Biological oceanography Climate Change
Some ~don’t~ like it hot: Ocean warming is bad for pelagic animals
Global ocean warming is predicted to have negative impacts on ocean animals living in the middle of the food web.
Tag: food webs
Sea Ice
Narwhal Tusks Indicate Changing Mercury Levels in Arctic Waters
By analyzing growth rings in the tusks of narwhals, scientists uncover trends in mercury pollution in the Canadian Arctic and…
Ecology
The Death of an Ecosystem: Understanding the Collapse of Northern California’s Kelp Forests
In 2014, kelp forest ecosystems in northern California essentially disappeared. The reasons for the loss are now clear to scientists,…
Biological oceanography ocean engineering Remote Sensing technology
Size matters: The power of particles in determining ocean color
Ever wonder why the ocean is blue, or why ocean color changes? New research published by a team of scientists…
Biodiversity
Cone snails use the illusion of sex to catch their next meal
With the promise of sex, cone snails lure their prey out of hiding and deliver a deadly strike. The results…
Climate Change
Catch prey while the sun shines – Herring grow bigger when they can see their food
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a sea creature in possession of a home in higher latitudes (further from…
Conservation Ecology
Lionfish, Counting, and Errors, Oh My: Challenges in Measuring Biomass of an Invasive Nuisance
Invasive lionfish in the Caribbean have been called “ravenous,” “destructive,” and “a living, breathing, devastating oil spill.” The hungry predators…
deep sea Ecology Trophic Ecology
Feces as Food
Urchins and bacteria, working together to link pelagic and benthic ecosystems.
Book Review Sharkbites Saturday
Stuck in the middle with you: The trophic ecology of Caribbean reef sharks and large teleost coral reef predators
We often think of sharks as the top of the ocean food web, chowing down on seals and big fish…
Restoration
Restoring the links between land and sea
On February 2, we celebrated World Wetlands Day. Wetlands, some of the most productive ecosystems on earth, are threatened. Read…
Microbiology
It’s getting cold in here!
As we here into winter, we notice changes taking place in nature all around us. But what do microbes in…
Fisheries
How to model climate change in an Arctic food web
The climate is changing, and so are Arctic food webs. But our knowledge of how food webs respond to warmer…
Behavior Biology Climate Change Ecology Ocean Acidification
Ocean acidification makes predators dumb
Chemistry is important for a lot of things, but can it change the behavior of animals? Read on to find…
Biology Conservation Human impacts
Big animals face big trouble in our oceans
Many believe we are in the midst of another mass extinction both on land and in the ocean. What marine…
Biology
Why don’t sharks go deep?
Happy Shark Week! Today we examine a persistent and interesting biogeographical puzzle: why are there so few deep sea sharks?
Behavior Ecology
Scaredy-crab behavior can alter food webs
Being small crab can be tough. Dodging predators from the land, sea, and air is no small task. A new…
Behavior Ecology
Killer food: the harmful effects of a diatom diet
What if a single bite out of your favorite cheeseburger was toxic to your health? In the ocean, copepods are…
Biology Book Review Ecology Evolution
Cuttlefish “freeze-out” their predators
Cephalopods such as cuttlefish are known to use camouflage behavior to avoid being eaten. Sharks are able to find disguised…
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…
Climate Change Ecology Fisheries
Always follow your gut, or in this case, follow the fish guts
Following the guts of fish species is sometimes the best way to track small, mobile crustacean prey.