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Categories: Ecology: Sea Life, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published Adult fish struggle to bounce back in marine protected areas



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



A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics.
Published Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections



Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.
Published Plant-based plastic releases nine times less microplastics than conventional plastic



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 Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria



Researchers have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
Published We've had bird evolution all wrong



Genomic anamolies dating back to the time of the dinosaurs misled scientists about the evolutionary history of birds.
Published Genomic research may help explain cancer resistance in Tasmanian devils



Through DNA sequencing of Tasmanian devils and their tumors, researchers have tracked the genomic interactions between the animals and the cancer.
Published Going 'back to the future' to forecast the fate of a dead Florida coral reef



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 Rock-wallaby bite size ‘packs a punch’



Australian rock-wallabies are 'little Napoleons' when it comes to compensating for small size, packing much more punch into their bite than larger relatives. Researchers made the discovery while investigating how two dwarf species of rock-wallaby are able to feed themselves on the same kinds of foods as their much larger cousins.
Published Scientists extract genetic secrets from 4,000-year-old teeth to illuminate the impact of changing human diets over the centuries



Researchers have recovered remarkably preserved microbiomes from two teeth dating back 4,000 years, found in an Irish limestone cave. Genetic analyses of these microbiomes reveal major changes in the oral microenvironment from the Bronze Age to today. The teeth both belonged to the same male individual and also provided a snapshot of his oral health.
Published Scientists warn: The grey seal hunt is too large



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 Secrets of the naked mole-rat: new study reveals how their unique metabolism protects them from heart attacks



This unusual, subterranean mammal with extreme longevity shows genetic adaptations to low oxygen environments which could offer opportunities for advancing other areas of physiological and medical research in humans, including the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Published Milk on ice: Antarctic time capsule of whole milk powder sheds light on the enduring qualities--and evolution--of dairy products past and present



In a remarkable discovery, whole milk powder manufactured in New Zealand in 1907 and transported to Antarctica with explorers seeking the South Pole was unveiled after more than a century. The find has allowed dairy researchers to answer the question: Is the milk we enjoy today different from the milk consumed in previous generations? Now, a new comparative study has peered back in time to demonstrate that -- despite advancements in selective breeding and changes to farm practices -- milk of the past and milk today share more similarities than differences and are still crucial building blocks of human nutrition.
Published Researchers show that introduced tardigrade proteins can slow metabolism in human cells



Tardigrade proteins are potential candidates in technologies centered on slowing the aging process and in long-term storage of human cells.
Published Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge



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



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 Bees use antennae to decode hive mates' dances in the dark



Scientists have discovered how honeybees can decipher dances by their hive mates that relay directions to food.
Published Citizen scientists contribute vital information about 35 seahorse species



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



Biologists use a novel method of simultaneous acoustic tagging to gain insights into the link between whale communication and behavior
Published Wild bird gestures 'after you'



A small-bird species, the Japanese tit (Parus minor), uses wing movements as a gesture to convey the message 'after you,' according to new research. When a mating pair arrives at their nest box with food, they will wait outside on perches. One will then often flutter its wings toward the other, apparently indicating for the latter to enter first. The researchers say that this discovery challenges the previous belief that gestural communication is prominent only in humans and great apes, significantly advancing our understanding of visual communication in birds.