Fisheries
The Evidence of Things Not Seen: eDNA and Fisheries Stocks
Unlike fields of corn or herds of cattle whose yields are easily counted, wild fish stocks are more difficult to count. The ocean is a huge place, so finding and estimating populations to set future catch limits is really hard! There may be a new way of gathering this information though—one with less impact to […]
What’s next for Air Jaws? Research Priorities for The Great White Shark
Since the beginning of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, viewers have been mesmerized by the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). The great white shark coverage outshines the rest with television specials like the Air Jaws series filling many of the week’s time slots. There are numerous unanswered questions about its ecology, physiology, and relationship with humans. To […]
A Case of Mistaken Identity: Seafood Fraud
Sustainable seafood has recently become a hot topic in marine conservation, and scientists and conservationists advise transparency in the seafood process. However, what happens when we can’t track seafood’s journey or we’re not exactly sure about what we’re eating? Rishya NarayananRishya is pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Science Communications and Media Advocacy at Northeastern University […]
Helping the Atlantic with our Stomachs: the Lionfish Fishery
As a lover of seafood and the environment, it can be tough to find a sustainable fix for fishy cravings. Lionfish could potentially be a great way to take some pressure off of popular seafood while helping out Atlantic ecosystems– if they don’t pose a health risk to the humans eating them. Rishya NarayananRishya is […]
Hope in isolation: four small islands are defying current threats to ocean health
Would you believe me if I told you that the oceans still possessed pristine, unimpacted habitats? In an age where we are learning more and more about how multiple stresses-from climate change to increasing pollution-are hurting our oceans, one recent study has shed light on the remarkable healthy ecosystem of a group of small islands […]
Ocean to Table Mercury: a Rising Risk
For fish eaters, mercury consumption is an ever-present worry but often pushed to the backs of our minds. But the risk of mercury poisoning is only increasing as human activity introduce more mercury into the ocean and atmosphere. In their recent paper, Lavoie and his colleagues estimate how much mercury is reaching our plates through […]
Big Momma: bigger fish are better moms
What makes a fish a good mom? Read here to see why scientists now think that big fish moms are the best fish moms. Ashley MarranzinoI received my Master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island where I studied the sensory biology of deep-sea fishes. I am now working with the South Carolina DNR at […]
Heavy Metal Presence in Fish from Fresh and Coastal Waters of Ghana
Heavy metal: it’s not just an intense genre of rock music, but also an element high in density that can be incredibly toxic to humans at concentrated levels. While marine life faces many threats, an increasingly severe force has been the addition and accumulation of heavy metals in both coastal and freshwater environments. Francis Gbogbo […]
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 in blue shark (Prionace glauca) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) from north-eastern Atlantic: Implication for fishery management. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 127, 131-138. Have you ever heard the term mercury poisoning? It may not be as common as […]
Honey I shrunk the….fish?
What we know about commercial fishing’s repercussions on reef fish is more complicated than just reducing the size of their populations. Commercial fishing exploits are driving some fish species to become smaller. Read on to find out more and how marine protected areas may be critical to the recovery of exploited fish populations. Katherine BarrettKate […]
Tracking Global Fisheries with the Help of Computer Neural Networks
Fisheries are vital to global economies and to the billions of people who rely on fish for their primary source of protein. How do we track and manage these fisheries? Read how a new study looks at the global footprint of fisheries and analyzes what drives this market. Ashley MarranzinoI received my Master’s degree from […]
Baby come back: capture-induced premature birthing in elasmobranchs
Capturing pregnant elasmobranchs can induce stress-related abortions. Read more to understand why and what can be done to prevent this! Aditi TripathyHello! I am an undergraduate student majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Acoustics at the University of Rhode Island. I am a science geek to the core, and my research interests lie […]
Snowmageddon: A lighthearted start to Marine Snow theme week
While the term “marine snow” may conjure images of an aquatic winter wonderland, some aspects of this phenomenon may not inspire a Bing Crosby song. Marine snow is responsible for transporting many of the nutrients found in the surface, sunlit waters of the ocean to depths where it becomes a significant food and nutrient source […]
How to model climate change in an Arctic food web
The climate is changing, and so are Arctic food webs. But our knowledge of how food webs respond to warmer Arctic water temperatures is incomplete, so scientists use models to help further understanding of future food web scenarios. Katherine BarrettKate is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of […]
Minimizing bycatch by maximizing incentives
What’s the best way for fishermen to avoid catching the wrong type of animal in their nets? According to this paper, there’s the way we’re doing it now, and there’s a way that allows for more flexibility and more compliance. Read on to find out more about preventing bycatch through incentives! Erin McLeanHi and welcome […]
Fishy Crimes: How Indonesia Is Taking Back Its Fisheries
Fish poaching is a huge problem for countries around the globe, disrupting conservation efforts and damaging local economies. Indonesia, once a country plagued by the practice, has taken hard stances against illegal fishing and turned their fishing economy around. Zoe GentesZoe has an M.S. in Oceanography and a B.S. in Geologic Oceanography from URI, with […]
The Molecular Industrial Complex: What shrimp exoskeleton formation can tell us about life’s building strategy
Have you ever wondered just how our bodies know to repair damaged skin or build muscle after an intense workout? Without even thinking about it, these processes are carried out behind the scenes while we go about our lives. Read further to see how a team of scientists have used the lifecycle of the mighty […]
Public Perceptions of Aquaculture Show Lack of Ocean Literacy
Article: Froehlich HE, Gentry RR, Rust MB, Grimm D, Halpern BS (2017) Public Perceptions of Aquaculture: Evaluating Spatiotemporal Patterns of Sentiment around the World. PLoS ONE 12(1): e0169281. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169281 Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. A 2014 report by the UN-FAO estimated global freshwater and marine farming to constitute 44% of all […]
Marine Protected Areas need more than just a name
It is no secret that the Earth’s oceans are in trouble. Every day there is a new article on rising temperatures, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, and species extinction, to name just a few. Luckily, governments are taking notice and policies are being enacted to curb the loss of this delicate, and essential ecosystem. However, deciding […]
Shark attack prevention: what works, what doesn’t?
We aren’t going to need a bigger boat to prevent shark attacks…read this review article to get an idea what shark attack prevention strategies are best for both humans and sharks! Karla HaiatI’m an Undergraduate student at University of Rhode Island majoring in Ocean Engineering and Marine Biology. I’m interested in the intersection between technology, […]
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