Arctic
Long-lived sharks challenge ageing theory
Greenland sharks can live to be over 400 years old. What can they tell us about ageing? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada, and joined Oceanbites in September 2015. Her research focuses on the physiological mechanisms and evolution of the respiratory and metabolic responses of Fundulus killifish […]
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 reason that they are. Polar bears rely on sea ice for access to prey, finding mates, and creating dens. The persistence of the species depends on the state of sea-ice and more generally a healthy […]
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. Nature Geoscience, v.9: 523–527. We know the ocean is warming due to climate change. But did you also know there are huge paths that heat and energy takes through the global ocean? Although the ocean […]
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 polar regions, like polar bears. Young polar bears are often the most vulnerable to detrimental effects of pollutants. To learn more about levels of mercury in polar bear cubs and their mothers, scientists measured total […]
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 of his thesis research is marine mammals in the Arctic, their acoustic behavior and relationships with sea ice, and the effects of human activities on the underwater acoustic environment. Zoe GentesZoe has an M.S. in […]
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 a to discuss ocean science, policy and management. In case you missed it, read this for highlights! Megan ChenI graduated with a Masters of Coastal & Marine Management from the University of Akureyri in Iceland, […]
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 around? Sarah GiltzI am a doctoral candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University. My research focuses on the larval dispersal and development of the blue crab in the Gulf of Mexico. When not […]
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. The mixing of different ocean layers is key in warming the sea surface and providing a heat flux to the sea ice and atmosphere. A successful model of this system can help us better understand […]
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 “bioaccumulates”) in fish and shellfish. This increase in methylmercury concentration is further amplified up the food chain when, for example, people consume seafood. Mercury (Hg) found in Arctic marine mammals and fish are on the […]
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 events are increasing how much solar energy the earth is absorbing? Scientists study 30 years of data from the Arctic Ocean to quantify the role of diminishing sea ice in global warming. Anne M. HartwellHello, […]
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 natural climate variations, while the other 50% is due to human-induced climate change. Hillary ScannellHillary received her MS in oceanography from the University of Maine in 2014 and works in the Ecosystem Modeling Lab at […]
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 bears standing on the last piece of ice finding nowhere to live. To some extent this is true, since impact from global warming can be amplified in Arctic region. Caoxin SunCaoxin is a graduate student […]
On a mission to partition: the likelihood of flame retardants to bind to marine organic matter
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants found in the environment all over the globe, including the Arctic. Here, scientists explored the chances of PBDEs to bind to dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Arctic waters, which may affect their environmental availability, transport, and fate. Erin MarkhamErin received her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University […]
Successful games of hide and seek are advantageous to Canadian Scientists
A polar bear’s appetite-satisfying success at the game hide-and-seek against ringed seal pups provided Canadian scientists with the opportunity to study changes in the spatial distribution of cryptic ringed seal pups in remote areas of the Beaufort Sea for seven breeding seasons. Anne M. HartwellHello, welcome to Oceanbites! My name is Annie, I’m a marine […]
Baby Beluga is at Heightened Risk: Pollutant Accumulation in Arctic Predators Affects Gene Expression
Analyzing changes in gene transcription is a way to detect adverse effects in organisms before they are observable on the whole organism level. Here, a Canadian research group set out to determine whether beluga whales in the relatively pristine Beaufort Sea are accumulating toxic pollutants at levels that could affect the future health of the […]
Sea ice leads cause changes in mercury and ozone levels in the Arctic
In our changing climate, the opening and closing of sea-ice is occurring more frequently, resulting from thick perennial Arctic sea ice shifting into thin seasonal ice sheets. This physical phenomenon can not only affect the energy balance in the Arctic, but can also have some influence on its atmospheric chemistry involving components such as mercury […]
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