Great barrier reef obituary goes viral, to the horror of scientists – ‘The message should be that it isn’t too late, not we should all give up’

[Although this obituary is cleverly written, the GBR’s situation is bad enough, and overstating it isn’t helpful. Nevertheless, this was possibly the GBR’s worst year in its 600,000 year history, with 22 percent of the reef totally bleached. The inexorable trends in acidification and ocean warming suggest that we may still witness the death of […]

Ocean acidification and pollution are silencing the seas

By Ivan Nagelkerken, Sean Connell, and Tullio Rossi19 September 2016 (Australian Geographic) – Despite appearances, the oceans are far from silent places. If you dunk your head underwater you’ll hear a cacophony of sounds from wildlife great and small, crashing waves, and even rain. And it’s louder still for creatures attuned to these sounds. However, […]

Larger marine animals at higher risk of extinction, and humans are to blame

By Ker Than14 September 2016 (Stanford University) – An unprecedented pattern of extinction in the oceans today that selectively targets large-bodied animals over smaller creatures is likely driven by human fishing, according to a new Stanford-led study. “We’ve found that extinction threat in the modern oceans is very strongly associated with larger body size,” said […]

Study links altered brain chemistry, behavioral impairments in fish exposed to elevated CO2

MIAMI, 12 September 2016 (University of Miami) – In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University showed that increased carbon dioxide concentrations alters brain chemistry that may lead to neurological impairment […]

The Anthropocene is here: Scientists recommend naming a new geological epoch as humans ‘permanently reconfigure Earth’s biological trajectory’

29 August 2016 (AFP) – The human impact on Earth’s chemistry and climate has cut short the 11,700-year-old geological epoch known as the Holocene and ushered in a new one, scientists said Monday. The Anthropocene, or “new age of man,” would start from the mid-20th century if their recommendation—submitted Monday to the International Geological Congress […]

Can mussels hang on as oceans become more acidic?

6 July 2016 (Society for Experimental Biology) – Scientists from the University of Washington have found evidence that ocean acidification caused by carbon emissions can prevent mussels attaching themselves to rocks and other substrates, making them easy targets for predators and threatening the mussel farming industry. “A strong attachment is literally a mussel’s lifeline,” said […]

Mussel shells much thinner than 50 years ago

By Matt Wood17 June 2016 (University of Chicago) – California mussel shells collected off the coast of Washington state in the 1970s are, on average, 32 percent thicker than modern specimens, according to a new study published by UChicago biologists. Shells collected by Native Americans 1,000 to 1,300 years ago were also 27 percent thicker […]

New study finds ocean acidification destroying coral reefs in the Florida Keys – ‘We don’t have as much time as we previously thought. The reefs are beginning to dissolve away.’

MIAMI, 1 May 2016 () —In a new study, University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science researchers found that the limestone that forms the foundation of coral reefs along the Florida Reef Tract is dissolving during the fall and winter months on many reefs in the Florida Keys. The research showed […]

Severe Arctic Ocean acidification via permafrost thawing and river runoff

18 April 2016 (Stockholm University) – When organic material released from thawing permafrost is transported to the sea it gets broken down in the seawater contributing to a more rapid acidification of the Arctic Ocean, finds new research by scientists from Stockholm University and colleagues. Ocean acidification is an important consequence of humankind’s release of […]

Herpes outbreak, other marine viruses linked to coral bleaching event – ‘Incidents like this are now happening more widely all around the world’

CORVALLIS, Oregon, 11 February 2016 (OSU) – A study at Oregon State University has concluded that significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses. One such event was documented even as it happened in a three-day period. It showed how an explosion of three […]

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