Derrick Alcott
Hide-and-Go-Seek in the Deep Sea
In the deep sea off the coast of Antartica, sea urchins are getting crafty to avoid predation from king crabs. In the face of global climate change, their tactic may become less effective while the predators become more abundant. Find out more here. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology […]
School is in Session for Fish
Human school is a place to learn. Fish school is a way of swimming in a group to stay alive. Baby fish are not cared for or taught the skills needed to survive by their parents, they are born with that innate knowledge. Does this mean fish don’t learn? Is their memory to short to […]
Is ‘Shark Week’ Good or Bad for Sharks?
‘Shark Week’ has become a staple of summer television. It is currently the longest continuously running series on television. It is also a rare example of quality scientific research (in any field) getting prime time television coverage. However, scientists and conservationists have highly criticized Shark Week in recent years for ‘fear mongering’ tactics. What does […]
Scaredy-crab behavior can alter food webs
Being small crab can be tough. Dodging predators from the land, sea, and air is no small task. A new study focuses on the convergence of individual behavior with ecosystem dynamics, showing how mangrove tree crab behavior may link distinct aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and […]
Solving Big Dam Problems
The US has a lot of dams. Probably far more than you ever imagined possible. Many of these dams are around 100 years old. How long does it take to restore a riverine ecosystem to a more natural state after a century of alteration by a dam? Scientists addressed a portion of this question by […]
The Codfathers: Holding the Keys to Success in Warming Oceans
Atlantic cod stocks have struggled to recover from overfishing for decades. Warming oceans will make a cod recovery even more difficult as the cold water fish struggle to reproduce in warmer waters. A new study in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology examines if fathers play an important role in generating offspring that […]
Feeling fishy about our view of fish feelings
Humans are conscious beings that experience a range of emotions. But do other organisms share this quality, or is it unique to humans? A new paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B challenges the long held belief that fish do not experience “emotional fever” – a commonly used indicator of whether or not an […]
Cohos in Dirty Water: Salmon and Pollution
Coho salmon are one of the six species of Pacific salmon. They can be found from California to Alaska, but from California to Oregon their populations are in bad shape. A new study in Applied Ecology tries to determine if pollution from urban runoff may be partly to blame. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. […]
Kelps forced into hiding: Underwater forests troubled by warm oceans
Kelp forests are highly productive and diverse ecosystems found in cool coastal waters. A new study suggests that warmer waters allow for great increases in predation on kelps, forcing these plant-like algae into a limited and sheltered life hidden within crevices. This could pose a major problem as global warming is leading to increasing ocean […]
Big Fishing on (Important) Little Fish
Forage fish may be little as individuals, but their big schools have a big impact on marine ecosystems. They serve as an essential link in marine food webs, utilized by all types of predators like sharks, seals, birds, whales, and other large fish. Humans also harvest incredible quantities of these fish each year, potentially putting […]
Science Says Fish Should Stay in School!
Is it cool for fish to stay in a school? Many do, but why? Avoiding predators is one reason, but scientists debate on whether fish gain an energetic advantage of easier swimming when in a group. New research published in Fish and Fisheries uses advanced technology to test old and new theories of hydrodynamics and […]
Using Robots to Track Sea Turtles
A new technique using underwater robots may be able to teach us about sea turtle behaviors in the wild. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is interested in anadromous fish migrations, how aquatic organisms interact with their physical environment, and the […]
The True Value of Fish Nurseries
Estuaries (where freshwater and seawater mix) are used as nursery grounds to raise many species of young fish around the world. The authors of a new paper in Estuaries and Coasts describe how our currently oversimplified way of determining the value of these ecosystems is inadequate. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic […]
Protecting Hometown Herring
River herring are anadromous fish, which means they live most of their life in the ocean but spawn in freshwater streams and rivers. Recent decades have seen a massive decline in river herring populations caused primarily by over-harvesting and decreased access to spawning habitat. These fish are now largely protected in freshwater systems during their […]
The Advantages of Being a Deceptive Fish: Tales of a Predatory Mimic
Dusky dottybacks are small (8cm/3in) fish found on the Great Barrier reef, but despite their small size, they are fish eating predators feasting on up to 30 juvenile damselfish per day. Dottybacks are able to be so successful at capturing their prey by being masters of deception thanks to their “phenotypic plasticity.” Derrick AlcottDerrick is […]
Protecting Well-Traveled Fishes: A New Approach
Fisheries managers have begun a shift from attempting to protect individual fish species to protecting entire ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been highly successful at conserving important species and habitats like coral reefs. Is it possible to utilize relatively small MPAs to protect the 200-300 fish species that regularly travel long distances? New research […]
Complex Relationships in a Changing World: Sponges and Seagrass
Different species within an ecosystem interact with each other. However, their interactions are often more complex than we may realize. Here, we learn how the interaction between sub-tropical seagrass and sponges can be different in different environments, with implications to climate change. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program […]
Are Fisheries Scientists Ringing the Dinner Bell for Marine Mammals?
