Should we mine the sea floor for polymetallic nodules?
What are polymetallic nodules? Polymetallic nodules are a newfound hot spot for economists around the globe at the moment, why?…
How do a hundred separate animals form one that can be larger than a whale – meet the giant siphonophore – the deep seas highly specialized cluster.
Siphonophores are large colonies of small zooids—individual animals that must live together to survive—which gives them their alien-like appearance in…
Ocean Ooze
When you go to the beach, getting sand in your shoes is a common problem. But besides being a nuisance,…
Help! My Iguanas Are Shrinking!
It’s fairly common for animals to slow their metabolic rate or decrease their activity (and thus their need to eat)…
Listening for Survival: Tracking the Critically Endangered Rice’s Whale in the Gulf of Mexico
Rice’s whales (Balaenoptera ricei) are a relatively newly distinguished species of baleen whale. Previously thought to be a subpopulation of…
Wandering Albatross: The World’s Longest Bird
The wandering albatross, or snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans) is a species of seabird residing in the Southern Ocean. Characterized by…
The Role of Bacteria in Bioluminescence: Tiny Organisms, Big Glow!
Bioluminescent bacteria are tiny organisms that can produce their own light. They create this glow through a chemical reaction involving…
The Significance of Salt Marshes
When people think of important marine ecosystems, they usually think of Coral Reefs. Which is reasonable due to the significant…
Antarctic Ice Variability Shapes Foraging Habitat of Migrating Humpback Whales
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are famous for their long migrations, spending winters in warm tropical waters and summers feeding in…
Coral Bleaching: A Warning Sign from the Ocean
Image credit: XL Catlin Seaview Survey, via Vox (2017). Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the…