A team of scientists just discovered an enormous new source of hydrocarbons to the ocean: cyanobacteria. But what does their hydrocarbon production (and its immediate consumption by other microbes) mean for cleanup after oil spills? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean […]
Water in the Arctic Ocean is getting fresher as polar sea ice melts. But that fresher water doesn’t stay in the Arctic forever. A team of scientists from the University of Washington used global ocean circulation models to find out where the water goes, and what it threatens along the way. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD […]
Around 2.4 billion years ago, the emergence of cyanobacteria multiplied oxygen concentrations in our atmosphere by almost a million, and made life as we know it possible. But the specific group of cyanobacteria responsible has never been identified. A team of scientists from UC Boulder have found a promising candidate hidden in plain sight. Amanda […]
Solid methane hydrates in the Arctic Ocean are slowly leaking methane into the atmosphere, and a team of scientists has discovered that the moon may have a small role in this process. But how? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments […]
By sampling seawater around Antarctica, a Japanese research team has discovered microorganisms that can transform nitrogen gas into more biologically useful forms of nitrogen. But why do the microbes have this strange ability, and why do they have it here? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study […]
An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations helped end the last ice age. But what caused the carbon dioxide increase in the first place? A team of scientists used the fossilized skeletons of deep-sea corals to find out. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes […]
Coral reefs are under threat due to a warming climate. Learn about a technologically-savvy new way to counteract the effects of these warmer temperatures: Artificial Upwelling systems. Amanda SemlerI’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 […]
Satellites that measure sea surface temperature have demonstrated that marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense as a result of climate change. But how can ocean temperatures in the future be predicted? And where in the ocean are the heatwaves most likely to occur? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System […]
A team of scientists traveled to the South Pacific Gyre and discovered 100 million year old, energy-starved microorganisms hidden below the seafloor. With a little bit of food (and patience), the team brought these ancient microbes back to life in the laboratory, using carbon isotopes for their detective work. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in […]
Under the incredible pressures of the deep sea, how do volcanoes erupt? And how do these eruptions affect the marine environment? An international team of scientists simulated pressurized eruptions in the lab, and developed an explosive new theory explaining how they occur. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and […]
Many microorganisms live in ocean sediments – both at the seafloor, as well as in the subsurface hundreds to thousands of meters below. But how do these separate microbial populations interact, and what are the consequences? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep […]
How much ice is really being lost in the polar regions, and what have been the consequences? A team of scientists use NASA satellites to determine ice mass loss in Greenland and Antarctica since 2003, and the resulting sea level rise. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I […]
Ever wondered how oxygen gets depleted in the ocean? A new study suggests that a significant fraction is transformed into superoxide – an intriguing molecule that biologists love to hate. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments produce and consume greenhouse […]
According to new research from the Arctic University of Norway, current greenhouse gas budgets overestimate the amount of methane released from the Arctic Ocean to the atmosphere. Read on to find out why that’s the case, and why this news is not entirely good. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford […]