Exploring the impact of climate change, overfishing and pollution on marine life and habitats. https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/biodiversity/rss en Biodiversity Coral Reefs Fri, 31 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Lindsay Abrams https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/31/in-photos-exploring-the-deep-sea-secrets-of-the-american-deep-south https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/31/in-photos-exploring-the-deep-sea-secrets-of-the-american-deep-south In June, an expedition set off to explore a poorly understood region of the deep sea near the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. NOAA expedition coordinator Kasey Cantwell describes the discoveries that surprised scientists. Biodiversity Blue Economy Solutions Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Alastair Bland https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/27/gene-pollution-threatens-wild-salmon-a-solution-sterile-farmed-fish https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/27/gene-pollution-threatens-wild-salmon-a-solution-sterile-farmed-fish Farmed Atlantic salmon don’t fare well in the wild. That’s a problem when they escape their pens and breed with vulnerable Atlantic salmon populations, spreading their genes. Scientists are now urging aquaculture companies to consider raising fish that won’t reproduce. Biodiversity Climate Change Fisheries Technology Fri, 10 Aug 2018 07:50:00 +0000 Ann Bucklin https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/08/10/how-dna-sequencing-is-revealing-new-insights-about-ocean-health https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/08/10/how-dna-sequencing-is-revealing-new-insights-about-ocean-health Despite the critical role marine zooplankton play in ocean ecosystems, scientists know little about the tiny species. Ann Bucklin, a professor of marine sciences at the University of Connecticut, describes how her laboratory is changing that. Biodiversity Climate Change Coral Reefs Wed, 08 Aug 2018 12:10:00 +0000 Alastair Bland https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/08/cant-stand-the-heat-wave-coral-protecting-fish-in-decline https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/08/08/cant-stand-the-heat-wave-coral-protecting-fish-in-decline An extensive survey of the Great Barrier Reef finds that a spike in ocean temperatures in 2016 led to a fall in populations of parrotfish, which keep corals healthy and help them recover from bleaching events by eating harmful algae. Biodiversity Fisheries Tue, 24 Jul 2018 06:00:00 +0000 Erik Hoffner https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/24/exploring-a-great-white-shark-nursery-in-the-shadow-of-new-york-city https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/24/exploring-a-great-white-shark-nursery-in-the-shadow-of-new-york-city With one of the ocean’s iconic predators globally threatened, a shark tagging program off the shores of Long Island is an effort to understand behaviors of young in a marine region where their numbers may be increasing. Biodiversity Fisheries Mon, 23 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/07/23/what-its-like-to-personify-a-shark-on-twitter https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/07/23/what-its-like-to-personify-a-shark-on-twitter The combination of tagging and social media has helped both scientists and the public engage with the ocean’s most feared predator in new ways. Jim Ware, who has tweeted as Mary Lee – the world’s most famous shark since Jaws – tells Oceans Deeply about his experience. Biodiversity Fisheries Fri, 13 Jul 2018 03:00:54 +0000 Solvin Zankl, Elizabeth Preston https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/13/inside-the-frenzy-for-japans-mysteriously-glowing-firefly-squid https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/13/inside-the-frenzy-for-japans-mysteriously-glowing-firefly-squid Near the coast of Japan, the annual spawning ritual of the normally elusive deep-sea creatures attracts the attention of fishers and scientists. Despite years of study, no one fully understands how or why they bioluminesce. Biodiversity Climate Change Coral Reefs Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:34:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/09/island-of-coral-resilience-shows-hope-and-limits-for-reefs-future https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/07/09/island-of-coral-resilience-shows-hope-and-limits-for-reefs-future Bermuda is home to one of the highest-latitude coral reefs in the world, and scientists there are working to decode the keys to its health as climate change devastates reefs elsewhere. Biodiversity Climate Change Fisheries Marine Protected Areas Solutions Thu, 07 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Kimberley Davies https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/07/how-new-fishing-rules-could-save-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whales https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/07/how-new-fishing-rules-could-save-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whales The need for new protections for North Atlantic right whales in Canada’s Gulf of St. Lawrence underscore these animals’ dire situation – and how little we still know about them. