Physiology
Trawling selects for faster fish
A new study suggests that differences in exercise performance make some individuals more vulnerable to capture by trawling than others,…
Ecology Evolution Human impacts Invasive Species
Death by evolution: how a hapless adaptation aided in the untimely demise of a Lake Victorian fish
Scientists have demonstrated that a human-induced extinction of a tropical lake fish was unwittingly assisted by a millions year old…
Book Review
A Snack That’s Literally On the House?
Most important relationships have deep running roots, not always visible to the world. It turns out, some symbiotic or mutualistic…
Behavior Biology
Feeling fishy about our view of fish feelings
Humans are conscious beings that experience a range of emotions. But do other organisms share this quality, or is it…
Book Review
Some like it hot, and that might help
For fish in the 21st century, the riskiest places to live might not be the ones that are warming the…
Coastal Management Conservation Coral Fisheries
How to Stop Dragging Our Assets: The World’s First Fishery Habitat Quota
Setting limits on fish catch is standard practice in fisheries management. For the first time in history, limits on habitat…
Climate Change Remote Sensing
Jump in, the water is warm!
Satellite data was used to measure surface water temperatures throughout Chesapeake Bay over the last 28 years. This new approach…
Biology Climate Change Developmental Biology Ecology Evolution Physiology
Warming up to climate change
Are you a fish that can’t cope with warming oceans? Don’t hesitate, acclimate! Scientists have found if fish have the…
Climate Change Ecology
A new king (crab) of the Antarctic
Temperatures are increasing at the poles (and worldwide) and shifting the balance of predator-prey interactions. Predatory king crabs are moving…
Climate Change Ocean Acidification
Are marine “nuisance” species expected to increase under ocean acidification?
Most studies that look at how animals respond to climate change look at species we like - oysters, corals, and…
Biology Human impacts Plastic Pollution
Plankton are eating plastic!
Zooplankton, the tiny animals that make up the base of marine food webs, are ingesting microplastics. Given the widespread abundance…
Biogeochemistry
Oil spill first responders: how tiny algae cultivate oil-degrading bacteria
After an oil spill, millions of oil-degrading bacteria are on the scene almost immediately. But how do they survive in…
Biological oceanography Book Review
KaBLOOM! How do volcanic eruptions stimulate plankton growth and fish production?
Article: Kearney, K.A., D. Tommasi, and C. Stock. 2015. Simulated ecosystem response to volcanic iron fertilization in the subarctic Pacific…
Conservation Coral Human impacts Noise
Small boats drowning out natural reef noise?
Don’t you hate when noises interfere with your daily activities and conversations? We create lots of noise in the environment…
Climate Change Ecology Fisheries
Always follow your gut, or in this case, follow the fish guts
Following the guts of fish species is sometimes the best way to track small, mobile crustacean prey.
Climate Change Ecology
If it you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kelp forest!
Kelp is a kind of algae that supports diverse ecosystems in the nearshore ocean. As the climate and ocean warms,…
Biology Genetics
Stressed-Out Oysters: Molecular Coping Mechanisms for Anxiety
Oysters live a life of constant stress in the ever-changing intertidal habitat. In order to deal with extreme variation in…
Human impacts
Oil spills leave a deadly legacy
This study shows that after several days of exposure to oil-contaminated water, coral larvae survival isn’t reduced very much (hooray!).…
Ecology
Comparing all the ecosystems ever reveals cool patterns about their structure
Who’d guess that if you took the data from >2000 ecosystem studies and smashed them all together there’d be some…
Biogeochemistry Climate Change Ocean Acidification
Rapid changes in the Southern Ocean threaten ecosystems
Rapid acidification of the Southern Ocean could occur in the next 30 years with potentially huge impacts to local ecosystems.