Imagine a world beneath the waves where dawn and dusk trigger a mass migration so vast, it can be seen by ships’ sonar as a ghostly, moving false bottom. Welcome to the deep scattering layer—a mysterious, shifting band in the ocean where fish and other creatures gather in such numbers that they seem to mimic ...
Imagine a world where sunlight never touches the ocean floor, where bizarre creatures drift through inky black waters, and where the silence is broken only by the distant clicks and calls of unseen animals. This is the deep sea—a realm of mystery and wonder, but also a place now facing the looming shadow of human ...
Imagine waking up to the news that an entire underwater landscape has shifted, altering the seafloor and potentially changing the coastal geography of a nation. This was the reality for New Zealanders when an undersea landslide dramatically impacted their coast. Such events, though hidden from the naked eye, have profound effects on marine life, coastal ...
A new diver-operated microscope is revolutionizing coral research by allowing scientists to observe photosynthesis and microalgae behavior directly in the ocean. Developed by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Benthic Underwater Microscope Imaging PAM (BUMP) offers unprecedented access to coral bleaching and how they respond to environmental stress. A Technological Leap for Coral ...
It is amazing that some animals can stay underwater for hours or even months without breathing, even though their bodies are not designed to do so. Fish get oxygen from water through their gills, but marine animals that breathe air need to make amazing changes to their bodies and behavior to live in the deep. ...
New research has revealed that biofluorescence in marine fishes is far more ancient and widespread than previously believed. Studies show that this glowing trait has evolved independently more than 100 times over the past 112 million years. Led by scientists from the American Museum of Natural History, the findings highlight the evolutionary significance of biofluorescence ...
New research has revealed that the decline of kelp forests in the Gulf of Maine is reshaping marine food webs and energy dynamics. Scientists found that predator-prey interactions and nutrient flow differ significantly between kelp-dominated and turf-algae-dominated reefs, highlighting the ecological consequences of habitat loss. The Decline of Kelp Forests in the Gulf of Maine ...
Recent research has uncovered an overlooked but vital contributor to ocean health—whale urine. While whale feces have long been recognized for their role in nutrient cycles, new findings reveal that urine plays an equally significant part in sustaining marine ecosystems. By transporting essential nutrients across vast regions, whales act as ecosystem engineers, influencing biodiversity and ...
Far beneath the ocean’s sunlit surface, in crushing darkness and near-freezing temperatures, lurks a creature once thought to be a rarity of the deep. Alicella gigantea, the world’s largest amphipod, a shrimp-like crustacean that grows up to 34 cm (13.4 inches) long has long been considered an elusive oddity. But groundbreaking new research reveals this ...
For decades, sharks were seen as silent hunters. A groundbreaking discovery reveals they’ve been “speaking” all along and the recordings will surprise you. Breaking the Silence: Sharks’ Unexpected Vocalization In a major breakthrough in marine biology, researchers have, for the first time, recorded sharks intentionally producing sounds challenging the long-standing belief that these creatures are ...
Linnea H, BSc Sociology
