Katherine Barrett
The lament of sediment: pesticide pollution hurts coastal biodiversity
Although seemingly far removed from the coasts, urban industries, agriculture, and daily human activities contribute pollution that can wind up stuck in the sediments of popular beaches and lagoons. Read on to find out how a recent study measured different kinds of pollutants in the sediment communities of a Mediterranean lagoon, and why long-term monitoring […]
Prey variety is key to coexistence of octopuses and sea stars
At family gatherings, relatives often compete for that last bite of turkey or crescent roll. How do predators living in the same habitat get the resources they need? Do they compete for the same resources, or do they use resources in different ways? Read on to find out how Storero and colleagues investigated predator diets […]
Protecting marine ecosystems by tracking top predators
What do canaries have in common with polar bears, sea turtles, and sea birds? Read on to find out how these marine animals we love and want to protect are receiving attention for their potential to protect marine ecosystems. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University […]
Atmospheric traffic jams halt nutrient flow to ocean phytoplankton
It is known that climate change is influencing our oceans in many direct ways, but what about changes in atmospheric wind patterns? Winds drive ocean currents, and these currents carry nutrients to support marine food webs. But what happens when the winds are at a stand-still? Read on to find out if the answer is […]
Happy clams eat varied diets: seasonal changes in food resources for coastal critters
Between land and sea, coastal ecosystems receive seasonal varieties of food sources that impact organisms at the bottom of the food web, such as mussels. Read on to learn how scientists use stable isotopes analysis to identify what organisms eat, and why this is important for understanding coastal food webs. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th […]
How does salinity impact fish grazing in seagrass meadows?
Seagrass meadows are widely recognized as one of the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, as they provide a bounty of plants that support fish and invertebrates. However, scientists are still working out how changes in environmental factors, such as salinity, as well as organism interactions, such as fish grazing on seagrass leaves, impact these […]
Great Salt Lake: a place migratory birds call home
Is Great Salt Lake America’s Dead Sea? Quite the contrary, as this inland sea is very much alive! Read on to learn about how this ecosystem is critical to the survival of many charismatic birds, including American White Pelicans. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University […]
Hydrothermal vents spew out tasty morsels for local marine consumers
Hydrothermal vents are not only cool structures where magma meets the sea; they offer a previously unappreciated food source for marine organisms. Read on to find out how Chang et al. 2018 uncovered the role of vents in marine food webs. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at […]
If the benthos could talk: the value of long-term biodiversity monitoring
The tiny critters that burrow, swim, and graze in the benthic (bottom) habitats of marine ecosystems are often monitored over long time periods so that researchers can measure changes in biodiversity over time. Read on to find out how researchers used long-term benthic data from Narragansett Bay to link human activities with changes in biodiversity. […]
Monitoring the benthos by listening to photosynthesis
Even though the benthos is a largely unseen energy base for marine food webs, scientists are listening to benthic habitats as a novel way to monitor ecosystem health. Read on to learn about how acoustics can capture sounds produced by benthic algae. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department […]
Navigating historical passages of marine invasive species
Invasive species are a persistent threat to marine ecosystems. In this post, authors explore the historical context of marine invasive species and point toward the need for the public to be engaged in preventing the spread of invasive species. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University […]
Microbialites are the unseen power house for marine and inland sea ecosystems
Ever hear someone say, “Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there?” Well, microscopic bacteria and algae are hard to see, but they play an important role in marine ecosystems, and in some cases, many different types of bacteria and algae grow together and produce large reef-like structures. Read on to find […]
Hope in isolation: four small islands are defying current threats to ocean health
Would you believe me if I told you that the oceans still possessed pristine, unimpacted habitats? In an age where we are learning more and more about how multiple stresses-from climate change to increasing pollution-are hurting our oceans, one recent study has shed light on the remarkable healthy ecosystem of a group of small islands […]
Linking marine and human health in Hispaniola
Biodiversity is often associated with higher standards of human livelihood, but researchers have yet to draw a direct line between healthy marine ecosystems and humans. Read on to learn how national infrastructure can complicate the relationship between biodiversity and human health. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at […]
Power by the numbers: tiny shrimp generate turbulence in the ocean
Imagine hundreds of thousands of tiny shrimp swimming in the ocean. Believe it or not, the combined swimming action of these ocean dwellers can generate large-scale mixing of the ocean water column. Read on to learn more about these incredible ocean mixers. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department […]
Honey I shrunk the….fish?
What we know about commercial fishing’s repercussions on reef fish is more complicated than just reducing the size of their populations. Commercial fishing exploits are driving some fish species to become smaller. Read on to find out more and how marine protected areas may be critical to the recovery of exploited fish populations. Katherine BarrettKate […]
Tracking predators in seagrass beds
Scientists have long recognized that predators are more abundant at lower compared to higher latitudes. Read more to find out how a group of marine ecologists investigated the importance of predator-prey interactions in seagrass beds. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Notre Dame, and […]
Restoring the links between land and sea
On February 2, we celebrated World Wetlands Day. Wetlands, some of the most productive ecosystems on earth, are threatened. Read on to learn how salt marshes, a type of wetland, can be restored after decades of degradation. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Notre […]
Marine diatoms eat climate change’s dust
Multiple, interacting factors from climate change make it difficult for scientists to predict how marine life will respond to climate change. Read on to find out how researchers studied the effects of dust deposition, ocean warming, and increased carbon dioxide concentrations on a common marine diatom. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in […]
Corals get their auras read
Corals, depending on dominant cover type, can influence the microbial community living in the surrounding water. Read on to find out more about the coral aura-biome. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Notre Dame, and holds a Masters in Environmental Science & Biology from […]
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