ocean warming
Dust may feed more life in a warmer ocean
Just as our bodies need iron to stay healthy, ocean microbes also need iron to grow. Iron in the ocean largely comes from dust blowing from land, getting sprinkled over the surface ocean and dissolving in seawater. And ocean temperature may be a key factor that controls how much dust gets dissolved into the ocean […]
Coral Reefs Bounce Back in Turks and Caicos Islands
Coral reefs are often referred to as the tropical rainforests of the sea and support diverse ocean life. But how resilient are reefs when it comes to warming water temperatures? Researchers and citizen scientists in Turks and Caicos aim to find out. Riley HenningI am currently a Master’s candidate in Environmental and Ocean Sciences at […]
How much heat is stored in the oceans: Insights from ice cores
Reviewing: Shackleton, S., et al. “Global ocean heat content in the Last Interglacial.” Nature geoscience 13.1 (2020): 77-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0498-0 Water is a super-sponge of heat On hot summer days, we often run to the beach or swimming pool to cool off and relax, but did you know that our planet also stays cool thanks to […]
Arctic Unicorns: Understanding the past, present, and future of narwhals and their mysterious tusks
Why do narwhals have tusks that make them look like unicorns? As climate change continues, what is the fate of narwhals and their enigmatic tusks? Two recent studies of these unicorns of the sea start to answer questions about their past, present, and future. Julia ZehI am a PhD candidate at Syracuse University studying marine […]
A Seasonal “Freeze” on Arctic Methane Release
According to new research from the Arctic University of Norway, current greenhouse gas budgets overestimate the amount of methane released from the Arctic Ocean to the atmosphere. Read on to find out why that’s the case, and why this news is not entirely good. Amanda SemlerI’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford […]
A transforming ecosystem: Chukchi and Bering Sea
Article: Huntington, H.P., Danielson, S.L., Wiese, F.K. et al. Evidence suggests potential transformation of the Pacific Arctic ecosystem is underway. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2020). Even though we constantly hear about climate change, we still do not understand how exactly and to what extent it affects our ecosystems. That is because ecosystems do not respond in […]
Jellyfish Blooms Could Increase the Risk of Bacteria-Spread Illnesses in Humans and Marine Animals
Happy Thanksgiving! With Black Friday right around the corner, it might be surprising to hear that humans aren’t the only species that swarm to certain areas. Ashley MickensI recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability from Miami University of Ohio, and I’m currently working as a marine mammal observer in the […]
Are dolphins losing their minds in blooming ocean waters?
Polluted water is a great source of food for harmful algal blooms, which release even more toxins into the water. And now scientists say that algal blooms may give dolphins Alzheimer’s disease-like brain damage. Anastasia YandulskayaI am a PhD candidate at Northeastern University in Boston. I study regeneration of the nervous system in water salamanders […]
When life gives you global warming, make pancake ice in ocean wave models
Sea ice is retreating, the Arctic is opening up, and wave activity is increasing. What does this mean for the ocean and atmosphere? The refreezing season of autumn may have some answers. Nyla HusainI’m a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. I use a small-scale computer model to study […]
Seaweed may be a winner in a warming world
Have you ever thought about ocean critters that might benefit from climate change? Hernández et al. collected six species of seaweed to investigate who might thrive in the warmer, more acidic waters of the future. Read more to see if any seaweed species were winners! Victoria TreadawayI am a PhD candidate at the Graduate School […]
Warmer Waters Will Trap Nutrients Down Deep
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 […]
Marine diatoms eat climate change’s dust
Multiple, interacting factors from climate change make it difficult for scientists to predict how marine life will respond to climate change. Read on to find out how researchers studied the effects of dust deposition, ocean warming, and increased carbon dioxide concentrations on a common marine diatom. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in […]
Ocean Acidification: No Longer Confined to the Sea Surface
Acidification, one of the highest-visibility impacts of human activity on the ocean, was thought to be confined to its upper layers. Chen and his colleagues show that’s no longer the case. Julia DohnerJulia is a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. Her focus is on biogeochemistry, which, as the name […]
Changing winds drive more ocean heat capture
A team of scientists look to the Southern Ocean to show where and why the ocean has been storing extra heat. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My research is focused on the Southern Ocean circulation and it’s role in climate. For my research I sometimes spend […]
Coastal waves link far-off winds to melting Antarctic ice
The ocean surrounding Antarctica is warming, rapidly melting ice shelves from below. Scientists have now discovered that strong winds thousands of miles away can cause this warming with the help of large, very fast waves that propagate around Antarctica’s coast. Veronica TamsittI’m a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla California. My […]
Harmful Algal Blooms Find Homes Further North as Waters Warm
Before the late 20th century, reports of illness from toxin-producing algae had been absent from most northern coastlines. But in the past 30 years, the incidence of algae-related poisonings in humans have been increasing in areas such as the U.S. Pacific Northwest and the United Kingdom. By modeling harmful algae growth in the North Atlantic […]
It’s Getting Hot In Here: How Ocean Acidification and Warming Affect Shark Hunting and Behavior
Elasmobranchs such as sharks and rays face physiological and behavioral changes due to ocean acidification and rising ocean temperatures. Read about how these changes influence how sharks hunt and their role in the marine ecosystem. Aditi TripathyHello! I received my B.S. Marine Biology with a minor in Acoustics at the University of Rhode Island. Currently, […]
Suffocating crabs and a one-way street for carbon
Seafloor life is in danger of running out of oxygen as the ocean warms, but this may actually help to mitigate climate change. Michael GrawI’m a 5th year PhD student at Oregon State University researching the microbial ecology of marine sediments – why do we find microbes where they are in the seafloor, and what […]
Take my breath away: Decline in oceanic oxygen levels fifty years in the making
Most marine organisms require dissolved oxygen to sustain their survival. So what is the current status of oceanic oxygen levels? Read on to learn about the oft under appreciated resource of our planet! Prabarna GangulyI’m a fourth year PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University. My research focuses on the impact of […]
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 at one animal, the ringed seal, and how it may be affected by climate change! Rebecca FlynnI am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.S.) and the University of Rhode Island (M.S.). I […]
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