Coral reefs suffering, but collapse not inevitable, researchers say
EurekAlert | 10 May 2013
(Cell Press) Coral reefs are in decline, but their collapse can still be avoided with local and global action. That's according to findings reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on May 9 based on an analysis that combines the latest science on reef dynamics with the latest climate models.
 Climate Change | Coral | Research

SeaOrbiter: the spaceship orbiting the Blue Planet - interactive
Guardian Unlimited | 08 May 2013
The brainchild of an architect, an oceanographer and an astronaut, this 10-storey floating laboratory has a three-year programme to look for sunken civilisations and deepsea lifeforms in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
 Atlantic Ocean | Mediterranean Sea | Research

In Pursuit of an Underwater Menagerie
New York Times | 07 May 2013
Two 19th-century glassmakers created a collection of anatomically perfect sculptures of marine creatures. Now, a hunt is on to find the animals that inspired them.
 Biodiversity | Research

The Black Sea is a Goldmine of Ancient Genetic Data
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | 07 May 2013
When Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) marine paleoecologist Marco Coolen was mining through vast amounts of genetic data from the Black Sea sediment record, he was amazed about the variety of past plankton species that left behind their genetic makeup (i.e., the plankton paleome).
 Plankton | Research

Shrimp shell could be way forward for packaging
fishupdate.com | 02 May 2013
Scientists at Nofima are participating in a major EU-financed project in which 'active' packaging based on raw materials from shrimp shell improves and conserves food products – and after use the packaging biodegrades. Environmentally stubborn plastic is getting competition from biodegradable packaging made of chitin and chitosan from shrimp shell.
 Research

Researchers track singing humpback whales on a Northwest Atlantic feeding ground
EurekAlert | 30 Apr 2013
Male humpback whales sing complex songs in tropical waters during the winter breeding season, but they also sing at higher latitudes at other times of the year. NOAA researchers have provided the first detailed description linking humpback whale movements to acoustic behavior on a feeding ground in the Northwest Atlantic.
 Atlantic Ocean | Marine Mammals | Research

Sea surface temperatures reach highest level in 150 years
EurekAlert | 29 Apr 2013
(NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center) Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Temperature is also affecting distributions of fish and shellfish on the Northeast Shelf.
 Atlantic Ocean | Research | Sea Surface Temperature

Study: Source of organic matter affects Bay water quality
EurekAlert | 24 Apr 2013
(Virginia Institute of Marine Science) A study led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reveals that organic carbon in runoff from urbanized landscapes is more likely to persist as it is carried downstream, thus contributing to low-oxygen "dead zones" in coastal waters.
 Atlantic Ocean | Research | Water Pollution

Atlantic cod in for even more stress?
EurekAlert | 23 Apr 2013
(Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres) Researchers have known for some years that the Atlantic cod beats the retreat in the direction of the Arctic when the waters in its traditional habitat become too warm. In summer, shoals from the Atlantic Ocean, for example, are now moving up as far as Spitsbergen into the waters the Arctic cod calls its own.
 Atlantic Ocean | Climate Change | Fish | Research

New ocean acidification study
World Fishing | 23 Apr 2013
A new study published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA' has revealed a new insight into the potential effects of ocean acidification on the sensory function of larval tropical cobia.
 Acidification | Fish | Research