Conservation
Will dead corals help reefs recover from disturbances?
This is a guest post by Kelly Wong. Kelly is a current Master’s student at California Sate University, Northridge in Dr. Peter Edmunds’ Polyp Lab. Her research focuses on the role of dead coral rubble in modulating coral populations and reef community dynamics. Diana FontaineI am a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab studying Biological […]
The Circle of Life: Understanding Lionfish Life Cycles
We know who’s the king of the jungle, but who’s the king of the reef? Lionfish may look cool, but they are actually invasive in the Atlantic and the adults have no natural predators. This new paper explains how understanding the early life stages of lionfish may help control their population in the Western Atlantic […]
The Regenerative Power of Whale Sharks
How fast can a whale shark heal from a wound? For the first time, researchers look deeper at the healing power of whale sharks which can even include the ability to re-grow a fin! Elena GadoutsisI have always been happiest in nature – exploring forests, traveling to the ocean, or working with wildlife. After obtaining my […]
Can a little bit of a good thing be worse than nothing at all?
The world’s oceans are increasingly managed as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where human activities are carefully regulated to support ocean health. But the amount of protection in a marine protected area varies widely. A recent study begs the question — is partial protection actually worse than no protection at all? Ellie OldachHello! I’m a third-year […]
Mommy dearest: Female sperm whales are the pillars of their families
Still living with your mom? Nothing to be embarrassed about – especially if you are a sperm whale! Anastasia YandulskayaI am a PhD candidate at Northeastern University in Boston. I study regeneration of the nervous system in water salamanders called axolotls. In my free time, I like to read science fiction, bake, go on walks […]
Does coral size matter?
Nina Bean is a 2nd year master’s student at the California State University, Northridge in Dr. Peter Edmunds’ Polyp Lab. She is studying how coral traits and competitive outcomes scale with coral size at various life stages. When she is not doing research, she enjoys rock climbing, running, and underwater photography. Read her guest post […]
Plastic in the ocean chokes albatrosses
Albatrosses are amazing wanderers of the ocean, but they are threatened by ocean plastic pollution. Read on to learn more about how plastic leads to albatrosses’ death and why it’s a growing problem. Jiwoon ParkI am a PhD student in chemical oceanography at University of Washington. I am studying how different forms of metals in […]
Warming up to the neighborhood: a gentoo penguin’s new digs
With warming temperatures, scientists expect to see species popping up in environments where they’ve previously been absent. Climate change virtually guarantees animals will move into new regions, either following prey or searching for more familiar temperatures. In the case of the gentoo penguin, it means a new frontier as colonies push to the edges of […]
Missing the (Kelp) Forest for the Trees: An Overlooked Factor in Blue Carbon Storage
A recent study exposes an overlooked carbon sink in the form of kelp forests. According to scientists’ estimates, a kelp forest in Australia sequesters 3% of global carbon per year, and this has important implications for the rest of the global carbon budget. Ashley MickensI recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Earth Science and […]
How to Plan a Marine Protected Area
The start of a new decade offers a chance to reflect on the past. We’ve missed our target conservation goals for global marine protected areas (MPAs), but maybe — just maybe — we’ve learned some important lessons about ocean governance along the way. In a recent paper, authors trace the history of MPA development in […]
Protecting the unknown: how scientists are evaluating conservation efforts in undescribed areas of the deep sea
Large areas of the seafloor are designated for deep-sea mining, but much of this seascape has not been sampled or described. Learn how scientists McQuid et al. layered environmental data to map potentially important habitats for conservation. Gabrielle StedmanI am currently a 3rd year PhD student in Biological Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at […]
Fisheries, Food and the Future
As we approach 2021, the idea of “the future” seems closer than ever before. In a recent article, Cabral and his team propose a futuristic network of marine protected areas to help meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Ashley MickensI recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability from Miami […]
Drowning in bad news about the ocean? Cheer up with these uplifting stories!
Bad news fatigue is real, and a strategy called ocean optimism means to tackle it. These success stories of victories in ocean preservation are sure to keep your spirits up! Anastasia YandulskayaI am a PhD candidate at Northeastern University in Boston. I study regeneration of the nervous system in water salamanders called axolotls. In my […]
Eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay
This post is in support of #BlackInMarineScience week highlighting Black scientists who have contributed to and are currently working in the marine science field. To find out more visit https://blackinmarsci.github.io/index.html. 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 […]
Peek-a-Boo, I See You and My Food Too
Imagine yourself floating in a metal cage off the side of a boat. You are waiting to see something rare, exciting, and in all reality dangerous if proper precautions are not used. Then you see it, a dark gray dorsal fin breaking the surface of the water. One of the ocean’s apex predators, a great […]
Two by two includes corals too? Researchers call for a coral “Noah’s Ark”
In the Bible, the story of Noah’s Ark describes a storm so intense and so long that the earth is covered in water, killing all except those protected in a massive boat. Today, coral scientists are proposing their own “Noah’s Ark,” but this time the relentless storm is climate change. Kristin HuizengaI am a PhD […]
No language bounds in the ocean
What happens when an animal is found outside of its native range? Does it take over? How does it get there? A recent study developed a multilingual invasive species screening kit to track where marine creatures travel in the ocean. Diana FontaineI am a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab studying Biological Oceanography at the […]
“Bienvenidos” to Baja California, Baby White Sharks!
