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marine ecology

09/19/2018 / By Zoey Sky

First quantitative evidence PROVES the role of seagrass meadows in supporting world fisheries productivity

Seagrasses are marine plants that make up huge meadows in shallow seas on all continents, except Antarctica. These aquatic plants may help boost the productivity of the world’s fisheries, suggests new research published in Conservation Letters. The study, “Seagrass meadows support global fisheries production,” was a collaboration between Dr. Leanne Cullen-Unsworth of Cardiff University and Dr. Lina Mtwana Nordlund of Stockholm University. It looked at […]

09/09/2018 / By Janine Acero

Bacteria-killing virus essential to marine ecosystems may provide insights for understanding the human gut

Bacteria and viruses are microscopic organisms that are found practically everywhere on the planet. Humans even have bacteria thriving inside their bodies. Despite their abundance, many of these microorganisms are yet to be discovered, much less studied. Now, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have recently discovered an elusive family […]

08/11/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Killing the cure? Deep sea habitats hold promise for human health solutions but are being decimated by pollution

According to Shirley Pomponi, a marine biotechnology expert, cancer cures could be hiding among deep-sea coral ecosystems. However, these creatures are under threat because of pollution. Pomponi said that aside from being multicolored specimens, sea sponges are “potentially lifesaving creatures, some of which could hold the complex secrets to cures for cancers and other diseases.” Pomponi, […]

08/05/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Sunlight triggers chemical reactions that make the Deepwater Horizon oil spill unlikely to degrade

Eight years have passed since the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. But oil continues to persist in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A study warned that this water pollution is caused by chemical reactions in the oil due to exposure to sunlight, an article on Science News reported. The disaster was the biggest marine oil spill […]

06/19/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Marine scientists use underwater microphones to “hear” the sound of photosynthesis

Researchers have found a new way to measure the photosynthesis levels of marine plants. A Cosmos Magazine article details how they employed underwater microphones that can pick up the sound of oxygen released by the plants. Like their terrestrial counterparts, algae seaweed and other aquatic plants generate oxygen during the photosynthetic process. Because they are underwater, the oxygen […]

06/05/2018 / By Janine Acero

Microplastic pollution is changing ocean ecosystems

Pollution and other kinds of environmental damage cause stress to various organisms, both on land and in water. Many studies often focus their investigation on species that are negatively impacted. However, studying organisms that are seemingly immune to pollutants is equally important to better understand how these ecosystems respond to human-induced stress. One study, published in […]

03/31/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Small fish found to be essential to coral reef health by keeping them clean, according to new study

If human communities have health professionals, coral reefs have small fish called “cleaner fish” that keep them healthy. A Canadian-led study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences says their veterinarian-like services help ensure the health of the marine communities they live in, reported ScienceDaily. According to the study, coral reef fish suffering […]

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