Ecology

There’s No Such Thing as Free Lunch: Observing the Foraging Behavior of Sharks Feeding on a Sperm Whale Carcass

All species in the animal kingdom must find food to survive. For some species, finding food can be difficult and…

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…

Ecology

Happy clams eat varied diets: seasonal changes in food resources for coastal critters

Between land and sea, coastal ecosystems receive seasonal varieties of food sources that impact organisms at the bottom of the…

Climate Change Conservation Coral Ecology Restoration

Can Coral Reefs Strangled By Algae Recover?

“Experimental support for alternative attractors on coral reefs”, Russell J. Schmitt, Sally J. Holbrook, Samantha L. Davis, Andrew J.Brooks, Thomas C. Adam, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Mar 2019, 116 (10) 4372-4381; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812412116…

deep sea Ecology Trophic Ecology

Feces as Food

Urchins and bacteria, working together to link pelagic and benthic ecosystems.

Developmental Biology Ecology

Sex Change 101: it Starts in the Brain

With human puberty seemingly beginning earlier and earlier, have you ever wondered what triggered sexual development? Dodd et al., studied…

Ecology

On the case: Scientists use many sources to find the culprit in kelp disappearance

The extensive decline of the Great Barrier Reef has received a lot of press attention in recent years, yet reefs…

Ecology

How does salinity impact fish grazing in seagrass meadows?

Seagrass meadows are widely recognized as one of the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, as they provide a bounty…

Behavior Biological oceanography Biology Climate Change Conservation Ecology Sea Ice Trophic Ecology

Ecology of Fear: Current Implications of Orca Presence on Narwhal Behavior and Future Trends

The ecology of fear is a hypothesis that predators drive habitat use and behavior in prey species. In the Arctic,…

Ecology

Hydrothermal vents spew out tasty morsels for local marine consumers

Hydrothermal vents are not only cool structures where magma meets the sea; they offer a previously unappreciated food source for…

Behavior Biology Conservation deep sea Ecology Methodology Physiology Trophic Ecology

The Biological Big Bang: Testing the hypothesis that sperm whales use auditory bursts to stun prey and other proposed feeding strategies.

Article Fais, A., Johnson, M., Wilson, M., Soto, N. A., & Madsen, P. T. (2016). Sperm whale predator-prey interactions involve…

Ecology

Digging Deep: Burrowing Animals are Just One Element of a Healthy Mudflat

Despite mudflats supporting fisheries, providing homes for birds, and serving as a buffer between land and sea, these ecosystems are…

Ecology Sharkbites Saturday

Saving Sawfish: Adventures in the Everglades

A few months ago, I wrote about sawfish research in Papua New Guinea, but if you live in the U.S.…

Ecology

I like to move it, move it: Krill boogie down all year

Krill, the tiny organisms that feed the Southern Ocean, have long been thought to be pretty mellow in the winter.…

Ecology

Beyond cannibalism, can tide pools help explain the universe?

It turns out tide pools are a lot more complex than they seem - and often inhabited by cannibals. Can…

Atmosphere science Biological oceanography Biology Climate Change Ecology Genetics Human impacts Microbiology Ocean Acidification

Fixin’ to lose: Trichodesmium reacts to climate change

Nitrogen is vital for all life on the planet. One of the main global sources for nitrogen, the bacteria Trichodesmium,…

Biological oceanography Ecology Harmful Algal Bloom Remote Sensing

Cyanobacteria invasions… from space?

They may not come from space, but they can be seen from up there! Learn how microscopic plants called cyanobacteria…

Ecology Fisheries Pollution

Little fish, big fish… which one poses the bigger threat?

Article: Biton-Porsmoguer, S., Bǎnaru, D., Boudouresque, C. F., Dekeyser, I., Bouchoucha, M., Marco-Miralles, F., … & Harmelin-Vivien, M. (2018). Mercury…

Biogeochemistry Biological oceanography Biology Book Review Climate Change deep sea Ecology Microbiology

Biofilms are a prominent first step in the colonization of wood-falls

A profound yet never-before-appreciated first step in the colonization of sulfur oxidizing bacteria on the surface of wood-debris in the…

Ecology

Tracking predators in seagrass beds

Scientists have long recognized that predators are more abundant at lower compared to higher latitudes. Read more to find out…