http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/sea_life/ Current events articles in marine biology and science. From beached whales to coral reef bleaching, learn what is happening in today's oceans. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/sea_life/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124113608.htm Rocket science is opening new doors to understanding how sounds associated with Navy sonar might affect the hearing of a marine mammal -- or if they hear it at all. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124113608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161736.htm Understanding mixing in the ocean is of fundamental importance to modeling climate change or predicting the effects of an El Niño on our weather. Modern ocean models primarily incorporate the effects of winds and tides. However, they do not generally take into account the mixing generated by swimming animals. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161740.htm Scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight -- creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5000 meters (three miles) below the ocean waves. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091122161740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161127.htm A new study finds that a species of sea star stays cool using a strategy never before seen in the animal kingdom. The sea stars soak up cold sea water into their bodies during high tide as buffer against potentially damaging temperatures brought about by direct sunlight at low tide. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124093548.htm Recent theories suggesting that half of fishes' food comes from from land-based ecosystems may not hold water. Experiments show that algae, not land-based matter, is needed to build healthy and fertile aquatic organisms. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124093548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194128.htm Researchers have uncovered a strikingly pattern for ancient mass extinctions: extinctions rates during mass extinctions were significantly higher in open-ocean-facing settings than in epicontinental seas, indicating that open-ocean settings were more susceptible to the mass-extinction-causing agents. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191048.htm A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification 80 years ago. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112141319.htm Scientists have established a successful captive breeding program for dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis. The program is the first of its kind in a US aquarium, and offers the academy and other institutions the opportunity to study a species that is both captivating and little known. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112141319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118151141.htm With thousands of stinging cells that can emit deadly venom from tentacles that can reach ten feet in length, the 50 or so species of box jellyfish have long been of interest to scientists and to the public. Yet little has been known about the evolution of this early branch in the animal tree of life. Researchers have now unraveled the evolutionary relationships among the various species of box jellyfish, thereby providing insight into the evolution of their toxicity. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118151141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131831.htm Recording hundreds of thousands of individual uplinks from satellite transmitters fitted on penguins, albatrosses, sea lions, and other marine animals, the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International have released the first-ever atlas of the Patagonian Sea -- a globally important but poorly understood South American marine ecosystem. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083307.htm Coral reefs live in some of the most nutrient deficient waters on the planet, so how do they survive? Marine biologists have discovered that certain sponges could be the key to reef survival. They recycle dissolved organic carbon that is unavailable to other reef residents. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194741.htm It sounds like a classic horror story -- eyeless, mouthless worms lurk in the dark, settling onto dead animals and sending out green "roots" to devour their bones. In fact, such worms do exist in the deep sea. They were first discovered in 2002 by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, who were using a robot submarine to explore Monterey Canyon. But that wasn't the end of the story. After "planting" several dead whales on the seafloor, a team of biologists recently announced that as many as 15 different species of boneworms may live in Monterey Bay alone. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm The global ocean covering the Earth 3.4 billion years ago was far cooler than has been thought, according to researchers who analyzed isotope ratios in rocks formed on that ancient ocean floor. Instead of a hot primordial soup, much more tepid temperatures prevailed. Cooler temperatures may have had effects on the evolution of the early atmosphere and could have opened the door to an earlier spread of photosynthetic life forms across the planet. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211333.htm Researchers have identified a key component that increases the toxicity of golden algae which kills millions of fish in the southern U.S. every year. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105351.htm Researchers in Spain have confirmed a higher presence of the parasite Anisakis in anchovies of the Atlantic South East coast and the Mediterranean North West coast, and they insist on freezing or cooking fish before consuming it. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121117.htm Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid melting of ice shelves and glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula. This remarkable colonization is having a beneficial impact on climate change. As the blooms die back phytoplankton sinks to the sea-bed where it can store carbon for thousands or millions of years. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092049.htm The kelp forests off southern California are considered to be some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, yet a new study indicates that today's kelp beds are less extensive and lush than those in the recent past. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112104.htm Why do so many animal species -- including fish, birds and insects -- display such rich diversity in coloration and other traits? New research offers an answer. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102112104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142129.htm Studies conducted in California and elsewhere provide support for the use of marine reserves as a tool for managing fisheries and protecting marine habitats. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm A chemical culprit responsible for the rapid, mysterious death of phytoplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean has been found. This same chemical may hold unexpected promise in cancer research. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm Deep under the sea, a fossil the size of a sand grain is nestled among a billion of its closest dead relatives. Known as foraminifera, these complex little shells of calcium carbonate can tell you the sea level, temperature, and ocean conditions of Earth millions of years ago. That is, if you know what to look for. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106201613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027170855.htm Researchers are close to unraveling intricate cellular pathways that control molting in blue crabs. The discoveries could revolutionize the soft-shell crab industry, generating new jobs and additional profits for the US fishing industry along the coastal Southeast. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027170855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000927.htm In their natural form, conch pearls are among the rarest pearls in the world. For more than 25 years, all attempts at culturing pearls from the queen conch have been unsuccessful -- until now. For the first time, novel and proprietary seeding techniques to produce beaded and non-beaded high-quality cultured pearls from the queen conch have been developed by scientists. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143821.htm One of the first set of studies to examine what tourists and recreation enthusiasts actually think about coral reef ecosystems suggests they are a rare exception to controversies over human use versus environmental conservation -- their stunning beauty is so extraordinary that almost everyone wants them protected in perpetuity. