Surveying the bottom of the ocean turns out to be far from easy. But there was something wonderful about seeing animals we have only read about in old books.
Some sea animals with smooth shells can dig themselves into the sand in just a few seconds.
Flickr/jridgewayphotography
Maëlle, 7, wants to know why some shells are smooth, while others are corrugated. It turns out that while corrugated shells are strong, smooth shells can move fast.
A tank can give a good idea of what will happen out in the wild.
A new study suggests the benefits of a boost to marine plant growth from increased carbon dioxide will be cancelled out by the increased stress to fish species.
Fish leave bits of DNA behind that researchers can collect.
Mark Stoeckle/Diane Rome Peebles images
Animals shed bits of DNA as they go about their lives. A new study of the Hudson River estuary tracked spring migration of ocean fish by collecting water samples and seeing whose DNA was present when.
Scientists have sequenced the seahorse’s genome and found the genes that could explain male pregnancy.
Whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus), found in the Indo-Pacific, crop the upper portion of algae while feeding, preventing macroalgae from becoming established on reefs.
Kevin Lino/NOAA
Plant-eating fish control the spread of seaweed and algae on coral reefs. New research explaining why populations of these fish vary from site to site could lead to better reef protection strategies.
A researcher taking a photo-identification shot of a whale shark.
(C) Peter Verhoog, Dutch Shark Society
Most ocean species start out as larvae drifting with currents. Using underwater robots, scientists have found that larvae use swimming motions to affect their course and reach suitable places to grow.
Cartier Island marine reserve is part of a network that covers one-third of Australian waters.
Australian Institute of Marine Science
Marine parks need to cover large swathes of ocean, but they also need to cover the right areas if they are to deliver the best conservation. New research off Australia’s northwest suggests how.
Hey, is there something on my back?
Nathan J. Robinson
Tiny animals along for the ride, called epibionts, could be used as living data-loggers. Researchers can glean info from them that could help inform turtle-friendly fisheries management decisions.
Fluorescent image of the coral Pocillopora damicornis. The field of view is approximately 4.1 x 3.4 mm.
Andrew D. Mullen/UCSD
A 10-week surge in ocean temperatures off the Western Australian coast has killed off large patches of kelp forest, the “biological engine” of Australia’s southern reefs.
What scientists first thought was an ancient species that had survived undiscovered for many millions of years, turns out to be part of something equally mysterious.
Corals north of Cairns have been hit hardest by the recent bleaching.
AAP Image/ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Kerry
An estimated one-third of corals have now died in the parts of the Great Barrier Reef hit hardest by bleaching, meaning recovery could take years or even decades.
A study has shown that turtle hatchlings lend each other a flipper digging out of the sand to save energy.
Banco de Imagem Projeto Tamar/Flickr
The Great Barrier Reef might get all the attention, but what about our western coral reefs? Warmer waters and human impacts mean these reefs are in trouble.