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Marine Protected Areas Fri, 01 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jessica Leber https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/01/exploring-a-new-zone-of-deep-sea-coral-life-hidden-in-plain-sight https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/06/01/exploring-a-new-zone-of-deep-sea-coral-life-hidden-in-plain-sight A 2016 expedition near Bermuda found new species and biological communities thriving on the seabed relatively near shore. Alex Rogers, science director of the Nekton Oxford Deep Ocean Exploration Institute, says the discovery shows how little we know about marine life. Biodiversity Climate Change Solutions Mon, 28 May 2018 06:30:00 +0000 Clara Mackenzie, Joanne Porter https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/28/explosion-of-marine-life-in-the-wreckage-of-a-world-war-is-under-threat https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/28/explosion-of-marine-life-in-the-wreckage-of-a-world-war-is-under-threat The scuttling of 52 German warships off Scotland nearly a century ago during World War I spawned a habitat for a diverse array of crab, lobster, starfish, sea urchin and fish. Now bottom trawling and climate change is imperiling that refuge, say two researchers. Biodiversity Fisheries Wed, 23 May 2018 07:40:00 +0000 Matthew O. Berger https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/23/why-sea-otters-are-moving-inshore-and-alligators-are-hitting-the-beach https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/23/why-sea-otters-are-moving-inshore-and-alligators-are-hitting-the-beach Coastal predators are increasingly living in habitats beyond their traditional niches – a sign, a new paper argues, that they may be more resilient than thought. Biodiversity Fisheries Solutions Fri, 18 May 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Ian Evans https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/18/rigs-to-reefs-giving-oil-platforms-a-second-life-for-conservation https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/18/rigs-to-reefs-giving-oil-platforms-a-second-life-for-conservation Projects to convert retired oil rigs into artificial reefs are controversial. But advocates and consultants Emily Callahan and Amber Jackson argue this practice provides valuable habitat at a time when natural coral reefs are disappearing. Biodiversity Climate Change Fisheries Thu, 17 May 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Jefferson Keith Moore https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/17/global-fish-catch-could-plummet-as-climate-change-takes-hold https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/17/global-fish-catch-could-plummet-as-climate-change-takes-hold Over the next two centuries, warming oceans could trap nutrients at the poles and starve out many of the world’s fisheries, according to a recent study. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Fisheries Governance Fri, 11 May 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Ian Evans https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/11/expedition-reveals-the-mysteries-at-the-bottom-of-the-gulf-of-mexico https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/05/11/expedition-reveals-the-mysteries-at-the-bottom-of-the-gulf-of-mexico The Okeanos Expedition has returned from a 23-day exploration of the deep ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientist Daniel Wagner says that much of what they saw was new to science and could affect management of the Gulf. Biodiversity Solutions Technology Thu, 10 May 2018 08:10:00 +0000 Paul Tullis https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/10/meet-the-shrimp-with-superpowers-to-see-worlds-we-can-only-imagine https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/10/meet-the-shrimp-with-superpowers-to-see-worlds-we-can-only-imagine Forget ‘Spidey sense’ – the seafloor-dwelling mantis shrimp can perceive light and colors invisible to humans. Scientists are investigating its complex and utterly bizarre vision system and how it could help create advanced underwater cameras, medical devices and robots. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Tue, 08 May 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Amelia Urry https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/08/new-discoveries-about-unique-amazon-coral-reef-at-risk-from-oil-drilling https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/08/new-discoveries-about-unique-amazon-coral-reef-at-risk-from-oil-drilling A Greenpeace-backed expedition has brought back images of a huge and biologically important reef system at the mouth of Brazil’s Amazon river that is threatened by offshore development. Biodiversity Climate Change Marine Protected Areas Mon, 07 May 2018 11:00:00 +0000 Matthew O. Berger https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/07/report-marine-protected-areas-offer-no-protection-from-climate-change https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/07/report-marine-protected-areas-offer-no-protection-from-climate-change Scientists modeled projected increases in ocean temperatures through the end of the century and found that even the largest and well-protected marine reserves will not blunt the impact of climate change on biodiversity. Biodiversity Technology Fri, 04 May 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Stefano Mariani, Judith Bakker https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/04/in-oceans-of-dna-biologists-discover-hidden-shark-diversity https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/04/in-oceans-of-dna-biologists-discover-hidden-shark-diversity Rapidly advancing technology allows scientists to find elusive sharks by detecting their DNA signature in the water. That could help devise more effective protections for predators decimated by overfishing and other threats. Biodiversity Solutions Technology Thu, 03 May 2018 08:10:00 +0000 Paul Tullis https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/03/how-oil-industry-robots-can-help-scientists-explore-the-deep-sea https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/03/how-oil-industry-robots-can-help-scientists-explore-the-deep-sea Researchers often can’t afford to send remotely operated vehicles to the far reaches of the ocean. Now they’re collaborating with business to take advantage of discoveries made by ROVs deployed by oil and gas companies. