Lucila Bloemendaal

Friday, April 19, 2024

The churning seas are slowing down: The Atlantic Ocean circulation at its weakest in millennia

April 10, 2021September 16, 2022 Lucila Bloemendaal 0 Comments circulation, Climate Change, Ocean

In the Atlantic Ocean there is a giant “river” that affects many aspects of life for us terrestrial dwellers, from the regional climates we enjoy to the sea level at our shore. This “river” is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), one of the planet’s major ocean circulation systems. The ocean has been churning for millenia through this circulation system, but now there are signs of change.

Animal behavior Ecosystems

Lending a helping hand (or fin)

December 12, 2020December 11, 2020 Lucila Bloemendaal 0 Comments ecological facilitation, oyster reefs, reef restoration

In the wild we often think organisms compete with each other in the struggle for survival, but many species, including the unassuming oyster, actually help each other out. Helping organisms from the same and different species can lead to healthier ecosystems where more than just one group benefits.

Ecosystems Remote Environments

The Soil, Sand, and Sea: The Journey of Microplastics

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020 Lucila Bloemendaal 0 Comments Chemicals, marine pollution, microplastics, oceans, plastic, toxicology

As we approach the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in 2021, it is time we face our unseen but ubiquitous problem: microplastics. What do we know about them, where can we find them, and what does the science say on its impacts on our hydrosphere and biosphere?

Animal behavior Remote Environments

Holding Your Breath: Surviving the Heart of Marine Darkness

April 30, 2020June 11, 2020 Lucila Bloemendaal 0 Comments deep-sea, fish, fish biology, ocean exploration, physiology

As you swim through a coral reef, you see parrot fish, clams and other colorful aquatic creatures swimming elegantly and going about their lives. While you, with your snorkel, are confined to the surface of the water and the occasional dive for as long and as deep as you can hold your breath, the fish “breathe” easily with their gills (or lungs in the cases of some evolutionarily interesting fish). But do they breathe that easily? Living in and getting oxygen from a high-pressure aquatic environment is difficult and metabolically demanding, and some fish have found special ways to make it easier.