Oceanography News

December 6, 2023

Top Headlines

Climate Change Shown to Cause Methane to Be Released from the Deep Ocean

Dec. 6, 2023 — New research has shown that fire-ice -- frozen methane which is trapped as a solid under our oceans -- is vulnerable to melting due to climate change and could be released into the ...

Greenhouse Gases in Oceans Are Altered by Climate Change Impact on Microbes

Dec. 6, 2023 — The ocean is a global life-support system, and climate change causes such as ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and nitrogen-deposition alter the delicate microbial population in oceans. The marine microbial community plays an important ...

Deep Sea Sensor Reveals That Corals Produce Reactive Oxygen Species

Dec. 4, 2023 — A new sensor on the submersible Alvin discovered reactive oxygen species for the first time in deep-sea corals, broadening our understanding of fundamental coral ...

Ash Can Fertilize the Oceans

Nov. 30, 2023 — Flames roared through Santa Barbara County in late 2017. UC Santa Barbara canceled classes, and the administration recommended donning an N95, long before the COVID pandemic made the mask a household item. Smoke and ash choked the air, but the ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:09pm EST

Study Identifies Key Algae Species Helping Soft Corals Survive Warming Oceans

Nov. 30, 2023 — During a two-year survey of soft corals in the Florida Keys, scientists identified three species of octocorals that have survived heat waves. ...

Illuminating the Benefits of Marine Protected Areas for Ecotourism, and Vice Versa

Nov. 30, 2023 — As California, the U.S. and the world work to make good on commitments to conserve 30% of oceans and lands by 2030, all strategies are on the table ...

Decoding Past Climates Through Dripstones

Nov. 30, 2023 — A recent study demonstrates how dripstones can be crucial for reconstructing past climates. The new approach can provide a detailed picture of the climate around early human occupations in South ...

Antarctica's Ancient Ice Sheets Foreshadow Dynamic Changes in Earth's Future

Nov. 30, 2023 — Identifying how and why Antarctica's major ice sheets behaved the way they did in the early Miocene could help inform understanding of the sheets' ...

Antarctic Glacier Retreating Rapidly

Nov. 28, 2023 — Scientists are warning that apparently stable glaciers in the Antarctic can 'switch very rapidly' and lose large quantities of ice as a result of warmer oceans. Their finding comes after ...

A New Bacterial Species from a Hydrothermal Vent Throws Light on Their Evolution

Nov. 29, 2023 — A new bacterial species discovered at the deep-sea hydrothermal vent site 'Crab Spa' provides a deeper understanding of bacterial ...

Being Prepared for Storm Surges on the Baltic Sea Coast

Nov. 29, 2023 — The record storm surge in October 2023 caused severe damage to the German Baltic coast. Effective adaptation scenarios to rising sea levels are therefore becoming increasingly urgent. In two recent ...

Blasts to Clear World War II Munitions Could Contaminate the Ocean

Nov. 29, 2023 — World War II concluded decades ago, but live mines lurking on the ocean floor still pose threats, potentially spewing unexpected geysers or releasing contaminants into the water. Experts conduct ...

Pioneering Research Method Reveals Bluefin Tuna's Fate

Nov. 27, 2023 — The Mediterranean spawning grounds of Bluefin tuna -- the largest tuna and one of the most powerful fish in the sea -- are under threat, due to rising sea temperatures. A pioneering research method ...

Giant Sea Salt Aerosols Play Major Role in Hawai'i's Coastal Clouds, Rain

Nov. 27, 2023 — A new study from atmospheric scientists revealed that the coastline can produce up to five times the concentration of giant sea salt aerosols compared to the open ocean and that coastal clouds may ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

Deoxygenation Levels Similar to Today's Played a Major Role in Marine Extinctions During Major Past Climate Change Event

Nov. 27, 2023 — Scientists have made a surprising discovery that sheds new light on the role that oceanic deoxygenation (anoxia) played in one of the most devastating extinction events in Earth's history. Their ...

Scientists Find Both Potential Threats and Promising Resources in the Thriving Colonies of Bacteria and Fungi on Ocean Plastic Trash

Nov. 27, 2023 — Scientists have found both potential threats and promising resources in the thriving colonies of bacteria and fungi on plastic trash washed up on ...

Separating out Signals Recorded at the Seafloor

Nov. 24, 2023 — Research shows that variations in pyrite sulfur isotopes may not represent the global processes that have made them such popular targets of analysis and interpretation. A new microanalysis approach ...

