Sea Ice
Melting ice, shifting microbes
Polar bears have been the poster child for sea ice melting in the Arctic. But what does sea ice loss…
Tag: Arctic
Climate Change
Carbon Dioxide In and Methane Out: the Surprising Chemistry of an Arctic Methane Seep Field
The bad news: coastal frozen sediments in the Arctic are melting and emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the…
Noise
Can you hear me now? Investigating sound across the Atlantic Ocean
The ocean is full of sounds, ranging from marine mammal conversations to man-made noises used to investigate the seafloor. Ocean…
Chemistry
Fireproofing the Arctic
Chemicals that are stable enough for our everyday use are often remarkably stable in the natural environment as well. This…
Behavior Biology Climate Change
Orca vs Narwhal
Orcas are natural predators of narwhals, but they are seasonally kept at bay by Arctic sea ice. As the Arctic…
Atmospheric Science Biology Book Review Climate Change Conservation Ecology Evolution Human impacts Physiology Sea Ice
Throwing Babies out with the Sea Ice: Ringed Seals Response to Ice Decline
As the Earth warms, sea ice declines. What happens to those animals who rely on the ice? Today’s oceanbites looks…
ocean engineering
Sub sea ice technology aims to expand Arctic plankton surveys
A German research team tested out three devices for studying plankton in Arctic sea ice. These new methods might allow…
Sea Ice
Pole wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Sea Ice
In the sea ice battle between the North Pole and the South Pole, there is no winner in 2016, as…
Biology
Long-lived sharks challenge ageing theory
Greenland sharks can live to be over 400 years old. What can they tell us about ageing?
Biology Climate Change
If You Must, Adjust? Polar Bears Leaving Sea Ice in the Arctic
Everyone knows that polar bears have become the poster children for species threatened by climate change. And it’s for good…
Climate Change Glaciers Physical oceanography
Greenland ice melt may impact Atlantic Ocean temperature and climate
Paper: Claus W. Böning, et al. 2016. Emerging impact of Greenland meltwater on deepwater formation in the North Atlantic Ocean.…
Chemistry
What’s in the Hair of a Polar Bear?
The accumulation of toxic methylmercury is a serious threat to wildlife all over the world – especially top predators in…
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…
Conference Economy Fisheries Policy Science Communication
Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2015 Highlights
Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) is an annual event in Washington, D.C. that brings together a wide range of leaders…
Biology Book Review
Seeing in the dark: zooplankton in Arctic winter.
Winter nights are very long and dark near the poles. How well can krill and other zooplankton see to get…
Climate Change Modeling
Stirring the Pot: Energy and Heat Flow of the Arctic Ocean
Although we perceive the Arctic Ocean as being cold, it is a complicated system of temperatures, salinities, currents, and tides.…
Biogeochemistry Book Review
Methylated Mercury Cycling in the Canadian Arctic Marine Boundary Layer
Monomethylmercury (MMHg) is the most toxic form of mercury (Hg) to humans and wildlife. In the environment it concentrates (or…
Climate Change Glaciers Sea-level Rise
Sea ice and Albedo: Should We Be Worried?
The glaciers are melting, sea level is rising; you’ve heard it all. But did you know that both of these…
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…
Climate Change
Arctic Feels Hotter than Other Parts of the World
Speaking of climate change, you can easily picture a scene in which big ice sheets are melting and poor polar…