Angels in Disguise: Angelfish Produce Hybrid Offspring More Than Any Other Coral Reef Species
There Are Many More Angelfishes in the Sea Why do some fish species form hybrids while others don’t? In attempting to answer this question, new…
Marine Biology
Protecting a Nearly Endangered Species: Tracking Hammerhead Sharks Reveals Conservation Targets
Nova Southeastern University researchers lead team studying smooth hammerhead sharks. They are some of the most iconic and unique-looking creatures in our oceans. While some…
Whale Shark Girls Overtake the Boys to Become World’s Largest Fish
A decade-long study of the iconic fish has found male whale sharks grow quickly, before plateauing at an average adult length of about eight or…
Robofish: An Extremely Social Robotic Fish Helps Unravel the Collective Patterns of Animal Groups
You want to be a leader? You’ve got to be fast! The spectacular and complex visual patterns created by animal groups moving together have fascinated…
Scientists Have Long Believed That Ocean Viruses Always Quickly Kill Algae – They Were Wrong
Ocean algae get ‘coup de grace’ from viruses. Viruses don’t immediately kill algae but live in harmony with them. Scientists have long believed that ocean…
Unexpected Discovery of a 410-Million-Year-Old Fossil Forces Rethink of Shark Evolution
Sharks’ non-bony skeletons were thought to be the template before bony internal skeletons evolved, but a new fossil discovery suggests otherwise. The discovery of a…
Fluid Physics of Movement in Marine Snails Could Lead to Novel Bio-Inspired Underwater Vehicles
Cuvierina atlantica, a thecosomatous pteropod with an elongated shell. Credit: David Murphy and coauthors Poetry in motion: Engineers analyze the fluid physics of movement in…
New Species Found in the Hottest Place on Earth
A new species of freshwater Crustacea has been discovered during an expedition of the desert Lut, known as the hottest place on Earth. The newly…
The Secret to Grow More Arms – Eat More…if You’re a Sea Anemone
Your genetic code determines that you will grow two arms and two legs. The same fate is true for all mammals. Similarly, the number of…
Satellite Tracking Reveals Reef Manta Rays Make Long-Term Use of Marine-Protected Areas
Study uses satellites and photographs to fill in important gaps in migratory patterns for one of the world’s largest species of rays. Marine animals are…
Dramatically Shrinking Salmon Are Affecting Alaska’s People and Ecosystems
A comprehensive study of four salmon species across all regions of Alaska finds salmon are returning to rivers smaller and younger than in the past….
Using Genetics to Battle Harmful Algae Blooms
University of Delaware researcher part of international effort to understand genetics of marine algae. Throughout the world’s oceans in global nutrient cycles, food chains, and…
Sexual Parasitism: Loss of Adaptive Immunity Helps Deep Sea Anglerfish Physically Fuse With Their Mates
The discovery of altered adaptive immunity in anglerfish helps explain how the creatures are able to temporarily or permanently fuse with their mates without experiencing…
Solved: Mystery That’s Been Puzzling Scientists Since 1852 – Bizarre Giraffe-Necked Reptile Hunted Underwater
Twenty-foot-long specimens described as separate species from their cousins, named after mythology’s Hydra. A fossil called Tanystropheus was first described in 1852, and it’s been puzzling…
Tracking Humanity’s Latest Plastics and Chemical Toxins in Stranded Whales and Dolphins
As humanity develops new types of plastics and chemicals, researchers are constantly trying to keep up with understanding how these contaminants affect the environment and…
Reef Sharks in Decline – Already Functionally Extinct on Many of the World’s Reefs
Global survey reveals sharks are functionally extinct on many of the world’s reefs, but hope lies in key conservation measures. Though many people find them…
Sexual Parasitism: Deep-Sea Anglerfish Evolved a New Type of Immune System to Physically Fuse With Their Mates
Deep-sea anglerfishes have evolved a curious reproductive strategy. Tiny males attach themselves to gigantic females so tightly that the tissues of the two animals eventually…
Strategic Networking: Young Dolphins Pick Their Friends Wisely
Dolphins choose childhood friends that set them up for success as adults. Strategic networking is key to career success, and not just for humans. A…