pollution
Tiny ocean creatures play a big role in the global fate of toxic pollutants
Scientists on the “biggest ever expedition on global change” studied the tiniest creatures in the ocean to learn about their role in accumulating and distributing toxic pollutants in the world’s oceans.
The Secret’s in the Slime
Scientists have recently discovered that the hagfish’s notorious slime has uses beyond defense: it also mediates uptake of toxins through the hagfish’s skin.
Out of sight, out of mind: The effect of gas & oil spills on deep-sea communities
When undersea wells blowout, toxic concentrations of hydrocarbons can be rapidly released into the environment. The media presents these blowouts with dramatic images of flora and fauna covered in black tar along coastlines and on the sea surface. What are rarely shown in glossy photographs, however, are the consequences to the unseen deep-sea.
Corals consume microplastics! Talk about an unhealthy diet!
The dangerous diet fad among marine organisms is spreading! New study shows corals consume microplastics.
We Don’t Know the Half of It: Hundreds of Contaminants in Dolphin Blubber from Southern California
Dolphins and humans are continuously exposed to low levels of various halogenated, persistent manmade pollutants through their diets. In this study, blubber samples from 8 dolphins were analyzed by cutting-edge techniques to find out what’s accumulating in these marine predators. Findings suggest many routine monitoring programs underestimate the exposure of marine mammals to toxins.
Measuring “Roundup” in the Great Barrier Reef
Scientists estimated the degradation time for glyphosate, an herbicide in “Roundup”, in the Great Barrrier Reef. This is the first study of the persistence of glyphosate in seawater.
Cartilaginous Conundrum: Are Sharks and Skates Safe to Eat?
While smooth dogfish may not be on your list of favorite seafood, cartilaginous fish (mainly sharks and skates) may increasingly find their way onto your dinner plate due to the decline of more traditional fisheries. While increased demand for these species as a food item could help struggling seafood industries, recent proposals to use dogfish in federal food programs beg the question: Is it safe to eat shark?
Why Do Sea Turtles Get Tumors?
Large numbers of green sea turtles are growing tumors that impede their swimming, block their sight, and prevent them from feeding. Researchers know that the tumor-causing disease, fibropapillomatosis, is more prevalent in some areas than others, but no one knows why. In this study, scientists set out to determine whether exposure to chemical pollutants may make sea turtles more susceptible to fibropapillomatosis.
How Much Garbage is in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
There’s been a lot of news floating around about “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, the region of the Pacific Ocean where all of our long-lasting plastic products accumulate. This study by Lavender Law et al. used a multi-year, spatially extensive data set to estimate just how much plastic is currently floating in the Pacific.
One species’ trash is another species’ refuge: Investigating the biodiversity associated with floating plastic debris.
The poster child for human pollution of the ocean has to be floating plastic bottles and soda rings, right? Once in the ocean, these plastics can aggregate. They create large floating masses, or garbage patches and some species find refuge in our refuse. Recent research has shown that diverse communities utilize these open ocean rafts, finding similarities to traditional ecological theory.
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 beluga population.
From Your Sofa to the Sea
Oceanographers from Spain have measured several commonly used (and potentially harmful) organophosphate ester flame retardants in the air over the Mediterranean and Black Seas. What does it mean for the environment? We’re only just beginning to find out.
Sticking to it – Sediments act as a “sink” for pollution
POPs, or persistent organic pollutants, are manmade chemicals that don’t break down in the environment and are found nearly everywhere around the planet. In this study, scientists traveled to central Chile to look at a couple of different POPs accumulating in sediments from an estuary.
Double Trouble: Marine Plastic Debris Absorbs Toxic Pollutants
Recently, you may have heard that scientists have discovered small plastic particles floating in the open ocean and in the Great Lakes. The presence of these tiny plastic pieces is a cause of concern on its own, but did you know that plastic can also interact with other forms of marine pollution? Researchers at San Diego State University deployed small plastic pellets in San Diego Bay to determine whether plastics absorbed or released pollutants as they floated in the water. Their findings suggest that polystyrene may pose a more serious threat than other plastics.
Like Mother, Like Son: Stingrays Pass Toxic Pollutants on to Their Offspring
Animals in early stages of development are particularly susceptible to harmful effects of toxic pollutants. For this reason, the transfer of toxic pollutants from mothers to their young has been the subject of intense research. In this study, researchers from California State investigated how non-mammalian species like sharks, skates, and rays pass toxic pollutants on to their young.
Is the Oil Sands Industry in Canada Linked to Mercury Levels in Birds?
The oil or “tar” sands in Alberta, Canada are the third largest known reserves of accessible oil in the world. They are located around 200 km upstream of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, which is considered a wetland of international significance. This Delta is an ecologically sensitive habitat that provides services for millions of birds, which led a group of scientists in Canada to study mercury levels in bird eggs and investigate sources of mercury to the area.
Model Suggests 40% of Global Dioxin Emissions End Up in Oceans
Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently presented a global model simulating how dioxins, a group of very toxic, persistent pollutants, travel from source regions and are deposited around the globe. Their findings suggest that oceans are impacted more dramatically than previously thought.
Life in plastic, it’s fantastic…for microbes in the plastisphere
Scientists find a diverse and distinct community of microorganisms that live on plastic trash at the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. Is the “plastisphere” only a buzzword? Or can plastic waste be considered a new, man-made ecological habitat in the open ocean?
Intense Weight Loss by Migratory Humpback Whales Could Increase Health Risks Posed by Pollutants
Australian and Norwegian researchers measured levels of pesticides and PCBs in southern hemisphere humpback whales to find out whether extreme weight loss during migration could have unforeseen consequences for the species.
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