability to breakdown contamination from oil spills and plastics. Applied microbiologists can play a significant part in understanding biodiversity, contributing to solutions, and encouraging stewardship.
Tolkien-inspired coral among the stars: New species discovered on Costa Rica’s deep-sea seamounts
Scientists exploring seamounts off the coast of Costa Rica have discovered a new coral so genetically and morphologically distinct that it required the creation of an entirely new family for its classification.
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Marine heatwaves pose hidden threat to human health
Prolonged periods of unusually high ocean temperatures can trigger a cascade of effects that ultimately affect human health, from worsening extreme weather events and reducing seafood supplies to increasing mental health challenges.
Biologist wins NSF CAREER Award to study the ocean’s most abundant microbe
Anne Thompson, an associate professor of biology, won a nearly $1.2 million NSF CAREER Award to answer a basic question about the ocean that science has largely left open: who eats the most abundant photosynthetic life form on Earth?
Geology: Antarctica’s Blood Falls reveals an ancient marine community
Salty water flowing through Antarctica’s Blood Falls contains a distinct community of marine-specific microorganisms, providing evidence that the brine system beneath the glacier has a marine origin.
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Microorganisms actively shape the ocean floor
At a newly discovered hydrothermal system in the Mediterranean, researchers were able to demonstrate how different intensities of hydrothermal fluid flow shape microbial communities and control mineral formation on the ocean floor.
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Study shows seawater may offer early clues to changing reef health
Researchers have shown that the water surrounding coral reefs contains chemical and microbial signals that could reveal changes in ecosystem health long before those changes are visible.
The Great Barrier Reef has a microbiome too
A study documents over 800,000 microbial genomes, identifying over 500 new bacterial species and over 300,000 distinct viruses in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
New open-access database maps pathogens and antibiotic resistance risks in coastal waters
A new global database brings together information on disease-causing microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors in coastal waters, offering a practical tool for assessing biological risks in estuaries and other nearshore environments.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution launches the Schiller Center for Reef Solutions
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has announced a transformative philanthropic commitment to advance global coral reef research and solutions. The gift will establish the WHOI Schiller Center for Reef Solutions.
Human activities compromise coral health and resilience
Researchers discovered that 25 contaminants from agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical sources accumulated in the soft tissues of coral around Maui, Hawai‘i.
Scientists find hidden individuality in viral infections
An international team of researchers developed a new way to uncover hidden differences in how viruses infect and destroy individual microbial cells—solving a biological puzzle that has persisted for more than 80 years.
Bacteria form ‘herds’ to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth’s carbon cycle
Researchers have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective ‘herds’ when attacked by predators – a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is stored in the world’s waters.
Phytoplankton apply the onion skin principle
The phycosphere, which surrounds ocean microalgae, is one of the most important marketplaces for organic carbon in the oceans. A new study of chemical signals in this region suggests that the phycosphere consists of multiple layers.
Climate oscillations shape nature’s coral refuges in a warming ocean
A new study reveals that the natural cooling of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea by oceanographic processes is not constant – but depends on major tropical climate patterns that shape conditions across the tropical Indo-Pacific.
Arctic microplastics: A ticking time bomb for climate feedback loops
A new study systematically maps the major transport pathways—atmospheric, oceanic, and local—and details how microplastics infiltrate Arctic food webs and interact with physical and biogeochemical processes that govern regional climate.
Biologist will use €1.63m grant to investigate how microorganisms reactivate their metabolism after prolonged dormancy.
Dr. Sofia Doello has been awarded a grant of around 1.63 million euros for her research through the Emmy Noether program. In her project ’Metabolic foundation of developmental transitions’, she will investigate how microorganisms reactivate their metabolism after a prolonged period of dormancy.
South Australian algal bloom species the world’s most toxic harmful microalga yet recorded
The marine microalgae responsible for the most devastating effects of the South Australian harmful algal bloom (HAB) has now been shown to be the most toxic species of its kind ever studied.
With microbial help, sponges use photosynthesis, boosting productivity of tropical coral reefs
In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients. A new study demonstrates how sponges may also use photosynthesis, with the help of symbiotic microbes, and suggests sponge-rich ecosystems should be added to assessments of carbon sequestration.
Common COVID-19 drugs may pose hidden risks to marine life, study finds
A new study suggests that several drugs widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic can be toxic to marine organisms, even at relatively low concentrations. Five pharmaceuticals were tested on nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia salina.
Scientists discover how algae colonized corals, jumpstarting the growth of the world’s reefs
A research team questioned why algae are able to thrive inside the cells of coral? The finding could lead to new insights into why algae and coral are failing to thrive symbiotically and suggest ways to reestablish the connection and save the world’s reefs.
Breakthrough for aquaculture: Oral vaccine protects fish from fatal nervous necrosis virus
A novel oral vaccine, that can be mixed into fish feed, provides an effective, practical and cost-effective method to protect fish from the highly deadly nervous necrosis virus.
Deep-sea extremophile yields protein that forms super stable biofilm
Scientists have discovered a protein secreted by a deep-sea extremophile — an organism adapted to extreme environmental conditions — that self-assembles into a biofilm and is highly stable, boosting its potential for biomedical applications.
Emissions from plankton help in forming cloud seeds over the world’s oceans
For nearly fifty years, scientists have suspected that microscopic marine plankton play a role in cloud formation over the oceans. Now, an experiment has suggested that it may be more important than previously thought.