climate change
Giant clams share symbiotic algae with corals via poop
While some corals inherit their algae from their parents, the majority gain their algae over time. How do corals gain their symbiotic algae from the environment is still a mystery. A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE found one way in which corals gain their symbiotic algae – via giant clam poop. Pablo […]
The New Mollusk on the Block
Have you ever wondered about how marine animals travel to a new place, you know, when they can’t swim there? Phorcus sauciatus, a marine top snail, doesn’t swim around like a fish. As an adult, this snail’s only method of movement is by crawling around on a surface with its foot. So how does this […]
Ocean Noise: The Sounds of Loudness
Below the surface, the oceans are getting louder. Will this have an impact on our marine animals? A group of researchers gather the facts on how sound is changing our world. Elena GadoutsisI have always been happiest in nature – exploring forests, traveling to the ocean, or working with wildlife. After obtaining my MSc in Marine […]
Understanding the Demise and Recovery of Coral Reefs
In the last couple of decades we’ve learned a lot about the decline of coral reefs around the world. But there are still many unknowns. Scientists just discovered one of the constraints that prevent coral recovery after a bleaching event. Pablo Brenes CotoHello! I am a science communicator who loves sharing stories about the ocean. […]
Marine heat waves leave seabeds ice cold
Marine heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and can have negative effects on invertebrate spawning success. Hannah CollinsI’m a second year Masters student in Oceanography at the University of Connecticut, Avery Point. My current research interests involve microplastics and their effects on marine suspension feeding bivalves, and biological solutions […]
One Fish, Two Fish, Climate Change, Who Lives?
There is variation within species, and this variation can lead to some individuals surviving better in the face of environmental change. But it is difficult to predict how animals will respond to an environment that is changing faster than they can evolve. Luckily, some scientists found a clever way to study how individuals might respond […]
A Small Pool Makes a Big Splash
Researchers find evidence that a small region in warm waters in the western Pacific could have played a big role in the global warming trend we have been observing. Shawn WangI am a PhD student studying climate physics and marine geology at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I am interested in using geochemical methods […]
Open ocean polynyas: How these holes in the ice mysteriously appear
For decades now scientists have been fascinated by polynyas, holes that appear in the polar sea ice whose causes are still unclear. Recent data from robots that recorded two of these cavities opening sheds light into how they are formed. Shawn WangI am a PhD student studying climate physics and marine geology at MIT and […]
To fish or to dive?: A case study of fisher and diver perceptions of coral reef management
This week is #BlackInMarineScience week and here at Oceanbites we’re featuring the work of Black scientists all week long! Today’s post is featuring work done by Dr. Ayana Johnson on coral reefs and how best to manage them under changing ocean conditions. Read on to learn a bit about Dr. Johnson and her research. Diana […]
Of rain and reefs: Future downpours in French Polynesia could change the coast
In many ways, coral reefs are the Goldilocks of the ocean. But as climate change shifts conditions near many of the planet’s reefs, finding “just right” may be increasingly difficult. Researchers at UCLA set out to explore how one expected outcome of climate change, extreme rainfall events, may impact coral reefs in the future. Kristin […]
Can clays from northern Canada provide a 3,000-year temperature record of the Atlantic Ocean?
A sediment record from a lake in northern Canada is being used to reconstruct Atlantic Ocean temperatures at a resolution never achieved before. Shawn WangI am a PhD student studying climate physics and marine geology at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I am interested in using geochemical methods and climate models to study periods […]
Predicting the future of coral reefs is complicated by human impacts
Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea” for hosting a great diversity of life, but this incredibly productive ecosystem is seriously threatened by human activities. To better evaluate changes happening in the reef communities and develop strategies to mitigate damages done to coral reefs, understanding how human activities affect our […]
Two by two includes corals too? Researchers call for a coral “Noah’s Ark”
In the Bible, the story of Noah’s Ark describes a storm so intense and so long that the earth is covered in water, killing all except those protected in a massive boat. Today, coral scientists are proposing their own “Noah’s Ark,” but this time the relentless storm is climate change. Kristin HuizengaI am a PhD […]
The Bellagio of the natural world: glacial fountains
Glaciers are sentinels of global change, yet there is still much to be learned about how glaciers melt, and in turn, how melting glaciers interact with the surrounding water. Read on to find out how scientists are working to understand how glacial meltwater forms fountains that change the surrounding water. Katherine BarrettKate received her Ph.D. […]
A shell of a ride: Pteropod survival through past mass extinction events and insights into present climate change
By looking at DNA and fossils of pelagic sea snails, Dr. Peijnenburg and colleagues are beginning to understand how this group has withstood past climate change, and how they may survive current ocean acidification. Gabrielle StedmanI am currently a 3rd year PhD student in Biological Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. I use […]
Blue Mussels Face a Dual Dilemma When their Microscopic Gill Hairs Slow Down
The frequency at which tiny, hair-like structures on gills called cilia beat back and forth reveals how blue mussels respond to environmental pressures caused by climate change. Rishya NarayananRishya is a multimedia science communicator with an MS in Media Advocacy from Northeastern University, specializing in Environmental Science Communications and Policy. She spent a year in […]
Artificial Upwelling Saves Corals from Bleaching
Coral reefs are under threat due to a warming climate. Learn about a technologically-savvy new way to counteract the effects of these warmer temperatures: Artificial Upwelling systems. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments produce and consume greenhouse gases. I’m a […]
SURFO Special: Summer Research or Summer DIY Project
Andria Miller is a rising senior at Jackson State University, majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. This summer she worked remotely with Susanne Menden-Due and Pierre Marrec through the URI GSO Summer Undergraduate Research program. Plankton are a community of organisms that provide basic fuel for marine and freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems, such as […]
Bowhead Whales Threatened by a ‘Killer’
The Arctic is experiencing dramatic changes in sea ice. How will this warming affect the marine life? Scientists find there may be an increasing threat to the already endangered bowhead whale. What it is may surprise you. Elena GadoutsisI have always been happiest in nature – exploring forests, traveling to the ocean, or working with […]
How cold did the ice age really get?
