Coastal Management
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 am a senior Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability major at Miami University of Ohio. While my […]
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 am a senior Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability major at Miami University of Ohio. While my undergraduate research focused on biogeochemical cycles in lakes and streams, […]
City Marine Parks: The Water Parks of the Future
Did you love going to the water park as a kid? The authors of this paper have come up with a new kind of water park to help improve life in coastal cities and make the most of “blue space.” Ashley MickensI am a senior Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability major at Miami University of […]
Deep Breathing Underwater
The Labrador Sea is one of the lungs of the ocean. A new study finds that it is taking an even deeper breath than expected—making it more vulnerable to climate change than thought. Emily ChuaI am a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University where I am developing an underwater instrument to study the coastal ocean. I […]
Protections with a bite: Are toothed whales sheltered by South African Marine Protected Areas?
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often put into place to protect biodiversity and essential fish stocks, but toothed whales are rarely considered when deciding where to put an MPA. As South Africa looks to expand its protected areas, Jean Purdon and her colleagues set out to learn where the toothed whales are living off the […]
An Ocean on Fire
Heatwaves in Australia are stoking the flames of the wildfires currently ravaging the country. While the effects are not as visible, the ocean, too, is suffering from extreme temperatures. Recent research reveals that underwater heatwaves are escalating, with devastating impacts. Emily ChuaI am a Ph.D. candidate at Boston University where I am developing an underwater […]
A floating island: is this where we’re moving to next?
Are floating islands in our future? As many of may know, the sea level is rising and will eventually intrude on the space we have on land. In addition, if the population continues to increase, we may need to look elsewhere to live and grow food. The Horizon 2020 project is an initiative sponsored by […]
Jellyfish Blooms Could Increase the Risk of Bacteria-Spread Illnesses in Humans and Marine Animals
Happy Thanksgiving! With Black Friday right around the corner, it might be surprising to hear that humans aren’t the only species that swarm to certain areas. Ashley MickensI am a senior Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability major at Miami University of Ohio. While my undergraduate research focused on biogeochemical cycles in lakes and streams, I […]
Hidden diversity in ships’ ballast tanks
Did you know that organisms can live in the ballast tanks of cargo ships? Ballast tanks are used by ships to maintain stability as they transverse across ocean basins. Unfortunately, ballast water is a major culprit of the introduction of invasive species worldwide. Read on to learn more about a recent study that uses genetic […]
Do you have to understand marine science to care about marine conservation? Wetland research says No.
Ware J, Callaway R (2019) Public perception of coastal habitat loss and habitat creation using artificial floating islands in the UK. PLoS ONE 14(10): e0224424. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0224424 In places where coastal ecosystems have been dramatically altered by human activity, green infrastructure projects like artificial wetlands, eelgrass plantings, and artificial floating islands provide novel opportunities to […]
Power plays in low carbon pathways: how elite groups may influence a green transition
Learn how elite groups can guide and shape climate initiatives (spoiler alert: it’s spoooooky) – and what we can do to move towards a just transition away from fossil fuels. Nyla HusainI’m a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. I use models to study how small-scale physical processes at […]
Sunlight May Stimulate Breakdown of Ocean Plastic
A new study suggests that one form of plastic might not take as long to break down in the ocean as previously thought. 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 physics and oceanography (and some […]
Sailing Solo: An alternative way to monitor harmful algal blooms
Have you ever heard about a harmful algal bloom? Do you know what causes them? Or how scientists monitor them? Read on to learn about how a group of scientists from Mote Marine Lab in Florida paired up with Navocean, Inc to create the first autonomous small sailboat to monitor blooms in coastal, shallow water […]
SURFO SPECIAL: What’s it like to live in a dogfish eat dogfish world?
Brianna Villalon is a senior at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, studying marine biology and looking to gear her research toward elasmobranchs. This summer she worked with Camilla McCandless at the NOAA Northeastern Fisheries Science Center alongside the Apex Predator Shark Tagging Program. Read on to learn more about her work with dogfish! Diana FontaineI am […]
SURFO SPECIAL: The world is your oyster: Collecting data on Matunuck Oyster Farm
Did you know that oysters act as a biological water purifier? Thus, many different environmental conditions like the tide and current affect how oysters filter. By collecting data on these conditions, the overall health of an oyster farm can be monitored to enhance farm productivity. Read on to learn more about the data collection process […]
The Sound of (Fish) Music
The ocean contains a symphony of sounds. A new study describes a novel method for capturing the chorus “sung” by fish. 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 physics and oceanography (and some engineering), and […]
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