Emerging Ocean Listening Network Will Study Seas Uniquely Quieted by Covid
The Covid-19 pandemic left the oceans quieter than ever in 2020, allowing scientists to analyze the effect human-generated sound has on marine life.
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marine biology
Feds Launch Probe Into Spike in Manatee Deaths
Federal investigators are stepping in to help figure out why an average of seven Florida manatees are dying each day.
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Octopuses Have Alternating Sleep States Like Humans, Study Finds
In octopuses two sleep states, color changes pulse across their skin, signaling the possibility that the most intelligent of the cephalopods may even dream.
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Hong Kong’s Fragile Coral Reefs Boosted by 3D Printing
In jade waters off Hong Kong’s eastern shoreline, scientists are thrilled to spot a cuttlefish protecting her eggs inside an artificial, 3D-printed clay seabed helping to restore the city’s fragile coral reefs.
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Scientists Uncover Fossilized Remains of Manta-Like Shark
An unusual, fossilized shark specimen found in northern Mexico shares characteristics with the manta rays it predates by 30 million years.
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Invasive Species Thought Eliminated From California Shores Return in Force
In attempting to wipe out an empire of destructive crabs, scientists discovered that sometimes the empire strikes back.
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Fossilized Fish Larvae Discovery Upends Theory on Vertebrate Origins
An examination of the life cycle of the ancient, eel-like lamprey shows the evolutionary path of hatchlings diverged considerably from the modern adult vertebrates.
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Sea Otters Locked in Fight to Take Kelp Forests Back From Sea Urchins
Sea otters in Monterey Bay are protecting the threatened kelp forests from the outbreak of purple sea urchins, but they’re going to need backup.
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Sea Slug Species Sever Their Own Heads to Grow New Bodies
Talk about the wonders of nature.
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Future of Northern California Kelp Forests Looks Bleak
Scientists warn that swift action is needed to revive the kelp forests that have faced destruction by extreme weather events and a hungry sea urchin population.
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Seattle Harbor Expansion Would Push Out Endangered Whales, Conservation Group Says
State and federal scientists have pushed to protect endangered West Coast orca. But a plan to dredge the Seattle Harbor would accelerate all three of the reasons the whales are struggling, advocates say.
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Whales’ Cancer Resistance ‘in Their Genes’
In general, when a creature has more cells in its body, they are expected to be more vulnerable to random mutations that can develop into cancer. Not true for cetacean creatures.
Read moreLawsuit Seeks Update of Crucial Population Data for Marine Mammals
Environmental groups want the federal government to update the population data for nine subgroups of marine mammals, data used to
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Damage From Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Long-Lasting for Dolphins
Researchers found the 2010 oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico spewed petroleum that significantly damaged dolphins’ immune systems.
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Strange Creatures Accidentally Discovered Under Antarctic Ice Shelf
Strange things can be found when one drills through nearly 3,000 feet of Antarctic ice.
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Deadliest Catch: Thailand’s ‘Ghost’ Fishing Nets Help Covid Fight
Underwater divers in plastic-choked waters off the coast of Thailand snip through discarded nets tangled around a reef — a new initiative helping protect marine life and aiding the fight against coronavirus.
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Feds Expand Marine Sanctuary Off Louisiana and Texas Coasts
The remote Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, the only sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico’s diverse waters, has tripled in size under a final rule signed Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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High Cost to Wildlife From Shark Nets Protecting S.Africa Beaches
Conservationists say nets meant for sharks wind up trapping any large animal that swims too close to shore, making no distinction between sharks, dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and whales.
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‘Trump’ Found Scrawled on Back of Florida Manatee
Federal and state wildlife officials in Florida continued their search Tuesday for those responsible for etching “Trump” on the back of a living manatee.
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Shrinking Population Forces Shutdown of Oyster Harvesting in Florida Bay
Florida officials voted Wednesday to shut down oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay, a major source of the nation’s supply, due to a diminished population caused by low freshwater flows.
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