Diana Fontaine
Plastic Problems in Marine Pathways
What if I told you that the organisms in the ocean produce half of the oxygen we breathe? Then what if I told you that plastic in the ocean can affect these organisms and other parts of the environment? Pretty crazy right? Read on to learn more about how small plastics in the ocean can […]
Getting your toes wet: Citizen science as a means for long-term monitoring
To understand ecosystem level changes, it is important to monitor an ecosystem over a long period of time. However, long-term funding can be limited, especially during times of economic hardships. How do researchers carry out long-term ecological studies in place where sustained funding is unavailable? Read this article to get a glimpse into citizen science, […]
Southern Ocean diatoms: while they’re small, they are mighty!
Tiny organisms called phytoplankton fuel the marine food web. How have they adapted to live in the Southern Ocean where ice cover limits light exposure, water temperatures are frigid, and iron, an important resource for cellular function, is extremely limited? Read on to learn more about these small, but mighty organisms. Diana FontaineI am a […]
Life in the Abyss: the ecological impacts of deep-sea mining
Did you know that about 95% of the ocean is unexplored? The deep ocean is logistically very difficult to access, so how do scientists study organisms that live hundreds of meters below the sea surface? The landscape of the deep-sea is diverse and certain structures such as polymetallic nodules, supports a vast array of marine […]
Winter Cruisin’ on the North Atlantic
Do you wonder what it is like to do oceanographic research aboard a sea-going vessel? What types of research are conducted out at sea? Where do the scientists set up their labs? Read this article to find out more about research at sea! Diana FontaineI am a second year PhD student in the Rynearson Lab […]
Phytoplankton: Small cells with a big impact
Tiny organisms called phytoplankton fuel the base of the marine food web. Did you know that every other breath of oxygen you take comes from the ocean? Read on to learn more about measuring phytoplankton production rates… Diana FontaineI am a second year PhD student in the Rynearson Lab studying Biological Oceanography at the Graduate […]
To fish or not to fish: Exploring China’s seafood production strategies
China is the world’s largest producer of seafood and uses many different production methods to keep this reputation. These methods differ in their environmental effects. This study surveys the outcomes of China’s marine seafood production strategies and discusses ways China plans to reduce their environmental footprint from fishing. Diana FontaineI am a second year PhD […]
The secret life of cheese: how dairy can support biofuel production
Did you know that phytoplankton can be used for biofuels? They provide a good alternative to fossil fuels because they can grow very quickly and are rich in lipids and carbohydrates. Lipids are extremely rich in energy and carbohydrates can be converted to sugar which is then fermented to make fuel. In fact, a recent […]
A floating island: is this where we’re moving to next?
Are floating islands in our future? As many of may know, the sea level is rising and will eventually intrude on the space we have on land. In addition, if the population continues to increase, we may need to look elsewhere to live and grow food. The Horizon 2020 project is an initiative sponsored by […]
Hidden diversity in ships’ ballast tanks
Did you know that organisms can live in the ballast tanks of cargo ships? Ballast tanks are used by ships to maintain stability as they transverse across ocean basins. Unfortunately, ballast water is a major culprit of the introduction of invasive species worldwide. Read on to learn more about a recent study that uses genetic […]
Sailing Solo: An alternative way to monitor harmful algal blooms
Have you ever heard about a harmful algal bloom? Do you know what causes them? Or how scientists monitor them? Read on to learn about how a group of scientists from Mote Marine Lab in Florida paired up with Navocean, Inc to create the first autonomous small sailboat to monitor blooms in coastal, shallow water […]
SURFO SPECIAL: What’s it like to live in a dogfish eat dogfish world?
Brianna Villalon is a senior at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, studying marine biology and looking to gear her research toward elasmobranchs. This summer she worked with Camilla McCandless at the NOAA Northeastern Fisheries Science Center alongside the Apex Predator Shark Tagging Program. Read on to learn more about her work with dogfish! Diana FontaineI am […]
SURFO SPECIAL: Flame retardants: Not as friendly as we like to think
Jamillez Olmo Classen is a senior at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, majoring in Technology in Industrial Chemical Process. This summer, she worked with Dr. Rainer Lohmann (advisor) and Dr. Jitka Becanova (mentor) studying harmful chemicals and how to properly measure their concentrations in our water supply. Read on below to learn about her work! […]
SURFO SPECIAL: The world is your oyster: Collecting data on Matunuck Oyster Farm
Did you know that oysters act as a biological water purifier? Thus, many different environmental conditions like the tide and current affect how oysters filter. By collecting data on these conditions, the overall health of an oyster farm can be monitored to enhance farm productivity. Read on to learn more about the data collection process […]
Lights, Camera, Action! Photography as a tool for observing environmental change
Observing long-term trends in the environment can be a daunting task. Here, scientists used settlement panels to observe community compositional changes in San Francisco Bay (SF Bay). Over a 5-year period, they deployed 500 panels across ten sites in the SF Bay region. An exciting part about this project was the use of citizen scientists […]
A Balancing Act for the US Atlantic scallop: Ocean Acidification and Fishery Management
Commercially important fisheries around the world are threatened by environmental changes. This post explores the effect of ocean acidification (OA) on the US Atlantic sea scallop. There is a fine balance between managing the scallop fishery and understanding the impacts from OA. As OA continues to threaten the fishery, there must be efficient management practices […]
Hijackers within the Sea: Catching a ride across an ocean
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. Diana FontaineI am a second year PhD student in the Rynearson Lab studying Biological Oceanography […]
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