Acoustic telemetry is a valuable technique used by fisheries scientists to track fish movements. However, a new study suggests that these anthropogenic signals may make tagged fish an easy target for marine mammal predators like dolphins and seals. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program at the University of […]
How Our Love of Living Near Water Impacts Estuarine Ecosystems and Pacific Salmon
We all love a beautiful view from a pier looking out over the water. However, piers are just one example of human development along the waterfront that may be impacting natural aquatic communities. Derrick AlcottDerrick is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is interested […]
by oceanbites 2 months ago
Happy Earth Day! Take some time today to do something for the planet and appreciate the ocean, which covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. #EarthDay #OceanAppreciation #Oceanbites #CoastalVibes #CoastalRI- by oceanbites 3 months ago
Not all outdoor science is fieldwork. Some of the best days in the lab can be setting up experiments, especially when you get to do it outdoors. It’s an exciting mix of problem solving, precision, preparation, and teamwork. Here is - by oceanbites 3 months ago
Being on a research cruise is a unique experience with the open water, 12-hour working shifts, and close quarters, but there are some familiar practices too. Here Diana is filtering seawater to gather chlorophyll for analysis, the same process on - by oceanbites 5 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #oceanbites we are featuring Hannah Collins @hannahh_irene Hannah works with marine suspension feeding bivalves and microplastics, investigating whether ingesting microplastics causes changes to the gut microbial community or gut tissues. She hopes to keep working - by oceanbites 5 months ago
Leveling up - did you know that crabs have a larval phase? These are both porcelain crabs, but the one on the right is the earlier stage. It’s massive spine makes it both difficult to eat and quite conspicuous in - by oceanbites 5 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring Cierra Braga. Cierra works ultraviolet c (UVC) to discover how this light can be used to combat biofouling, or the growth of living things, on the hulls of ships. Here, you - by oceanbites 5 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Elena Gadoutsis @haysailor These photos feature her “favorite marine research so far: From surveying tropical coral reefs, photographing dolphins and whales, and growing my own algae to expose it to different - by oceanbites 6 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on Oceanbites we are featuring Eliza Oldach. According to Ellie, “I study coastal communities, and try to understand the policies and decisions and interactions and adaptations that communities use to navigate an ever-changing world. Most of - by oceanbites 6 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Jiwoon Park with a little photographic help from Ryan Tabata at the University of Hawaii. When asked about her research, Jiwoon wrote “Just like we need vitamins and minerals to stay - by oceanbites 7 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring @riley_henning According to Riley, ”I am interested in studying small things that make a big impact in the ocean. Right now for my master's research at the University of San Diego, - by oceanbites 7 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Gabby Stedman. Gabby is interested in interested in understanding how many species of small-bodied animals there are in the deep-sea and where they live so we can better protect them from - by oceanbites 7 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Shawn Wang! Shawn is “an oceanographer that studies ocean conditions of the past. I use everything from microfossils to complex computer models to understand how climate has changed in the past - by oceanbites 7 months ago
Today we are highlighting some of our awesome new authors for #WriterWednesday Today we have Daniel Speer! He says, “I am driven to investigate the interface of biology, chemistry, and physics, asking questions about how organisms or biological systems respond - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Here at Oceanbites we love long-term datasets. So much happens in the ocean that sometimes it can be hard to tell if a trend is a part of a natural cycle or actually an anomaly, but as we gather more - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Have you ever seen a lobster molt? Because lobsters have exoskeletons, every time they grow they have to climb out of their old shell, leaving them soft and vulnerable for a few days until their new shell hardens. Young, small - by oceanbites 9 months ago
A lot of zooplankton are translucent, making it much easier to hide from predators. This juvenile mantis shrimp was almost impossible to spot floating in the water, but under a dissecting scope it’s features really come into view. See the - by oceanbites 9 months ago
This is a clump of Dead Man’s Fingers, scientific name Codium fragile. It’s native to the Pacific Ocean and is invasive where I found it on the east coast of the US. It’s a bit velvety, and the coolest thing - by oceanbites 10 months ago
You’ve probably heard of jellyfish, but have you heard of salps? These gelatinous sea creatures band together to form long chains, but they can also fall apart and will wash up onshore like tiny gemstones that squish. Have you seen - by oceanbites 11 months ago
Check out what’s happening on a cool summer research cruise! On the #neslter summer transect cruise, we deployed a tow sled called the In Situ Icthyoplankton Imaging System. This can take pictures of gelatinous zooplankton (like jellyfish) that would be - by oceanbites 11 months ago
Did you know horseshoe crabs have more than just two eyes? In these juveniles you can see another set in the middle of the shell. Check out our website to learn about some awesome horseshoe crab research. #oceanbites #plankton #horseshoecrabs
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