Irvin Huang – oceanbites

It’s a virus’ world: Glaciers host unique viral communities

Scientists have only recently started studying the wealth of biological diversity that is found on top of glaciers. Cryoconite holes…

Biology Fisheries Human impacts

Overfishing and climate variability interactions spell trouble for fast growing species

Rather intuitively, terrestrial ecosystems show that large, slow growing species are less adaptable in the face of environmental perturbations than…

Biology Evolution

The ‘Eyes’ Have It: Co-option of organelles led to the evolution of dinoflagellate eyes

The evolution of eyes has been the subject of debate for many years. Recent studies on a group of rare…

Atmospheric Chemistry Biology

Marine microbial activity poses restrictions on cloud formation

Researchers from Scripps Institute of Oceanography have found that humble heterotrophic bacteria in the surface waters of the ocean can…

Biology Ecology Physiology

Elastic nerves make rorqual whales the Mister Fantastic of the ocean

A team of researchers have discovered extremely elastic nerves in the mouth and tongue of rorqual whales. This is highly…

Climate Change Glaciers

Fizzing glaciers are louder than you’d expect

While anthropogenic noise pollution has been gaining a lot of attention, there is still much to be learned about ambient…

Biology Ecology Natural History

Geared up jellyfish show scientists that they have more control over their movements than we thought

Jellyfish are commonly thought of as passive drifters in the ocean, but a team of researchers are working to change…

Biology Coastal Management Evolution Human impacts Modeling

Baleen whales have a bone to pick with noise pollution

CT scans of the skull of a beached whale has helped a pair of researchers figure out how baleen whales…

Biogeochemistry Chemistry Pollution

Years later, Gulf of Mexico sediment chemistry still feeling the effects of Deepwater Horizon

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest accidental oil spill in US waters.…

Climate Change Sea-level Rise

Do you want more salt in that? Changes in salinity impact sea level rise more than previously thought

The main mechanisms driving sea level rise were thought to be through the melting of land-based ice (such as glaciers)…

Biogeochemistry Biology Climate Change

Whale skin samples track changes in ocean biogeochemistry

Article: Ruiz-Cooley RI, Koch PL, Fiedler PC, McCarthy MD (2014) Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes from Top Predator Amino Acids Reveal…

Biology Book Review

Herds of sea monkeys help scientists understand the role of diel vertical migration in ocean mixing

Article: Monica M. Wilhelmus and John O. Dabiri. Observations of large-scale fluid transport by laser-guided plankton aggregations. Physics of Fluids, September 30,…

Biology Book Review Ecology Remote Sensing

Determining viral controls of phytoplankton blooms

Article: Lehahn, Y. et al. Decoupling Physical from Biological Processes to Assess the Impact of Viruses on a Mesoscale Algal Bloom.Current…

Biogeochemistry Chemistry

Understanding nitrogen loss from the ocean: Is it anammox or denitrification? It’s both!

Recent findings from the north east Pacific may have solved a major controversy in scientists' understanding of nitrogen loss from…