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Fisheries Solutions Technology Wed, 02 May 2018 08:30:00 +0000 Alastair Bland https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/02/new-weapons-in-the-war-on-lionfish-a-beautiful-but-deadly-invader https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/05/02/new-weapons-in-the-war-on-lionfish-a-beautiful-but-deadly-invader Lionfish are decimating valuable native species in the western Atlantic Ocean, but spearing the predators hasn’t been enough to slow their spread. Now scientists and fishers are developing traps and other technology to catch the voracious fish en masse. Biodiversity Solutions Mon, 30 Apr 2018 06:00:00 +0000 Matthew O. Berger https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/30/how-regulating-ships-carbon-emissions-saves-endangered-whales https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/30/how-regulating-ships-carbon-emissions-saves-endangered-whales Since California imposed clean air restrictions on vessels that travel through state waters, the number of fatal collisions with the big marine mammals has fallen as captains slow down. But much more needs to be done to reduce ship strikes, marine biologists say. Biodiversity Governance Marine Protected Areas Fri, 27 Apr 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Erica Gies https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/27/does-size-matter-debating-the-role-of-marine-protected-areas https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/27/does-size-matter-debating-the-role-of-marine-protected-areas As the world’s marine ecosystems face increasing threats, scientists disagree on whether the trend toward huge, remote reserves is a promising new development or a worrisome distraction. Biodiversity Deep Sea Mining Technology Thu, 26 Apr 2018 06:00:00 +0000 Ian Evans https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/26/deeply-talks-behind-the-quest-to-map-the-seabed-by-2030 https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/26/deeply-talks-behind-the-quest-to-map-the-seabed-by-2030 Mars is mapped in better detail than the ocean floor, which is why a project on the scale of some space missions was launched to change that. Listen to experts discuss how Seabed 2030 will work and what it could mean for marine conservation. Biodiversity Wed, 25 Apr 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Alastair Bland https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/25/a-voyage-to-the-white-shark-cafe-to-find-out-whats-on-the-menu https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/25/a-voyage-to-the-white-shark-cafe-to-find-out-whats-on-the-menu The predators’ annual migration to a remote area of the Pacific Ocean has long remained a mystery. Now scientists have embarked on a mission to investigate just what the great whites are doing during their sojourn. The answers could help protect the region. Biodiversity Fisheries Governance Solutions Tue, 24 Apr 2018 06:50:00 +0000 Ian Evans https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/24/goldman-prize-goes-to-activist-who-fought-deep-sea-industrial-trawling https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/community/2018/04/24/goldman-prize-goes-to-activist-who-fought-deep-sea-industrial-trawling Claire Nouvian, one of the winners of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize, has successfully battled to protect marine life from destructive fishing practices. Biodiversity Climate Change Coral Reefs Wed, 18 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000 Todd Woody https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/18/scientists-the-great-barrier-reef-as-we-knew-it-is-gone https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/18/scientists-the-great-barrier-reef-as-we-knew-it-is-gone A new study finds that the extreme coral bleaching event of 2016 devastated the world’s largest coral reef and is dramatically altering coral ecosystems as marine heat waves become more frequent. Biodiversity Climate Change Tue, 17 Apr 2018 07:40:00 +0000 Danielle Beurteaux https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/17/seabirds-arent-keeping-pace-with-climate-change-scientists-warn https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/17/seabirds-arent-keeping-pace-with-climate-change-scientists-warn An international team of researchers finds that seabirds aren’t shifting their breeding times as ocean temperatures rise, which risks putting them out of sync with the availability of prey to find for their young. Biodiversity Fisheries Governance Mon, 16 Apr 2018 08:20:00 +0000 Alastair Bland https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/16/race-to-the-bottom-impact-of-deep-sea-fishing-severely-underestimated https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/16/race-to-the-bottom-impact-of-deep-sea-fishing-severely-underestimated Scientists recalculated historical catch data to find that bottom trawlers that scrape the seafloor with huge nets may be killing far more fish – and destroying more habitats – than previously thought. Biodiversity Coral Reefs Tue, 10 Apr 2018 08:30:00 +0000 Todd Woody https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/10/the-hidden-coral-crisis-loss-of-fish-diversity-after-bleaching-strikes https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/04/10/the-hidden-coral-crisis-loss-of-fish-diversity-after-bleaching-strikes Scientists in Australia have documented how the composition of coral species affects the survival of fish populations following bleaching events. As small fish key to coral health disappear, reefs’ resilience to future catastrophes could decline.