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm Researchers found that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest had a negative effect on amphibians during their later life cycles, but had some positive effects during amphibians' aquatic larva stages at the beginning of their lives. To lessen the negative effects during the later life stage, scientists recommend partial or selection cuts to forests rather than completely removing trees from an area. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm Biologists have explained why corals spawn for just a few nights in some places but elsewhere string out their love life over many months. A new study shows that corals spawn when regional wind fields are light. When it is calm, the eggs and sperm have the chance to unite before they are dispersed. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172247.htm About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the last four decades, with some stocks nearly disappearing from US waters as they move farther offshore, according to a new study. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144822.htm Engineers are assessing systematic production methods that could make the costs of algae oil production more reasonable, helping move the U.S. from fossil fuel dependency to renewable energy replacements. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103174208.htm A tracking study of white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean shows they adhere to a rigid route of migration across the sea, returning to precisely the same spot along the California coast each time they come back, according to a team of researchers. Over time, this behavior has made the population in the northeastern Pacific genetically distinct from other white shark populations. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103174208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171559.htm Deep-sea ecosystems occupying 60 percent of the Earth's surface could be vulnerable to the effects of global warming, warn scientists. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111845.htm A rocket carrying the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite blasted off successfully today. SMOS is the first-ever satellite to attempt to measure ocean salinity from space. It will provide global maps of soil moisture over land and surface salinity over the ocean. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm A recent assessment finds some positive trends among indicators of biodiversity loss in China -- notably, growth in forest coverage and improvements in marine ecosystems. However, other indicators, such as the rate of discovery of invasive species, are worsening. Many animals are under growing threat. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085825.htm Nature inspires technology as an engineer and an ecologist have teamed to develop robots that use advanced materials to swim like fish to probe underwater environments. Robotic fish -- perhaps schools of them operating autonomously for months -- could give researchers far more precise data on aquatic conditions, deepening our knowledge of critical water supplies and habitats. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm Researchers are using a remotely operated vehicle and satellite-linked data loggers to learn more about turtle behavior in commercial fishing areas and to develop new ways to avoid catching turtles in fishing gear. This marks the first time an ROV has been used to follow turtles in the wild to learn about their behavior and how they interact with their habitat Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090528.htm Marine biologists examined whether Laysan albatrosses nesting on Kure Atoll and Oahu, Hawaii, 2,150 km away, ingested different amounts of plastic by putting miniaturized tracking devices on birds to follow them at sea and examining their regurgitated stomach contents. Surprisingly, birds from Kure Atoll ingested almost ten times the amount of plastic compared to birds from Oahu. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101411.htm Researchers have developed an 'ecological risk assessment' a three-step method that considers targeted and incidentally caught species, as well as threatened, endangered and protected species. Ongoing research is further developing the method for habitats and ecological communities. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027101411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093913.htm Experts have revealed jaw-dropping dollar values of the "ecosystem services" of biomes like forests and coral reefs -- including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162546.htm Relatively minor increases in ocean acidity brought about by high levels of carbon dioxide have significant detrimental effects on the growth, development, and survival of hard clams, bay scallops, and Eastern oysters, according to researchers. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026162546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161736.htm Predicting harmful algal blooms, or HABs, in the Great Lakes is now a reality as NOAA announces an experimental HAB forecast system in Lake Erie. HABs produce toxins that may pose a significant risk to human and animal health through water recreation and may form scum that are unsightly and odorous to beach visitors, impacting the coastal economy. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093927.htm Satellite tracking has allowed a research team to uncover the mysteries of the migration of Eleanora's falcon for the first time. In total, the bird flies more than 9,500 kilometers across the African continent from the Balearic and Columbretes Islands before reaching the island of Madagascar. Some of the previously-obscure secrets now revealed by the scientists show that these falcons migrate by both day and night, and cross supposed ecological barriers such as the Sahara Desert. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016093927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm The Cambrian Explosion is widely regarded as one of the most relevant episodes in the history of life on Earth, when the vast majority of animal phyla first appear in the fossil record. However, the causes of its origin have been object of debate for decades. A novel theory formulates that the geologically induced increase on marine calcium, as a result of volcanic activity, might be the key for understanding this important stage in evolution. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016224153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132930.htm What do a West African drummer and a sperm whale have in common? According to some reports, they can both spot rhythms in the chatter of an ocean crowded with the calls of marine mammals -- a feat impossible for the untrained human ear. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026132930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133639.htm Two related research expeditions by NOAA scientists to track the habitat preferences and movements of fish at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary may help managers protect overfished species such as red snapper and grouper. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114357.htm With technology similar to that used by physicians to perform magnetic resonance imaging scans, researchers are studying the metabolic activity of a pathogen shown to cause coral bleaching, a serious threat to undersea reef ecosystems worldwide. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025162459.htm The remarkable eyes of a marine crustacean could inspire the next generation of DVD and CD players, according to a new study. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025162459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the tropical Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to NOAA researchers. Their report offers insights into the coral and fish communities within the sanctuary based on data collected in 2006 and 2007. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111420.htm Researchers are building the environmental equivalent of the ASX200 as a means of monitoring the health of Australian marine ecosystems. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161740.htm Temperature differences and slow-moving water at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers in Idaho might delay the migration of threatened fall Chinook salmon salmon and allow them to grow larger before reaching the Pacific Ocean. To find out if that's the case, a team of researchers is implanting young fish with acoustic and radio tags to track their movement and using hydrological sensors to measure water temperature and speed. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917161740.htm