Restoration
SURFO SPECIAL: Egregious Erosion
Erosion is eating away our coasts. What are scientists doing to stop it?
Author: Francesca Giammona
I am a PhD candidate at Wake Forest University, and I received a B.S. in Biology from Cornell University. My research focuses on the terrestrial locomotion of fishes. I am particularly interested in how different fishes move differently on land, and how one fish may move differently in different environments. While I tend to study small amphibious fishes, I've had a lifelong fascination with all ocean animals, and sharks in particular. When not doing science, I enjoy running, attempting to bake and cook, and reading.
Behavior
Shark Soirée: Do great whites make social connections?
Many animals rely on social interactions with other members of their species for information…but do great white sharks?
Behavior
Wandering Whales: How Mothers and Their Calves Communicate
The ocean is a dangerous place for whale mothers and calves. How do they communicate when trying to covertly travel?
Behavior
Devastating Depredation: When sharks eat anglers’ catches
Many people can imagine shark-related dangers to humans, but for anglers, a shark simply eating fish can be a threat.
Sensory Systems
Hearing Hardships: How sharks hear in a human-dominated world
Sharks can smell blood and detect heartbeats from great distances away. But did you know they have good ears too?
Hazards
Stretching Stings: How jellyfish can sting without using tentacles
Jellyfish can cause painful and dangerous stings, but did you know that some jellyfish can sting without even touching you?
Behavior
Accommodating Anemones: Housing more than just clownfish
Clownfish and sea anemones have a famous relationship, but did you know other fishes also use these stinging animals?
Behavior
Urchin Unease: Can cues from fellow urchins curb these invertebrates’ appetites?
Kelp forests around the world are being threatened and destroyed. The enemy? Sea urchins.
Conservation
Suffocating Sea Snakes: How fishing harms these undersea reptiles
There are snakes in the ocean, and this is how they suffer from harmful fishing practices.
Plastic
Incidental Ingestion: Do fishes intentionally swallow microplastics?
Microplastics in our oceans are a growing problem, but how do fishes investigate and interact with these particles?
Genetics
Shark Sleuthing: How scientists can identify which species of sharks attack
Though shark attacks are uncommon, it is in humanity’s best interest to learn all we can about the sharks responsible.…
Behavior
Belligerent Birds: Do penguins perform unprompted acts of aggression?
Adélie penguins lead busy lives mating, reproducing, and avoiding being eaten. They can do all this from the safety of…
Behavior Climate Change
Bearing teeth: How polar bear dental health can illustrate climate change
It is no secret that climate change is damaging Arctic ecosystems. Because of melting sea ice, Arctic species have had…
Conservation Policy
Sleeper Sharks: From the jaws of defeat
There are many stories of species close to extinction. Sometimes, species can go locally extinct, disappearing from a particular area.…
Pollution
The Otter Guys: How heavy metal pollution affects Alaskan northern sea otters
Most pollution is clearly visible in nature, but some types are very subtle. In the case of heavy metal pollution,…
Behavior Human impacts
Killer Consequences: How boats affect the behavior of endangered killer whales
Killer whales are famous for their intelligence and athletic prowess in (and leaping out of) the water. However, for some…
Behavior
Cuttlefish Cognition: are these oceanic invertebrates capable of learning?
The science of animal behavior has become more focused on figuring out the intellectual capacity of non-human, and particularly non-mammalian,…
Behavior
Whistle While you Work (for Lunch): Dolphin Communication Techniques During Foraging
Dolphin groups, or pods, need every member working together to communicate and find food. To do this, dolphins whistle to…
Pollution
Cold Water Conundrum: How does unusually cold water affect fish growth?
With the threat of climate change ever present, many of us focus on the negative effects of unusually warm water…
Conservation Human impacts Plastic Pollution
Microplastics, Canned Fish, and You: How plastic pollution may play a role in your next lunch
Did you know that many plastic items can shed tiny particles called microplastics? These microplastics are present everywhere in our…