Latest oceanbites
Rugged Southern Ocean phytoplankton weather the storm(s)
Phytoplankton from the “wild west” of the world’s oceans have learned to regrow after storms… over and over and over again.
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Phytoplankton from the “wild west” of the world’s oceans have learned to regrow after storms… over and over and over again.
If you’ve ever tickled the back of a stingray in an aquarium’s touch tank, you’ve likely introduced yourself to a cownose ray. Despite their popularity in aquaria throughout the U.S., little is known about the movements of these fish in the wild.
Did you know that organisms attached to marine debris can unintentionally cross ocean basins? Read more to learn how the tsunami of 2011 brought Japanese marine organisms to the coast of North America and what this means for the environment.
Hydrothermal vents are not only cool structures where magma meets the sea; they offer a previously unappreciated food source for marine organisms. Read on to find out how Chang et al. 2018 uncovered the role of vents in marine food webs.
We use horseshoe crab blood to test every FDA approved drug given to humans. Yet with horseshoe crab populations dropping and a feasible replacement test already developed, why haven’t we made the switch?
Phytoplankton, the tiny photosynthesizing organisms in the ocean, tend to just go with the flow. Even the smallest currents can push them around. But how much does this rearranging actual matter for plankton populations?
A recent study suggests that surface processes in the Indian and Pacific Oceans may be more important to global ocean circulation than previously thought. This has implications for our understanding of the global climate system.
It may have occurred 8 years ago, but scientists are still talking about the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. This epic oil spill made scientists recognize gaps in our knowledge about how oil impacts the environment. To explore the question of how crude oil impacts organisms, a team of scientists at Florida Atlantic University investigate […]
Article Fais, A., Johnson, M., Wilson, M., Soto, N. A., & Madsen, P. T. (2016). Sperm whale predator-prey interactions involve chasing and buzzing, but no acoustic stunning. Scientific reports, 6, 28562. Background Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are big. To put it in perspective, an adult or bull sperm whale is longer on average (52 ft.) […]
Brunner I, Fischer M, Ru ̈thi J, Stierli B, Frey B (2018) Ability of fungi isolated from plastic debris floating in the shoreline of a lake to degrade plastics. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0202047. About a year ago, I decided to make a move towards reducing my plastic consumption. Working in environmental conservation leaves you with […]
Sustainable seafood has recently become a hot topic in marine conservation, and scientists and conservationists advise transparency in the seafood process. However, what happens when we can’t track seafood’s journey or we’re not exactly sure about what we’re eating?
Negotiating is a valuable skillset that many scientists are never formally trained in. This post highlights some of the take away messages from a Strategic Persuasion and Negotiating workshop I attended last week (November 13, 2018).
Check out the latest from Matt Larsen about shark habitat around the globe, and how these areas overlap with fishing hotspots!
At this point, it’s undeniable that the climate is changing rapidly. What are our options for mitigation? Many scientists are considering strategies that involve engineering the climate – also known as geoengineering.
People often associate intelligence with mammals because humans are mammals and we like to think of ourselves as being pretty smart. The movie Deep Blue Sea toys with the concept of genetically modified hyper-intelligent sharks running loose in a research facility. While this Sci-Fi thriller is a sensational over-exaggeration, it does pose an interesting question: […]
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The goal of oceanbites is to make cutting edge research in the ocean sciences accessible to all. oceanbites will also highlight classic, seminal research papers, and feature op eds about current issues in research.
Science Communication
Outreach- Ship to Shore STEM education
Delivering field work directly from the field to the classroom has become an important part of science communication and engagement. This post introduces a great learning tool called Adopt a Microbe- a fun and engaging project and website designed to bring microbes and marine science inside the classroom.
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