oceanbites

Reconstructing Regional Climate and Oceanographic Processes From Tree Rings

Researchers are using centuries of tree growth data to understand variability in upwelling, productivity and marine ecosystem health in the…

Catfish sharks on catnip? Nope, just ocean acidification

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden found that ocean acidification may cause hyperactivity in catfish sharks.

Chemistry Human impacts Pollution

Oil Spill Sleuths use Chemical Fingerprinting to Identify Sources of Tar Balls

Tar balls are small globules of thick, sticky oil that can be found on some shorelines. In order to mitigate…

Ecology technology

Digitally partnering with spearfishers to survey fish communities

Cameras mounted on spearfishing guns are a viable source of scientific data, which could lead to new citizen science partnerships

Chemistry Conservation Coral Ecology

Chemical healing: how coral larvae and juvenile reef fish are using chemistry to choose a good neighborhood

A recent study suggests that coral reef restoration may require a nuanced understanding of chemical cues that clue in coral…

Chemistry Coastal Management Hazards Human impacts Policy Pollution

Are coastal waters receiving drugs? Are the rivers distributing them?

Pollution is not new news. It is common to hear discussion about air pollution and trash pollution, and more recently…

Climate Change

How is the tropical Pacific causing the Arctic to warm?

The Arctic is warming at an unprecedented rate. New research shows that 50% of regional Arctic warming is due to…

Book Review Ecology Fisheries

What factors influence Lionfish success in the Bahamas?

Lionfish are recent invaders of the Caribbean Basin and are reproducing at a rapid rate, their population continuing to grow…

Biology Book Review Ecology Remote Sensing

Determining viral controls of phytoplankton blooms

Article: Lehahn, Y. et al. Decoupling Physical from Biological Processes to Assess the Impact of Viruses on a Mesoscale Algal Bloom.Current…

Biology Ecology

Daredevil: Chilean devil rays dive to extreme depths and escape without brain freeze

Chilean devil rays were previously thought to live near the surface, however, this research reveals they are among the deepest…

Biochemistry Ecology

Using nitrogen isotopes to start from the bottom…of the marine food web!

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are an important nitrogen source in the ocean and the δ15N of amino…

Book Reviews Science Communication

Deep Blue Reads: Blue Urbanism, by Timothy Beatley

I lived in Seattle for about a year before I started to really notice the water. It’s an impressive feat,…

Biology Ecology

Moonrise Ecosystem: how intertidal seaweeds are influenced by celestial cycles

The moon does not sit still while orbiting the earth. Rather, it is constantly changing its position and angle relative…

Biology

The turtle skylight: looks great and helps with time management.

Leatherback turtles have a built-in skull skylight that registers light and helps tell them when to migrate.

Pollution

The first day after an oil spill

Crude oil is mostly composed of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) which are toxic to organisms. After an oil…

Science Communication

Seven steps to better science communication, journalist-tested and -approved

Scientists are often called upon to present their research in a variety of formats, whether that be in a journal…

Biology Physiology

Suck It!: Why Octopus Arms Don’t Stick To Each Other

Many students have wondered why the sticky, sucker-covered arms of the octopus don’t stick to one another as the animal…

Science Communication

Marine Biologist in an Ocean of Journalists

Journalists are an interesting group of people. As a scientist and specifically, one who studies animal behaviour, I cannot help…

Biology Geology Physiology

A “Jaw-dropping” Cambrian Fish!

A 500 million year old primitive fish sheds light on vertebrate evolution and the emergence of jawed fish.

Chemistry Human impacts

Measuring “Roundup” in the Great Barrier Reef

Scientists estimated the degradation time for glyphosate, an herbicide in "Roundup", in the Great Barrrier Reef. This is the first…