Scientists revisit the question of global temperatures during the last ice age. They tackle this with state of the art climate models and geochemistry to give a picture that’s more accurate than ever before. Shawn WangI am a PhD student studying climate physics and marine geology at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I am […]
by oceanbites 4 days ago
Being on a research cruise is a unique experience with the open water, 12-hour working shifts, and close quarters, but there are some familiar practices too. Here Diana is filtering seawater to gather chlorophyll for analysis, the same process on- by oceanbites 1 month ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #oceanbites we are featuring Hannah Collins @hannahh_irene Hannah works with marine suspension feeding bivalves and microplastics, investigating whether ingesting microplastics causes changes to the gut microbial community or gut tissues. She hopes to keep working - by oceanbites 2 months ago
Leveling up - did you know that crabs have a larval phase? These are both porcelain crabs, but the one on the right is the earlier stage. It’s massive spine makes it both difficult to eat and quite conspicuous in - by oceanbites 2 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring Cierra Braga. Cierra works ultraviolet c (UVC) to discover how this light can be used to combat biofouling, or the growth of living things, on the hulls of ships. Here, you - by oceanbites 2 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Elena Gadoutsis @haysailor These photos feature her “favorite marine research so far: From surveying tropical coral reefs, photographing dolphins and whales, and growing my own algae to expose it to different - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on Oceanbites we are featuring Eliza Oldach. According to Ellie, “I study coastal communities, and try to understand the policies and decisions and interactions and adaptations that communities use to navigate an ever-changing world. Most of - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Jiwoon Park with a little photographic help from Ryan Tabata at the University of Hawaii. When asked about her research, Jiwoon wrote “Just like we need vitamins and minerals to stay - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday on #Oceanbites we are featuring @riley_henning According to Riley, ”I am interested in studying small things that make a big impact in the ocean. Right now for my master's research at the University of San Diego, - by oceanbites 3 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Gabby Stedman. Gabby is interested in interested in understanding how many species of small-bodied animals there are in the deep-sea and where they live so we can better protect them from - by oceanbites 4 months ago
This week for #WriterWednesday at #Oceanbites we are featuring Shawn Wang! Shawn is “an oceanographer that studies ocean conditions of the past. I use everything from microfossils to complex computer models to understand how climate has changed in the past - by oceanbites 4 months ago
Today we are highlighting some of our awesome new authors for #WriterWednesday Today we have Daniel Speer! He says, “I am driven to investigate the interface of biology, chemistry, and physics, asking questions about how organisms or biological systems respond - by oceanbites 5 months ago
Here at Oceanbites we love long-term datasets. So much happens in the ocean that sometimes it can be hard to tell if a trend is a part of a natural cycle or actually an anomaly, but as we gather more - by oceanbites 5 months ago
Have you ever seen a lobster molt? Because lobsters have exoskeletons, every time they grow they have to climb out of their old shell, leaving them soft and vulnerable for a few days until their new shell hardens. Young, small - by oceanbites 6 months ago
A lot of zooplankton are translucent, making it much easier to hide from predators. This juvenile mantis shrimp was almost impossible to spot floating in the water, but under a dissecting scope it’s features really come into view. See the - by oceanbites 6 months ago
This is a clump of Dead Man’s Fingers, scientific name Codium fragile. It’s native to the Pacific Ocean and is invasive where I found it on the east coast of the US. It’s a bit velvety, and the coolest thing - by oceanbites 7 months ago
You’ve probably heard of jellyfish, but have you heard of salps? These gelatinous sea creatures band together to form long chains, but they can also fall apart and will wash up onshore like tiny gemstones that squish. Have you seen - by oceanbites 7 months ago
Check out what’s happening on a cool summer research cruise! On the #neslter summer transect cruise, we deployed a tow sled called the In Situ Icthyoplankton Imaging System. This can take pictures of gelatinous zooplankton (like jellyfish) that would be - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Did you know horseshoe crabs have more than just two eyes? In these juveniles you can see another set in the middle of the shell. Check out our website to learn about some awesome horseshoe crab research. #oceanbites #plankton #horseshoecrabs - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Feeling a bit flattened by the week? So are these summer flounder larvae. Fun fact: flounder larvae start out with their eyes set like normal fish, but as they grow one of their eyes migrates to meet the other and - by oceanbites 8 months ago
Have you seen a remote working setup like this? This is a photo from one of our Oceanbites team members Anne Hartwell. “A view from inside the control can of an underwater robot we used to explore the deep parts
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