Biology

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 Climate Change Coastal Management Conference Coral Ecology Paleoceanography

Best of Benthics

The Top 5: Highlights and notes from an eventful Benthic Ecology Meeting!

Biology Coastal Management Conservation Ecology Fisheries Human impacts

Best laid plans of lobsters and men: More disease prevalent in marine protected areas

Everyone usually agrees that establishing more protected areas in our oceans will help overfished populations recover. But what if that's…

Evolution Genetics Ocean Acidification

Like father, like son? Is survival under ocean acidification heritable?

Can marine life adapt to ocean acidification? Well, first we need to understand if these favourable characteristics (survival under elevated…

Biology Book Review Ecology Physiology

Crustaceans are smarter than you think

Ever wondered how your lobster behaves before it reaches your dinner plate? Caribbean spiny lobsters take advantage of a unique…

Biology

Yee-haw! This jellyfish-riding lobster has special appendages to keep clean and be carried on

By riding jellyfish, this lobster larvae can travel the high seas, and have easy access to a convenient snack. But…

Biology Coral Genetics

Is a coral’s color all for show?

Two of the exact same corals, sitting right next to each other, often appear to be different based on their…

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…

Fisheries Genetics

Are bigger moms better moms?

We know that larger female fish produce more eggs, but does this really mean they produce more young that grow…

Aquaculture Biology Ecology Economy Fisheries Human impacts Parasitism

Sunday brunch: Lox with… lice?

Lox and lice. Not a combination of critters you envision when planning your Sunday brunch. Unfortunately, an increase in drug…

Biochemistry Biology

What do diabetics and cone snails have in common? The need for insulin

Cone snails are a family of organisms that use venom injected into the water to help them capture their prey.…

Biology Parasitism Physiology

Deadly Dino’s

Copepods dominate the world’s oceans. They are important in the marine food web and help to regulate the global carbon…

Biology

Deep-sea Lights

Many different animals in the ocean produce light to communicate, especially in the darkness of the deep-sea. But how exactly…

Biology Conservation Ecology Evolution Invasive Species

Risking It All For Love: Courtship behavior by a reef fish makes it vulnerable to lionfish predation

Paper: Black, A.N., S.R. Weimann, V.E. Imhoff, M.L. Richter, and M. Itzkowitz. 2014. A differential prey response to invasive lionfish,…

Biology Book Reviews Science Communication

Deep Blue Reads: Octopus!: The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea, by Katherine Harmon Courage

I will be honest: I almost chucked this book clear across the room while reading it. It’s not that Katherine…

Biology Ecology

Watch out guys, pregnant whale sharks are on the loose!

Whale sharks have become an increasingly popular tourist attraction, but much of their life history remains largely unknown. This study…

Biology Climate Change

Anemones can do the ‘symbiont shuffle’ in the face of climate change

The bubble-tip anemone can harbour several types of algae or 'endosymbionts' simultaneously. This raises the question: are there advantages to…

Biology Ecology Fisheries Human impacts

Bottom trawling changes bodies: the new seafloor diet

Seafloor trawling inevitably captures more than the species it is targeting. This means that when the remaining fishes line up…

Biology Physiology

Shocking behavior: Electric eels use remote control to locate, stun their prey

Electric eels are something more than shocking.

Biology Ecology Evolution

Detach claw & flee: Strategies for porcelain crabs to evade immediate death from different predators

Autotomy or shedding an appendage can be a useful trick to escape from predators. Studies have shown that autotomy is…