Tamborin, E., Hoyos-Padilla, M., Sánchez-González, A., Hernández-Herrera, A., Elorriaga-Verplancken, F., Galván Magaña, F. (2019). “New Nursery Area for White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.” Turk. J. Fish.& Aquat. Sci. 20(4), 325-329. Big Travelers! Great white sharks, or simply white sharks, are considered one of the largest predators in the sea. They are […]
Microplastics, Canned Fish, and You: How plastic pollution may play a role in your next lunch
Did you know that many plastic items can shed tiny particles called microplastics? These microplastics are present everywhere in our environment, from the sea to the air. But how prevalent are they, and do they pose harm to humans? Researchers attempted to answer this question by studying a common food item – canned fish. Francesca […]
From ancient blood come modern cures, or, How Horseshoe Crabs and Medicine Intertwined
If you’ve ever had a vaccination, congratulations, you’re linked to the ocean! Somewhere along the way, that vaccine batch was deemed safe thanks to a test that uses chemicals only found (naturally) in horseshoe crab blood. Though as the human population grows, we’re realizing this natural source will come under more pressure. Click here to […]
by oceanbites 3 weeks ago
Not all outdoor science is fieldwork. Some of the best days in the lab can be setting up experiments, especially when you get to do it outdoors. It’s an exciting mix of problem solving, precision, preparation, and teamwork. Here is- by oceanbites 1 month ago
Being on a research cruise is a unique experience with the open water, 12-hour working shifts, and close quarters, but there are some familiar practices too. Here Diana is filtering seawater to gather chlorophyll for analysis, the same process on - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #oceanbites we are featuring Hannah Collins @hannahh_irene Hannah works with marine suspension feeding bivalves and microplastics, investigating whether ingesting microplastics causes changes to the gut microbial community or gut tissues. She hopes to keep working - by oceanbites 3 months ago
Leveling up - did you know that crabs have a larval phase? These are both porcelain crabs, but the one on the right is the earlier stage. It’s massive spine makes it both difficult to eat and quite conspicuous in - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring Cierra Braga. Cierra works ultraviolet c (UVC) to discover how this light can be used to combat biofouling, or the growth of living things, on the hulls of ships. Here, you - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Elena Gadoutsis @haysailor These photos feature her “favorite marine research so far: From surveying tropical coral reefs, photographing dolphins and whales, and growing my own algae to expose it to different - by oceanbites 4 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on Oceanbites we are featuring Eliza Oldach. According to Ellie, “I study coastal communities, and try to understand the policies and decisions and interactions and adaptations that communities use to navigate an ever-changing world. Most of - by oceanbites 4 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Jiwoon Park with a little photographic help from Ryan Tabata at the University of Hawaii. When asked about her research, Jiwoon wrote “Just like we need vitamins and minerals to stay - by oceanbites 4 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring @riley_henning According to Riley, ”I am interested in studying small things that make a big impact in the ocean. Right now for my master's research at the University of San Diego, - by oceanbites 5 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Gabby Stedman. Gabby is interested in interested in understanding how many species of small-bodied animals there are in the deep-sea and where they live so we can better protect them from - by oceanbites 5 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Shawn Wang! Shawn is “an oceanographer that studies ocean conditions of the past. I use everything from microfossils to complex computer models to understand how climate has changed in the past - by oceanbites 5 months ago
Today we are highlighting some of our awesome new authors for #WriterWednesday Today we have Daniel Speer! He says, “I am driven to investigate the interface of biology, chemistry, and physics, asking questions about how organisms or biological systems respond - by oceanbites 6 months ago
Here at Oceanbites we love long-term datasets. So much happens in the ocean that sometimes it can be hard to tell if a trend is a part of a natural cycle or actually an anomaly, but as we gather more - by oceanbites 6 months ago
Have you ever seen a lobster molt? Because lobsters have exoskeletons, every time they grow they have to climb out of their old shell, leaving them soft and vulnerable for a few days until their new shell hardens. Young, small - by oceanbites 7 months ago
A lot of zooplankton are translucent, making it much easier to hide from predators. This juvenile mantis shrimp was almost impossible to spot floating in the water, but under a dissecting scope it’s features really come into view. See the - by oceanbites 7 months ago
This is a clump of Dead Man’s Fingers, scientific name Codium fragile. It’s native to the Pacific Ocean and is invasive where I found it on the east coast of the US. It’s a bit velvety, and the coolest thing - by oceanbites 8 months ago
You’ve probably heard of jellyfish, but have you heard of salps? These gelatinous sea creatures band together to form long chains, but they can also fall apart and will wash up onshore like tiny gemstones that squish. Have you seen - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Check out what’s happening on a cool summer research cruise! On the #neslter summer transect cruise, we deployed a tow sled called the In Situ Icthyoplankton Imaging System. This can take pictures of gelatinous zooplankton (like jellyfish) that would be - by oceanbites 9 months ago
Did you know horseshoe crabs have more than just two eyes? In these juveniles you can see another set in the middle of the shell. Check out our website to learn about some awesome horseshoe crab research. #oceanbites #plankton #horseshoecrabs - by oceanbites 9 months ago
Feeling a bit flattened by the week? So are these summer flounder larvae. Fun fact: flounder larvae start out with their eyes set like normal fish, but as they grow one of their eyes migrates to meet the other and
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