By sampling seawater around Antarctica, a Japanese research team has discovered microorganisms that can transform nitrogen gas into more biologically useful forms of nitrogen. But why do the microbes have this strange ability, and why do they have it here? Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study […]
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 […]
Have you ever had weird colored poop? Just like your poop can tell you what you’ve been eating lately, zooplankton poop can tell you what they’ve been feeding on. Iron in zooplankton poop is used as a nutrient by phytoplankton to boost their growth and absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Therefore, understanding how […]
It is known that climate change is influencing our oceans in many direct ways, but what about changes in atmospheric wind patterns? Winds drive ocean currents, and these currents carry nutrients to support marine food webs. But what happens when the winds are at a stand-still? Read on to find out if the answer is […]
Climate change is warming the ocean and altering how deep water is transported. Researchers in this study estimate that by the year 2300 these changes will have drastically altered where nutrients are available in the ocean causing up to a 15% decline in net primary production globally! Read more to see how this will happen […]
A new study out of Woods Hole sheds some light on how marine phytoplankton enhance their ability to take up nutrients. Using fancy cameras and powerful models, the researchers suggest that short, rapid swimming bursts allow organisms to escape to greener pastures. Eric OrensteinEric is a PhD student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His […]
Think critical ecosystems are threatened by an algal take over? Not so fast, grazers may have something to say about that. Gordon OberPostdoctoral Researcher, Claremont McKenna College I am currently a postdoc at Keck Sciences, Claremont McKenna College. I work with Dr. Sarah Gilman, measuring and modeling energy budgets in intertidal species. I am a […]
Harmful algal blooms are common events that occur in coastal waters. In Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, nutrient groundwater runoff initiates massive and highly toxic bloom events. Harmful blooms spell trouble for the environmental health and economic value of the lagoon. How bad has this issue become and what can be done to minimize the severity […]
Wetlands provide valuable services to humans every day, including flood protection, water purification, and shoreline stabilization to name a few. Unfortunately, restored wetlands often fall short of providing all of the services that their natural counterparts do. This study investigates ways to improve the capability of restored wetlands in removing excess nitrogen from their systems. […]
Volcanic ash may be an important source of the valuable micronutrients iron and manganese to phytoplankton populations in areas with low chlorophyll, such as the Southern Ocean. Kari St.LaurentI received a Ph.D. in oceanography in 2014 from the Graduate School of Oceanography (URI) and am finishing up a post-doc at the University of Maryland Center […]