Ecology
Kelp: It’s whats for dinner (or where you live)
Kelp is a kind of large algae that supports diverse ecosystems. These kelp forests may start receding as a result…
Biogeochemistry
Sailing the Southern Ocean for science
Hear about my adventures living on an icebreaker on the Southern Ocean, deploying ocean robots to understand the chemistry and…
Science Communication
Why I want to talk about science with you
I’ve been a writer here at Oceanbites for about a year, but now it’s time for me to hang up…
Sea Ice
How thick is polar ice?
Based on a simple theory, the authors of this study are able to make a prediction about the distribution of…
Behavior
I, Spy – Eye stripes and spots work together to distract predators
Eyespots and eye stripes are common markings on fish bodies. It is thought that they divert predator attacks away from…
Fisheries
Captain’s Log: Hunting for Data in an Era Gone By
Sometimes scientists of the past didn't plan their projects too well, but we can still dig up their records and…
Biology Climate Change Sea Ice
A Career in Marine Mammal Acoustics and the Arctic
This week, I interviewed Joshua Jones, a Ph.D. student in biological oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The focus…
Climate Change Natural History
Evaporating History
More is better, especially when it comes to dissecting the past. A single proxy may be sensitive to various factors…
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…
