oceanbites

Megalodon: a puzzle piece to understanding ecological concerns around apex predator extinction

A Prehistoric Nightmare? The Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon), or “big tooth” is arguably one of the scariest creatures that has ever…

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…

Physical oceanography

Around the Antarctic in 17 Years

The transport of water from the deep ocean to the surface has many important impacts on global climate. By releasing…

Atmospheric Science Climate Change Sea Ice

The Many Modes of Antarctic Ice Loss

The Western Antarctic Ice Shelf has been melting rapidly in recent decades, largely due to upwelling of deep ocean water…

Ocean Acidification

More Intense Summer to Winter Swings in Oceanic Dissolved CO2

Ocean CO2 levels vary depending on the time of year. Landschützer and his colleagues are the first to show that…

Parasitism

Coming Home to Roost: A case of parasites relying on ancestral DNA to take advantage of a new penguin host species?

Parasites are nasty and resilient organisms, often highly specialized to fit their hosts. But sometimes, nature allows a bit of…

Climate Change Invasive Species

Agricultural Stewardship Could Prevent Invasive Species Takeover Downstream

Phragmites australis, or Common Reed, is a marine grass likely introduced to North America from Eurasia in the late…

Book Review Modeling

Small scale, big effect

Processes in the ocean and climate happen at all sorts of size scales. New research out of NASA's Jet Propulsion…

Biology Developmental Biology

Incubation station: are hydrothermal vents speeding up skate-egg development?

Are skates using warm vent water to incubate their eggs? Researchers claim that they have found a direct relationship between…

Paleoceanography

Marine Snow & Muddy Megacoring on the Southern Ocean

Check out this guest post by Marlo Garnsworthy to read about an exciting voyage to the Southern Ocean...Marlo took part…

Climate Change

How warming weather will open the mercury bank in Alaska

Researchers in this study measured mercury in Alaska and calculated the mercury to organic carbon ratio. This ratio was used…

Coral

Going viral: relationships between coral reef health and viruses

What organisms live in coral reefs? Corals (obviously), fish, snorkeling tourists...but some of the most important members we can't even…

En Espanol

El plástico aumenta el riesgo de enfermedades en los corales

Translated by Sandra Schleier, Original Post BY ASHLEY MARRANZINO El Artículo: Lamb, J. B., Willis, B. L., Fiorenza, E. A., Couch, C.…

Atmospheric Chemistry Biochemistry Biological oceanography Chemistry Climate Change Conservation Human impacts Ocean Acidification

Pteropods are Ptough: How one of the ocean’s most fragile creatures may cope with climate change

Climate change, due to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning, is arguably the most important issue…

Behavior Biology

3 Courtship Tips From the Ocean: Valentine’s Day Edition

Long before we celebrated V-Day, animals in the ocean have evolved courtship strategies to help them score mates. Might there…

Conservation Coral Human impacts Plastic Pollution

Plastics increase disease risks for corals

You have probably heard about the troubles coral reefs are facing and about the detrimental effects of plastic pollution in…

Climate Change Glaciers Physical oceanography Sea Ice Sea-level Rise

Iceberg Impacts

Accurately predicting ice sheet melt location and timing is crucial to understanding and modeling global climate. In order to do…

Restoration

Restoring the links between land and sea

On February 2, we celebrated World Wetlands Day. Wetlands, some of the most productive ecosystems on earth, are threatened. Read…

Climate Change

Appreciate seafood? Climate change isn’t your friend.

Seafood depends on healthy food webs that support fish populations...but food webs depend on environmental conditions! Read on to learn…

Policy

Which Paris Agreement Countries Mention the Ocean, and Why?

Do nations mention the impact of climate change on the ocean in their Paris Agreement pledges? And why do some…