The 2010 Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation were recently announced and not only do the researchers get much-needed money to continue their research but we get a Google Earth Marine Tour of the researchers and their work. This is a pretty cool 3D tour of the ocean and the research the Pew Fellows will be [...]
An explosion of phytoplankton has reached alarming levels in the Baltic Sea consuming outrageous amounts of precious oxygen and choking out aquatic life creating one of the largest marine “dead zones” on the planet. As part of nature’s cycle, small blooms are the status quo but with plenty of fuel of phosphorous and nitrogen from [...]
Undoubtedly one of the most horrific stories this week was the death of an Orca handler in Orlando’s SeaWorld during a public exhibition of the whales. As one of the most intriguing and majestic mammals, the Orca or “Killer Whale” show has captivated audiences all over the world and this week’s tragedy puts the negative [...]
If you’ve had the unique privilege of witnessing bioluminescent plankton while diving at night, you know firsthand how beautiful the underwater light show can be. For those of us who haven’t experienced it, this unique phenomenon. So what makes this beautiful show possible? In a recent post at online scuba site AquaViews they share some [...]
A new study was just released showing positive effects from the use of marine reserves on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef benefiting the overall health and resilience of the fragile marine ecosystem. The research found rapid increases in fish and some shark populations inside marine reserves that prohibit fishing. The study was published in the journal [...]
Movies like Jaws and sensationalized media reports of swimmers being attacked by sharks have given the massive Great White Shark a bad rap, and now this awesome predator is facing dwindling numbers making it even rarer than the endangered tiger. Researchers have recently learned their numbers are dwindling and their estimation of the global population [...]
When it comes to messing around with the meal ticket, it seems male fish are apt to punish greedy females who take more than they should putting the entire group’s food source in jeopardy. Cleaner fish, who get their meals from eating parasites off of other fish and sea-dwelling animals in “cleaning stations” set up [...]
Green is the way to go and researchers at the University of South Florida recently discovered a green sea slug that has evolved over time to produce its own chlorophyll making it the first animal to actually produce the substance like a plant. Acording to USF’s Sidney K. Pierce, the sea slug Elysia chlorotica has [...]
A new study has found coral reefs account for more new species than any other tropical marine habitats. Through analysis of fossil records going back 540 million years ago, researchers have analyzed the rate of evolution and discovered new species appear 50 percent faster on reefs than in other habitats. The new study was published [...]
The University of Utah Genetics Science Learning Center has a fun, animated view that puts various cell sizes in perspective. The online resource, aptly named “Cell Size and Scale,” allows you to go from coffee bean to carbon atom and everything in between. Definitely one of the cooler things we’ve seen in a while. So [...]
