Microbiology
Oxygen Tied up in Tides
A new study connects ocean tides with the oxygenation of our atmosphere.
Author: Amanda Semler
I'm a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments produce and consume greenhouse gases. I'm a native of the landlocked state of Minnesota, so I've always been fascinated by the ocean. When I'm not in the lab, I love to race triathlons, forward “The Onion” articles to friends and family, and hike with my hound dog Banjo.
Coral
Eat Your Probiotics
A new study shows that an introduction of beneficial bacteria may help corals survive marine heatwaves.
Ecology
Unicellular Predators Feast at Hydrothermal Vents
Hydrothermal vent fluids support an intriguing food web, and unicellular protistan predators play an outsized role.
Microbiology
Under Pressure: Novel Experiments in Microbiology on the Seafloor
Evaluating the effect of pressure on marine microorganisms is notoriously difficult. New research attempts to overcome this challenge by comparing…
Microbiology
Enormous Source and Sink of Hydrocarbons Discovered in the Ocean
A team of scientists just discovered an enormous new source of hydrocarbons to the ocean: cyanobacteria. But what does their…
Physical oceanography
Where Does Arctic Ice Melt Go?
Water in the Arctic Ocean is getting fresher as polar sea ice melts. But that fresher water doesn’t stay in…
Microbiology
Living Fossils Hidden in Plain Sight
Around 2.4 billion years ago, the emergence of cyanobacteria multiplied oxygen concentrations in our atmosphere by almost a million, and…
Chemistry
Lunar Power Over Methane Emissions
Solid methane hydrates in the Arctic Ocean are slowly leaking methane into the atmosphere, and a team of scientists has…
Microbiology
Antarctic Sea Ice Feeds Microbes with a Surprising Ability
By sampling seawater around Antarctica, a Japanese research team has discovered microorganisms that can transform nitrogen gas into more biologically…
Climate Change
Fossilized Deep-Sea Corals Reveal Ancient Ocean Circulation Patterns
An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations helped end the last ice age. But what caused the carbon dioxide increase…
Coral
Artificial Upwelling Saves Corals from Bleaching
Coral reefs are under threat due to a warming climate. Learn about a technologically-savvy new way to counteract the effects…
Climate Change
So You Thought the Heatwave was Over?
Satellites that measure sea surface temperature have demonstrated that marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense as…
Microbiology
Life at One Hundred Million Years Old
A team of scientists traveled to the South Pacific Gyre and discovered 100 million year old, energy-starved microorganisms hidden below…
Geology
Undersea Volcanoes Explode Dramatically
Under the incredible pressures of the deep sea, how do volcanoes erupt? And how do these eruptions affect the marine…
deep sea
Oil and Gas Seeps: Microbial Elevators through Ocean Sediments
Many microorganisms live in ocean sediments – both at the seafloor, as well as in the subsurface hundreds to thousands…
Climate Change
A Song of Ice and Sea Level Rise
How much ice is really being lost in the polar regions, and what have been the consequences? A team of…
Chemistry
Superoxide: A Super Sink of Ocean Oxygen
Ever wondered how oxygen gets depleted in the ocean? A new study suggests that a significant fraction is transformed into…
Climate Change
A Seasonal “Freeze” on Arctic Methane Release
According to new research from the Arctic University of Norway, current greenhouse gas budgets overestimate the amount of methane released…
