Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

New scientific study reveals the crucial role of herbivorous fishes and sea urchins in restoring Caribbean coral reefs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study presents crucial findings on the feeding preferences of herbivorous fishes and the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in Little Cayman. The study sheds new light on the dynamics of these herbivores and their impact on the resilience of Caribbean coral reefs.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Previously unknown luminescence revealed in ten deep sea species and an order of sea cucumbers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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 previously thought not to be luminescent. The authors stress the importance of considering the ecological role of bioluminesence and the need for conservation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geography
Published

Shark fear: Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

It's one of the most famous taglines in film history, immortalizing sharks as ruthless predators. But beyond the horror generated by Spielberg's Jaws series, a persistent fear of sharks remains, with consequences that extend into reality.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: Quantum Computers Mathematics: Puzzles Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Keep it secret: Cloud data storage security approach taps quantum physics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Distributed cloud storage is a hot topic for security researchers, and a team is now merging quantum physics with mature cryptography and storage techniques to achieve a cost-effective cloud storage solution.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Endangered turtle population under threat as pollution may lead to excess of females being born      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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 turtles (Chelonia mydas), a species already at risk of extinction from a current lack of male hatchlings.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Zooplankton in ocean and freshwater are rapidly escalating the global environmental threat of plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A collaborative research team has recently revealed that rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton common in both fresh and ocean water around the world, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics -- or particles smaller than one micron. Each rotifer can create between 348,000 -- 366,000 per day, leading to uncountable swarms of nanoparticles in our environment.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

A different take on phosphorus: Bacteria use organic phosphorus and release methane in the process      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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 atmosphere. In doing so, however, they release the potent greenhouse gas methane.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: General Biology: Marine Chemistry: Biochemistry Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Engineering: Robotics Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Device 'smells' seawater to discover, detect novel molecules      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Under the ocean's surface, marine organisms are constantly releasing invisible molecules. Some of the chemical clues reveal which creatures are nearby, while others could be used someday as medications. Now, researchers report a proof-of-concept device that 'sniffs' seawater, trapping dissolved compounds for analyses. The team showed that the system could easily concentrate molecules that are present in underwater caves and holds promise for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: General
Published

Why a surprising discovery, warming seas and the demise of the 'Meg' may spell trouble for more and more sharks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Some unexpected shark strandings and subsequent surprises following autopsies have, ironically, taken marine biologists millions of years back in time as they look to the future with concern. Adding chapters to an evolutionary tale involving the infamous megalodon shark (the 'Meg'), they think their work suggests there are more warm-blooded sharks out there than previously believed, and -- based on the Meg's demise -- these species may be at great risk from warming seas.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

New algae species rewrites understanding of reef systems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of marine scientists has identified and officially named four species of algae new to science, challenging previous taxonomical assumptions within the Porolithon genus. The discovery has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the ecological role of these algae in the coral reef ecosystem. 

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Two fins are better than one: Fish synchronize tail fins to save energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

They say two heads are better than one. But in the world of fish, it appears two fins are better than one. Researchers have produced a theoretical model that demonstrates the underlying mechanisms behind how fish will synchronize their fin movements to ride each other's vortices, thereby saving energy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Crust-forming algae are displacing corals in tropical waters worldwide      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Over the past few decades, algae have been slowly edging corals out of their native reefs across the globe by blocking sunlight, wearing the corals down physically, and producing harmful chemicals. But in recent years, a new type of algal threat has surfaced in tropical regions like the Caribbean -- one that spreads quickly and forms a crust on top of coral and sponges, suffocating the organisms underneath and preventing them from regrowing. Marine biologists report that peyssonnelioid alga crusts, or PACs, are expanding quickly across reefs worldwide, killing off corals and transforming entire ecosystems.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Adult coral can handle more heat and keep growing thanks to heat-evolved symbionts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Adult fragments of a coral species can better tolerate bleaching and recover faster when treated with tougher heat-evolved symbionts, new research indicates. The study also found that treatment with the heat-evolved symbionts did not compromise the coral's ability to grow. This differs from previous studies on Great Barrier Reef corals which found that naturally heat tolerant symbionts could enhance heat resistance in adult corals, but at a cost to its growth.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
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What a '2D' quantum superfluid feels like to the touch      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered how superfluid helium 3He would feel if you could put your hand into it. The interface between the exotic world of quantum physics and classical physics of the human experience is one of the major open problems in modern physics. Nobody has been able to answer this question during the 100-year history of quantum physics.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Mathematics: Statistics Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Optical-fiber based single-photon light source at room temperature for next-generation quantum processing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Single-photon emitters quantum mechanically connect quantum bits (or qubits) between nodes in quantum networks. They are typically made by embedding rare-earth elements in optical fibers at extremely low temperatures. Now, researchers have developed an ytterbium-doped optical fiber at room temperature. By avoiding the need for expensive cooling solutions, the proposed method offers a cost-effective platform for photonic quantum applications.