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Categories: Ecology: Sea Life, Geoscience: Landslides
Published Shy sea anemones are more likely to survive heatwaves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study shows that sea anemones that react more slowly to change can survive a heatwave better than individuals that change their behavior quickly.
Published Adult fish struggle to bounce back in marine protected areas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many marine protected areas are falling short of their most basic purpose: to rebuild struggling fish populations. In a new study, scientists looked at the age breakdown of reef fish in marine protected areas for the first time. They discovered in almost all of them, adult fish populations -- vital to spawning the next generation -- have either flatlined or declined.
Published Evolution in action? New study finds possibility of nitrogen-fixing organelles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics.
Published Plant-based plastic releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly developed plant-based plastic material releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic when exposed to sunlight and seawater, a new study has found.
Published Going 'back to the future' to forecast the fate of a dead Florida coral reef
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How coral populations expand into new areas and sustain themselves over time is limited by the scope of modern observations. Going back thousands of years, a study provides geological insights into coral range expansions by reconstructing the composition of a Late Holocene-aged subfossil coral death assemblage in an unusual location in Southeast Florida and comparing it to modern reefs throughout the region. Findings offer a unique glimpse into what was once a vibrant coral reef assemblage and discover if history can repeat itself in the face of climate change.
Published Land under water: What causes extreme flooding?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If rivers overflow their banks, the consequences can be devastating -- just like the catastrophic floods in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate of 2021 showed. In order to limit flood damage and optimize flood risk assessment, we need to better understand what factors can lead to extreme forms of flooding and to what extent. Using methods of explainable machine learning, researchers have shown that floods are more extreme when several factors are involved in their development.
Published Scientists warn: The grey seal hunt is too large
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers warn that today's hunting quotas of about 3,000 animals pose a risk to the long-term survival of the grey seal in the Baltic Sea. The conclusions of this new study are based on statistics from 20th century seal hunting and predictions of future climate change.
Published Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study is the first to evaluate substrate recolonization by sponges in the U.S. Virgin Islands after two catastrophic storms using genetic analyses to understand how much clonality verses sexual recruitment occurs on coral reefs post-storms. Results show that populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.
Published Two coral snakes recorded battling for prey in a scientific first
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two red-tailed coral snakes have been observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented wild case of kleptoparasitism within the family Elapidae.
Published Citizen scientists contribute vital information about 35 seahorse species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Thanks to diligent observers, seahorses, those enigmatic and charismatic fish, are not only being discovered in new habitats and expanded geographic ranges, they are also being found at new ocean depths. While their capacity for male pregnancy has long fascinated people, new information on sex ratio and pregnancy seasonality has been discovered.
Published Caller ID of the sea: Tagging whale communication and behavior
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists use a novel method of simultaneous acoustic tagging to gain insights into the link between whale communication and behavior
Published Rays were more diverse 150 million years ago than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have explored the puzzling world of rays that lived 150 million years ago and discovered a previously hidden diversity -- including a new ray species. This study significantly expands the understanding of these ancient cartilaginous fish and provides further insights into a past marine ecosystem.
Published Entanglements of humpback whales in fish farms rare -- and naivety could be to blame
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first study of humpback whale entanglements in B.C. aquaculture facilities found eight over 13 years, with the curiosity of young whales a potential contributing factor.
Published Forest, stream habitats keep energy exchanges in balance, global team finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic insects. Those insects emerge from the waters and are eaten by birds and bats. An international team has now found that these ecosystems appear to keep the energy exchanges in balance -- a finding that the scientists called surprising.
Published Scientists weigh up current status of blue whale populations around the world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The largest living animal, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) which averages about 27 meters in length, has slowly recovered from whaling only to face the rising challenges of global warming, pollution, disrupted food sources, shipping, and other human threats. In a major new study, biologists have taken a stock of the number, distribution and genetic characteristics of blue whale populations around the world and found the greatest differences among the eastern Pacific, Antarctic subspecies and pygmy subspecies of the eastern Indian and western Pacific.
Published Killer whales use specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals in the open ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Killer whales foraging in deep submarine canyons off the coast of California represent a distinct subpopulation that uses specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals, researchers report.
Published Ancient giant dolphin discovered in the Amazon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Measuring between 3 to 3.5 meters, 16 million years old: Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new species of freshwater dolphin in the Peruvian Amazon region. Surprisingly, its closest living relatives can be found in the river dolphins of South Asia.
Published Fish fed to farmed salmon should be part of our diet, too, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists found that farmed salmon production leads to an overall loss of essential dietary nutrients. They say that eating more wild 'feed' species directly could benefit our health while reducing aquaculture demand for finite marine resources.
Published There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When plastic ends up in the ocean, it gradually weathers and disintegrates into small particles. If marine animals ingest these particles, their health can be severely affected. Large accumulations of plastic can therefore disrupt the biological balance of marine ecosystems. But which areas are particularly affected?
Published Artificial streams reveal how drought shapes California's alpine ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used a series of artificial stream channels to mimic the behavior of headwater creeks under future climate change scenarios. They found that drier conditions shifted the life cycles of the algae and insects that form the base of the alpine food web. However, because species adjusted to the shifts in a variety of ways, the stream ecosystems were generally resilient to the changing conditions.