marine biology – envirobites

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Reef Remodeling: How Reef Carpets Could Change How We View Reef Restoration

March 1, 2024February 23, 2024 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments coral, coral nurseries, coral reef ecosystem, coral reefs, marine biology, marine conservation, marine science, marine species, Restoration

Coral reefs are one of the most important marine ecosystems in the world, but climate change and other stressors are pushing on their wellbeing and leading to degradation. That’s where reef restoration comes in, where scientists and volunteers work to reproduce tiny corals and transplant them onto degraded reefs—but this restoration mostly focused on survivability, and not variety. In a new approach, a group of scientists have constituted what they call “Reef Carpets”, which are patches of restoration efforts filled with biodiversity. They found that these “Carpets” jumpstart a whole reef ecosystem, leading to better outcomes in the long run.

Animal behavior

Soft Manatee, Warm Manatee? Understanding How Manatees Behave

October 1, 2022May 30, 2023 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments animal behavior, endangered species, manatees, marine biology, marine conservation, marine life, marine mammals, marine species, temperament

Antillean manatees are an endangered subspecies of manatee that live in the warm waters of the Caribbean, but little is known about their behavior, both in the wild and under human care. This is why scientists in France set out to better understand and define manatee behavior in captivity, identifying how bold or shy they were and how they acted towards novel and familiar stimuli.

Human Exposure and Public Health Remediation

A New Compound Makes Waves for Oil Spill Clean Up

September 1, 2022August 31, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments bioremediation, chemical engineering, clean up, human impacts, human risk, marine biology, marine remediation, Oil, oil spill

Phase-Selective Organo-WHAT? Scientists are studying complex chemicals called Phase-Selective Organogelators (or PSOGs) to better understand their ability to clean up oil spills. These chemicals create a gel when added, in small quantities, to crude oil. The use of these chemicals could be a game changer when it comes to remediating marine oil spills. It would facilitate the way these disasters are handled, shortening the time it’s left affecting the organisms that live and interact in marine ecosystems

Ecosystems Environmental Science Remote Environments

Shark Movements Can Be Used to Design Better Marine Protected Areas

May 7, 2022January 30, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments ecosystems, fisheries, marine biology, shark conservation

Marine protected areas can be very effective at protecting marine life, and they’re even more effective when the actual movements of wildlife are used to guide the drawing of their borders. By using telemetry, scientists can make shark-friendly protected areas and watch how effective they are at reducing commercial fishing.

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Going Blue: The Environmental Impacts of Aquatic Foods

February 9, 2022February 8, 2022 Lauren Otolski 0 Comments ecology and society, ecosystem services, fisheries, fishing, marine biology, marine conservation, oceanography, oceans, Pollution

Food production puts a major strain on our planet, and many people are exploring ways to reduce its impacts. Aquatic foods — including fish, shellfish, and water plants — may be one option! Which of these “blue foods” are more sustainable than others, and in what ways? What can we do to make catching and farming aquatic food even more environmentally-friendly?

A row of atlantic horseshoe crabs strapped to a table while needles siphon blood into glass containers below each individual crab.

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

The Horseshoe Crab Has Saved Our Lives. Can We Return the Favor?

February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 Cypress Novick 0 Comments conservation biology, human stressors, Living Fossil, marine biology, Medicine, pharmaceuticals, public health

While threats continue to harm the historic population of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs, new research into the health stressors they face may help mitigate human contribution to their decline.

Animal behavior Environmental Science

How Climate-driven Ocean Changes Affect Right Whale Populations

February 1, 2022January 28, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments animal behavior, animal navigation, Behavior Ecology, behavioral ecology, behaviour ecology, climate adaptation, marine biology, marine conservation, marine life, marine science, marine species, marine wildlife, oceanography, Right whales, whales

It is no secret that the world is ever-shifting towards a warmer reality. With conditions changing greatly in the Gulf of Maine, researchers are now exploring how climate-driven changes have been affecting the North Atlantic right whale populations. Sadly, their findings have shone a light towards a worrisome reality – a reality where these whales might be driven into extinction.

Animal behavior

Hammerhead’s Night Out: The Day-to-Day Life of Hammerhead Sharks

May 5, 2020May 8, 2020 Ashley Riane Booth 0 Comments BSC4052, guest post, marine biology, marine species, mexico, shark conservation, Sharks

Hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) are, understandably, one of the most charismatic species in the world of marine biology. However, these sharks have suffered major declines in recent years due to direct hunting and overfishing of their prey.