You may have heard that marine mammals are affected by manmade ocean noise. But have you ever wondered whether smaller critters like sea urchins are impacted? A team led by Vazzana is the first to use coelomic fluid to assess urchin responses to noise. Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University of Guam […]
You may have heard of photosymbiosis in corals. But did you know that some species of clams also host photosynthetic algae? Find out how photosymbiosis evolved in giant clams and fraginae clams. Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University of Guam studying coral genetics. She also paints murals integrating art and science at […]
Did you ever think your coffee addiction could help solve marine pollution? It turns out all that caffeine and artificial sweetener does more than just give you that afternoon energy boost. Outside of New York City in the Long Island Sound, scientists are evaluating the use of your coffee byproducts as tracers for wastewater contamination. […]
Before this genetics study, we only knew of one extant octocoral species producing a massive skeleton. Not only does Iguchi’s study reveal speciation in blue coral, but it also suggests potential thermal resilience. Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University of Guam studying coral genetics. She also paints murals integrating art and science […]
A few years ago, the Cuvier’s beaked whale set the record as the deepest diving mammal. At the time, not much else was known about their diving abilities. Check out what Shearer’s team has done to study these elusive divers off the coast of North Carolina. Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University […]
Corals in Panama begin to find refuge in areas where upwelling of cooler water occurs. Is this behavior just a temporary fix in the face of climate change? Constance SartorConstance is a graduate student at the University of Guam studying coral genetics. She also paints murals integrating art and science at various aquariums and scientific […]
What would the ocean look like without any water? With NASA’s up and coming FluidCam, we are able to see what’s going on underwater without even dipping below the surface. Chirayath, V., Alan, L. (2019) Next-generation optical sensing technologies for exploring ocean worlds—NASA FluidCam, MiDAR, and NeMO-Net. Frontiers in Marine Science. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00521 One of […]
Microplastics are found all throughout our oceans. But in the Red Sea, there are a lot less. Find out how giant clams could be a culprit for getting rid of small plastics. Arossa, S., Martin, C., Rossbach, S., & Duarte, C. M. (2019). Microplastic removal by red sea giant clam (Tridacna maxima). Environmental Pollution. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.05.149 We use […]
Researchers have discovered light sensing abilities in the tails of sea snakes. This unique adaptation in one genus of snakes may allow them to sense and respond to impending danger. Crowe-Riddell, J. M., Simões, B. F., Partridge, J. C., Hunt, D. M., Delean, S., Schwerdt, J. G., … Sanders, K. L. (2019). Phototactic tails: Evolution and […]