Behavior
Lobsters fighting antenna and claw over burrows
Animals fight for all kinds of reasons, but the main reason an animal will fight is to become a dominant…
Author: Erin McLean
Hi and welcome to oceanbites! I recently finished my master's degree at URI, focusing on lobsters and how they respond metabolically to ocean acidification projections. I did my undergrad at Boston University and majored in English and Marine Sciences - a weird combination, but a scientist also has to be a good writer! When I'm not researching, I'm cooking or going for a run or kicking butt at trivia competitions. Check me out on Twitter @glassysquid for more ocean and climate change related conversation!
Climate Change
Talking to your teen about climate change
Do you remember having “the talk” with your parents? No, not the birds and the bees – the talk about…
Sharkbites Saturday
To Cull or Not to Cull: Determining Attitudes Towards Shark Mitigation Strategies
Opinions are like…well, you know…everyone’s got them. But how can we use what people think to make better decisions? Researchers…
Physiology
As far as the eye can(‘t) see: climate change may impact vision
Seawater is getting warmer, more acidic, and depleted of oxygen, and those shifts are causing animals serious problems: decreases in…
Ecology
The elephant in the oxygen minimum zone
When people think of the animals that inhabit the deep sea, they think of the fascinating, alien-like creatures like the…
Book Review Fisheries
Minimizing bycatch by maximizing incentives
What's the best way for fishermen to avoid catching the wrong type of animal in their nets? According to this…
deep sea
Eating bones and building habitats: the life of an ecosystem engineer
Believe it or not, zombies can be...a good thing? Read on to find out how "zombie worms" in the deep…
Book Review
An Ocean in Your Beer
This St. Patrick’s Day, think outside the green beer and whiskey and try an ocean-inspired beer! Didn't know there were…
Behavior Biology Climate Change Ecology Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification makes predators dumb
Chemistry is important for a lot of things, but can it change the behavior of animals? Read on to find…
Biology Ecology Fisheries
All Food Does NOT Come from the Sun
Excerpt: We’re taught at a young age that all food comes from the sun via photosynthesis. But, does it really?…
Biology Invasive Species Microbiology
Lionfish slime helps ward off diseases
We know of many things that protect animals against disease – immune systems and gut bacteria are just the two…
Biology deep sea Ecology
When Pigs Get Crabs: A Story of Symbiosis
Excerpt: The deep sea is not an easy place to live. Cold, dark, and featureless, it doesn’t provide a lot…
Behavior Biology Climate Change Physiology
Seahorses Don’t Like It Hot
Scientists have been doing a lot of work recently trying to figure out how species are going to react to…
Biology Ecology Physiology
Lobster Poop: Way More Interesting Than You’ve Ever Imagined
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably never ever given any thought to lobsters and their poop. In contrast, the…
deep sea Ecology
How Much Wood Can A Wood Boring Clam Bore?
How much wood could a wood boring clam bore if a wood boring clam was given a lot of different…
Biology Ecology Natural History
Migrating lobsters use magnets to find their way
For the last post in our school's out for summer theme week, take a look inside to see how migrating…
Biology Climate Change Ecology Ocean Acidification Parasitism
Can being sick be a good thing for surviving ocean acidification?
Scientists (myself included!) have been doing a lot of work on how marine animals respond to rising carbon dioxide (CO2)…
Aquaculture Biology Fisheries
When life gives you dead mussels, make…lobsters?
Many industries have been trying to figure out how to make their waste products into useful raw materials for other…
Biochemistry Biology Conservation deep sea
Marine life: Coming to a PharmaSea near you!
The PharmaSea program is looking to expand our library of marine-derived compounds for use in drug discovery. Want to know…
Ecology Evolution
Sea of Love: The Fascinating Story of Sexual Parasitism
When they think of deep sea fish, most people think of that crazy fish from Finding Nemo with the big…