marine species

Researchers discovered new marine species

harminka — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:16:49 -0500

When a whale dies, it sinks to the seafloor and becomes food for an entire ecosystem. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered previously unknown species that feed only on dead whales - and use DNA technology to show that the species diversity in our oceans may be higher than previously thought.

New species of marine life discovered

harminka — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:41:41 -0500

Two tiny worms much smaller than a rice grain and a strange crustacean that has no eyes and poisonous fangs are among several new species of marine life discovered in an underwater cave by a Texas A&M University at Galveston researcher, who has had one of the new species named after him.

Crabs go deep to avoid hot water

harminka — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:50:11 -0500

Researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, have drawn together 200 years' worth of oceanographic knowledge to investigate the distribution of a notorious deep-sea giant – the king crab. The results, published this week in the Journal of Biogeography, reveal temperature as a driving force behind the speciation and radiation of a major seafloor predator; globally, and over tens of millions of years of Earth's history.

Marine pollutant to treat skin conditions

harminka — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:56:49 -0500

Clotrimazole is a common ingredient in over-the-counter skin creams. Recent results from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, now show that it is associated with major environmental risks.

Decline in Alaskan sea otters affects bald eagles' diet

harminka — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:53:59 -0500

Sea otters are known as a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even farther-reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the behavior of another top predator: the bald eagle.

Acidification of sea hampers reproduction of marine species

harminka — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:33:20 -0500

By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and from the human use of fossil fuels, the world's seas function as a giant buffer for the Earth's life support system. The chemical balance of the sea has long been regarded as immovable.

Iceberg scour affects biodiversity

harminka — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:18:52 -0500

Antarctic worms, sea spiders, urchins and other marine creatures living in near-shore shallow habitats are regularly pounded by icebergs. New data suggests this environment along the Antarctic Peninsula is going to get hit more frequently.

Marine worm's jaws say cutting-edge new aerospace materials

harminka — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:29:24 -0500

Researchers in California and New Hampshire report the first detailed characterization of the protein composition of the hard, fang-like jaws of a common marine worm.

Species Diversity Less Dramatic Than Believed

harminka — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:15:59 -0500

A study published in the current issue of Science challenges the long-held belief that diversity of marine species has been increasing continuously since the origin of animals.

Laysan albatross employs dual mommies

harminka — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:14:33 -0500

What's a girl to do if there's a shortage of males and she needs help raising a family? The Laysan albatross employs a strategy called reciprocity, where unrelated females pair together and take turns raising offspring.

Over 50 percent of oceanic shark species threatened with extinction

harminka — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:51:54 -0500

The first study to determine the global threat status of 21 species of wide-ranging oceanic pelagic sharks and rays reveals serious overfishing and recommends key steps that governments can take to safeguard populations. These findings and recommendations for action are published in the latest edition of Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.

Shell-breaking crabs lived 20 million years earlier than thought

harminka — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:53:13 -0500

While waiting for colleagues at a small natural history museum in the state of Chiapas, Mexico last year, Cornell paleontologist Greg Dietl chanced upon a discovery that has helped rewrite the evolutionary history of crabs and the shelled mollusks upon which they preyed.