How Shipwrecks Are Providing a Refuge for Marine Life

Nov. 23, 2023 — New research has highlighted how the estimated 50,000 wrecks around the UK coastline are protecting the seabed, and the species inhabiting it, in areas still open to bottom-towed ...

Deep-Sea Mining and Warming Trigger Stress in a Midwater Jellies

Nov. 21, 2023 — The deep sea is home to one of the largest animal communities on earth which is increasingly exposed to environmental pressures. However, our knowledge of its inhabitants and their response to ...

Protect Delicate Polar Ecosystems by Mapping Biodiversity

Nov. 20, 2023 — Concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems and sustainably manage these unique habitats. ...

Deep Dive on Sea Level Rise: New Modelling Gives Better Predictions on Antarctic Ice Sheet Melt

Nov. 17, 2023 — Using historical records from around Australia, an international team of researchers have put forward the most accurate prediction to date of past Antarctic ice sheet melt, providing a more realistic ...

Heat Tolerant Coral May Trade Fast Growth for Resilience

Nov. 17, 2023 — Algae living within the soft tissue of coral supply much of the energy needed by their hosts, and some symbiotic algae help coral withstand warmer water better than others. Researchers have now found ...

Research in Lake Superior Reveals How Sulfur Might Have Cycled in Earth's Ancient Oceans

Nov. 16, 2023 — A scientists has sulfur on her mind. The yellow element is a vital macronutrient, and she's trying to understand how it cycles through the environment. Specifically, she's curious about the ...

Climate Change Effects Hit Marine Ecosystems in Multiple Waves, According to Marine Ecologists

Nov. 16, 2023 — A new approach to examining the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems may provide a more accurate understanding of climate change responses -- and predictions for future consequences -- ...

Ice Cores from Earth's Highest Tropical Peak Provide Insight Into Climate Variability

Nov. 15, 2023 — A new study examines ice cores from the summit of the highest tropical mountain in the world, and finds unique insight into the climate record of the Amazon Basin over the last six ...

Climate Engineering Could Slow Antarctic Ice Loss, Study Suggests

Nov. 15, 2023 — A study reports that scattering sunlight-reflecting particles in the atmosphere -- a theoretical form of climate engineering known as 'stratospheric aerosol injection' -- has potential to ...

Roaming Seabirds Need Ocean-Wide Protection

Nov. 15, 2023 — Seabirds roam far and wide in the Indian Ocean -- so they need ocean-wide protection, new research ...

Melting Ice Falling Snow: Sea Ice Declines Enhance Snowfall Over West Antarctica

Nov. 14, 2023 — As the world continues to warm, Antarctica is losing ice at an increasing pace, but the loss of sea ice may lead to more snowfall over the ice sheets, partially offsetting contributions to sea level ...

Study Sheds Light on How Earth Cycles Fossil-Carbon

Nov. 14, 2023 — Researches used rhenium as a proxy for fossil carbon in order to quantify the rate at which Earth naturally releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and found that high rates of carbon breakdown ...

Endangered Turtle Population Under Threat as Pollution May Lead to Excess of Females Being Born

Nov. 13, 2023 — Researchers find exposure to heavy metals cadmium and antimony and certain organic contaminants, accumulated by the mother and transferred to her eggs, may cause embryos to be feminized in green sea ...

Previously Unknown Luminescence Revealed in Ten Deep Sea Species and an Order of Sea Cucumbers

Nov. 14, 2023 — Researchers present evidence of previously unknown luminosity in 10 deep-sea species, suggesting underestimated diversity. These new discoveries include a member of the order Molpadia, which was ...

Scientists Caution Against a Reliance on Mechanical Devices to Clear Water Bodies of Plastic

Nov. 9, 2023 — An international group of scientists has called for the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution to focus more on measures to reduce the production and consumption of plastics and the prevention ...

Barnacle Bends Shape to Fend Off Warm-Water Sea Snails on the Move

Nov. 9, 2023 — Some barnacles are 'morphing' to protect themselves from predatory warm-water sea snails, which are expanding into their territory due to climate ...

A Different Take on Phosphorus: Bacteria Use Organic Phosphorus and Release Methane in the Process

Nov. 8, 2023 — Some bacteria are able to tap into unusual sources of nutrients in the surface water of the oceans. This enables them to increase their primary production and extract more carbon dioxide from the ...

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