Conservation
Biofouling Organisms Tell All About The Age Of Lost Fishing Gears
Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears (ALDFG) constitute a significant portion of marine litter, with about 640,000 tons lost in the oceans every year. While submerged underwater, ALFDG get populated by biofouling organisms, which have a fascinating story to tell us about the age of lost fishing gear. Cindy LebrasseBorn and raised on Mauritius […]
Critically endangered ancient fish relative has life a 100 year life span
We are still making sense of coelacanths. Thought to be extinct, these rare, critically endangered, 400 million-year-old ancient fishes are now thought to live for 100 years and might be in even more danger than previously thought. Pablo Brenes CotoHello! I am a science communicator who loves sharing stories about the ocean. In my free […]
Taking a Bite of the Blue Economy
As Shark Week draws to a close, take a minute to check out how sharks are boosting ecotourism in Mexico. 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 the Atlantic. While my undergraduate research focused […]
Deep Sea Mining Could Bring Havoc to the Ocean Floor
A new study finds that deep-sea mining could significantly decrease the biodiversity of the deep sea. It turns out that the rocks which people are trying to extract, provide a home to a great amount of biodiversity. Pablo Brenes CotoHello! I am a science communicator who loves sharing stories about the ocean. In my free […]
How citizen scientists are preventing coral bleaching
Researchers and citizen scientists teamed up across an enormous ocean region to document the 2016 coral bleaching event in the Western Indian Ocean. Centering on-the-ground perspectives in marine science is giving the world better tools and more thoughtful ways to help coastal communities thrive. Samantha SettaI’m a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab at the […]
High-TEK Turtle Monitoring: Lessons from Traditional Ecological Knowledge
In this new study carried out in Colombia, traditional ecological knowledge helps to shine a light on sea turtle and fishery management. 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 the Atlantic. While my undergraduate […]
Surf and TURF(s): A Cry for Kelp
How does kelp harvesting affect kelp populations? How can scientists use this information to better inform management policies? Hannah CollinsI’m a second year Masters student in Oceanography at the University of Connecticut, Avery Point. My current research interests involve microplastics and their effects on marine suspension feeding bivalves, and biological solutions to the issue of […]
Sleeper Sharks: From the jaws of defeat
There are many stories of species close to extinction. Sometimes, species can go locally extinct, disappearing from a particular area. Once this happens, is it possible for species to return to that area? What can humans do to help these species come back? A success story from the Galapagos shark may hold some answers. Francesca […]
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 PhD student in Biological Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. I […]
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 […]
by oceanbites 3 months ago
Happy Earth Day! Take some time today to do something for the planet and appreciate the ocean, which covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. #EarthDay #OceanAppreciation #Oceanbites #CoastalVibes #CoastalRI- by oceanbites 4 months 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 5 months 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 6 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 7 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 7 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 7 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 8 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 8 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 8 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 8 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 9 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 9 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 10 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 10 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 11 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 11 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 12 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 12 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 1 year 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
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