Coastal Management
SURFO Special: How can understanding the scenarios of rising sea levels help New England parks prepare for Nor’easters?
Will Cape Cod ever become an island? Rising sea levels come with increased threats of flooding, especially in the areas already ravaged by storms. How can we predict the effects of sea level rise on coastal lands? SURFO student Louis Borrelli spent this summer figuring it out. Anastasia YandulskayaI am a PhD candidate at Northeastern […]
Bowhead Whales Threatened by a ‘Killer’
The Arctic is experiencing dramatic changes in sea ice. How will this warming affect the marine life? Scientists find there may be an increasing threat to the already endangered bowhead whale. What it is may surprise you. Elena GadoutsisI didn’t take the typical marine biologist path. I started my career as a nurse working from […]
Who do you talk to about marine biosecurity, mate? Social networks matter in managing Australia’s ocean pests
Scientists in Australia recently mapped the nation’s biosecurity community as a social network, revealing key characteristics that help and hinder marine pest control. Ellie OldachHello! I’m a third-year PhD student at University of California, Davis, in the Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior. My research focuses on how coastal communities make decisions around climate change […]
Homing in on a hammerhead’s range
Over the decades, many shark species have become endangered. In an effort to save these fishes, humans have set up “safe zones” where the sharks are less likely caught by fishing vessels. But do we know if these zones match with the sharks’ natural stomping grounds? Andrea SchlunkI am a former PhD student from the […]
El Golfo de San Lorenzo es un histórico rompecabezas de oxígeno
Adalberto Ubinas Romero es un estudiante de último año en la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao con especialización en biología marina costera. Interesado en la salud de la columna de agua, la patología vegetal y la taxonomía. Aspira a terminar su bachillerato y continuar estudios graduados con el objetivo de obtener un PhD. Diana […]
SURFO SPECIAL: The oxygen puzzle of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Each summer, the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) hosts undergraduate students from all over the country to participate in oceanographic research. These Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURFOs) have not only been working with GSO scientists, but they also have spent part of their time learning how to communicate this science to […]
SURFO SPECIAL: A virtual adventure in coastal restoration
Coastal and Marine National Parks welcome millions of visitors every year, and they need our help! Habitat degradation is a key issue that these parks are facing, and this project aims to solve that problem through encouraging restoration. Diana FontaineI am a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab studying Biological Oceanography at the Graduate School […]
Caffeinated Seas: Unique Tracers for Wastewater-borne Contaminants
Did you ever think your coffee addiction could help solve marine pollution? It turns out all that caffeine and artificial sweetener does more than just give you that afternoon energy boost. Outside of New York City in the Long Island Sound, scientists are evaluating the use of your coffee byproducts as tracers for wastewater contamination. […]
Getting your toes wet: Citizen science as a means for long-term monitoring
To understand ecosystem level changes, it is important to monitor an ecosystem over a long period of time. However, long-term funding can be limited, especially during times of economic hardships. How do researchers carry out long-term ecological studies in place where sustained funding is unavailable? Read this article to get a glimpse into citizen science, […]
Fig leaf or laurel wreath – When does “green” development help or hurt the ocean?
Making new coastal development more environmentally friendly seems like a win-win, but how much is helpful and how much is just for show? Kristin HuizengaI am a PhD student studying Biological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. My interests are in food webs, ecology, and the interaction of humans and the […]
Stuck in the mud: a drilling downer for corals
Oil and gas play huge roles in shaping modern lifestyles, providing ease and comfort; while our lives may be simplified, those of larval cold-water corals could be getting cut short—even if their home reef isn’t right next door to a wellhead. Click here to find out about the culprit! Andrea SchlunkI am a former PhD […]
Peace for Coral Reefs
As the world has learned over the past several months, a little solitude goes a long way towards a healthy life. What if coral reefs need time away from humans to be able to live their best lives? Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are known to be marvelous colorful ecosystems that […]
Make Earth Blue Again
A team of the world’s leading marine scientists reports that we are capable of rebuilding many components of marine life by 2050—if we are up to the challenge. Emily ChuaI am a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University where I am developing an underwater instrument to study the coastal ocean. I have a multi-disciplinary background in […]
Slowing a Thorny Invasion – Managing for COTS with DNA
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish are a natural scourge on coral reefs… or are they? The cycle of outbreaks is cruel, since it tends to focus on areas that have been spared bleaching. What eats a COTS anyway? Can we harness natural predators to minimize the impacts of these coral-eaters? One team is trying.
Ocean acidification and baby “squidlife” crises?
Ocean acidification has been known to cause problems for marine mollusks (like oysters and pteropods), because these animals have shells or hard parts that can weaken as acidity increases. There’s another mollusk though with eight arms and two tentacles that may have a larger bag of tricks with which to cope with acidity, but teasing […]
Clawing Your Way to the Top: Lobster Farming in Vietnam
Can changing lobster aquaculture practices in Vietnam pave the way for green growth around the globe? The authors of a recent study think the key to minimizing environmental impacts while maximizing economic output lies in increasing efficiency. Ashley MickensI recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability from Miami University of Ohio, […]
Life in the Abyss: the ecological impacts of deep-sea mining
Did you know that about 95% of the ocean is unexplored? The deep ocean is logistically very difficult to access, so how do scientists study organisms that live hundreds of meters below the sea surface? The landscape of the deep-sea is diverse and certain structures such as polymetallic nodules, supports a vast array of marine […]
Size Matters in Kelp Forests – Big, Dense Populations Are Better Equipped to Recover from Disturbance
Kelp are habitat-forming species, the “ecosystem engineers” of our coasts. Standing metres tall and sheltering coastal habitats from the full force of the ocean’s waves, kelp provide a refuge for a variety of marine animals and create a forest ecosystem similar to what you might find in the temperate latitudes on land. They are nursery […]
Tough bugs below the waves?
Just as humans can build up tolerances to things we’re exposed to, so can bacteria. Introduce antibiotics to an ecosystem and it’s a fair bet local germs will take note. Tag along and learn what a group of scientists in Florida found after sampling the water we’ve flushed down the drains! Andrea SchlunkI am a […]
Sargassum: An Overlooked Solution
Sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, provides important ecosystem services in the Atlantic. However, this new study explores how sargassum may provide one solution to marine pollution. Ashley MickensI recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability from Miami University of Ohio, and I’m currently working as a marine mammal observer in […]
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