Marine Ecosystems

Marine ecosystems are systems of living organisms interacting with their oceanic and coastal environment, including plants, animals, microbes, and physical components such as water, sediments, and nutrients. They are shaped by both external factors, such as currents, temperature, and climate, and internal processes, including predation and nutrient cycling. Marine ecosystems provide services to humans, including fisheries, coastal protection, and carbon storage, and can be affected by human impacts and climate change.

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Saharan winds nurture oceanic life across continentsNewsScience

Saharan winds nurture oceanic life across continents

The further dust-bound iron is blown from the Sahara, the more it becomes available for life through atmospheric reactions. Iron is a micronutrient indispensable for…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 20, 2024 Full article
Image: A coral of the species Diploastrea heliopora
Fiji coral study reveals Pacific’s highest temperatures in over 600 yearsScience

Fiji coral study reveals Pacific’s highest temperatures in over 600 years

International study uses data obtained from the analysis of the honeycomb coral Diploastrea heliopora to reconstruct sea surface temperatures of the Fijian archipelago. The sea…
SourceSourceSeptember 18, 2024 Full article
Image: Illustration of krill in the Southern Ocean ecosystem
Antarctic krill lock away carbon on par with seagrass and mangrovesClimateNews

Antarctic krill lock away carbon on par with seagrass and mangroves

Tiny Antarctic krill, key players in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, are as vital for carbon storage as mangroves and seagrasses, according to a new study.…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreSeptember 17, 2024 Full article
Image: Artist impression of the transport proteins of SAR11 bacteria
How oceans’ most abundant bacteria shape global nutrient cyclesScience

How oceans’ most abundant bacteria shape global nutrient cycles

If you could collect all the organisms from the ocean surface down to 200 meters, you would find that SAR11 bacteria, also known as Pelagibacterales,…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreSeptember 11, 2024 Full article
Phytoplankton
How the ocean twilight zone shapes marine life amid global warmingScience

How the ocean twilight zone shapes marine life amid global warming

Global warming's impact on marine ecosystems is a pressing issue, particularly its effects on phytoplankton, the microscopic organisms essential for maintaining marine food chains. While…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreAugust 26, 2024 Full article
Image: Fishes on the Corals in the Sea
Scientists advocate for integrating human rights into environmental decision-makingScience

Scientists advocate for integrating human rights into environmental decision-making

In a recent commentary published in npj Ocean Sustainability, a team of interdisciplinary researchers has called for a transformative update in global environmental decision-making processes,…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreAugust 24, 2024 Full article
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Invasive species threaten Antarctica via ocean debrisScience

Invasive species threaten Antarctica via ocean debris

New research highlights the vulnerability of Antarctica's unique ecosystems to invasive species arriving on floating debris from Southern Hemisphere landmasses. This finding challenges previous assumptions…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreAugust 22, 2024 Full article
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Jellyfish, a rising star in marine ecosystems amid climate changeClimate

Jellyfish, a rising star in marine ecosystems amid climate change

For years, jellyfish were considered a trophic dead-end in marine ecosystems, serving little more than a last-resort food source for predatory fish. However, recent research…
Adrian AlexandreAdrian AlexandreAugust 14, 2024 Full article
Image: Buck's horn plantain (Plantago coronopus)
Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant speciesScience

Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant species

Two of the planet’s more pressing environmental stressors have the potential to alter the growth and reproductive output of plants found right along the world’s…
SourceSourceAugust 2, 2024 Full article
Image: Fishermen, Boat, Sea image, trawling
Climate change may lead to shifts in vital Pacific Arctic fisheriesClimateScience

Climate change may lead to shifts in vital Pacific Arctic fisheries

Commercially important marine fish and invertebrate species will likely shift northwards under a warmer climate. By Hokkaido University Marine fisheries are an essential source of…
SourceSourceAugust 1, 2024 Full article
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Coral reefs: battlegrounds for survival in a changing climateClimate

Coral reefs: battlegrounds for survival in a changing climate

By Harrison Tasoff | University of California - Santa Barbara Coral reefs, those vibrant underwater cities, stand on the precipice of collapse. While rising ocean…
SourceSourceJuly 9, 2024 Full article
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Study projects major changes in North Atlantic and Arctic marine ecosystems due to climate changeClimateScience

Study projects major changes in North Atlantic and Arctic marine ecosystems due to climate change

New research predicts significant shifts in marine fish communities in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans as a result of climate warming. By Newcastle University…
SourceSourceJuly 8, 2024 Full article
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Norway can lead the fight against plastic pollutionScience

Norway can lead the fight against plastic pollution

Norway's long, rugged coastline – more than 28,953 kilometers long, including the fjords – suffers from plastic pollution even though it is so remote. It's…
SourceSourceJuly 5, 2024 Full article
Fish
NYUAD researchers identify unique survival strategies adopted by fish in the world’s warmest watersScience

NYUAD researchers identify unique survival strategies adopted by fish in the world’s warmest waters

Some fish species in the Arabian Gulf’s coral reefs are more resilient to climate change than previously thought, challenging key assumptions of the “shrinking fishes…
SourceSourceJuly 1, 2024 Full article
Image: Earth seen from space (s. global warming, typhoon, storm)
El Niño forecasts extended to 18 months with innovative physics-based modelClimate

El Niño forecasts extended to 18 months with innovative physics-based model

AI helps power new forecast Climate model shortcomings, improvements Future directions Across Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and the Americas, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) brings…
SourceSourceJune 26, 2024 Full article
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Scientists document self-propelling oxygen decline in the oceansClimateScience

Scientists document self-propelling oxygen decline in the oceans

By University of Copenhagen, The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have made significant strides in understanding ancient ocean…
SourceSourceJune 22, 2024 Full article
This microscope image shows various species of ice algae, magnified 400x
Will climate change turn the Arctic green?Climate

Will climate change turn the Arctic green?

The Arctic is in the hotseat of climate change, warming four times faster than anywhere else on Earth. Already, the Arctic Ocean has experienced immense…
SourceSourceJune 19, 2024 Full article
Image: Scenic Photo of Coral Reef 2
Harnessing ecological theory for successful ecosystem restorationScience

Harnessing ecological theory for successful ecosystem restoration

By Duke Nicholas School of the Environment | Duke University Scientists have created a research framework to incorporate ecological theory – mathematical models and concepts…
SourceSourceJune 18, 2024 Full article
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New discovery reveals unexpected ocean algae help cool the EarthClimateScience

New discovery reveals unexpected ocean algae help cool the Earth

By University of East Anglia A common type of ocean algae plays a significant role in producing a massively abundant compound that helps cool the…
SourceSourceJune 11, 2024 Full article