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Articles on Marine biology

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A casual stroll on the beach can leave enough intact DNA behind to extract identifiable information. Comezora/Moment via Getty Images

You shed DNA everywhere you go – trace samples in the water, sand and air are enough to identify who you are, raising ethical questions about privacy

Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions.
A large robot, loaded with sensors and cameras, designed to explore the ocean twilight zone. Marine Imaging Technologies, LLC © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Scientists envision an ‘internet of the ocean,’ with sensors and autonomous vehicles that can explore the deep sea and monitor its vital signs

The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere, but first we need a 4D monitoring system to ensure ramping up carbon storage does no harm.
When fish like this netted cod are exposed to mercury, it accumulates in certain organs, including the lenses of their eyes. Yvette Heimbrand

The lenses of fishes’ eyes record their lifetime exposure to toxic mercury, new research finds

A new study shows that a time stamp can be put on mercury that accumulates in fish eyes, offering a window into their lifetime exposure.
Researchers discovered five new species of black corals, including this Hexapathes bikofskii growing out of a nautilus shell more than 2,500 feet (760 meters) below the surface. Jeremy Horowitz

Scientists discover five new species of black corals living thousands of feet below the ocean surface near the Great Barrier Reef

Black corals provide critical habitat for many creatures that live in the dark, often barren, deep sea, and researchers are learning more about these rare corals with every dive.
Whitetip sharks amid a school of anthias near Jarvis island in the South Pacific. Kelvin Gorospe, NOAA/NMFS/Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Blog/Flickr

How you can help protect sharks – and what doesn’t work

Sharks are much more severely threatened by humans than vice versa. A marine biologist explains how people can help protect sharks and why some strategies are more effective than others.
Sunscreens for sale at a Walgreens drug store. Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is ‘urgently needed,’ while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer

Rising concern about possible environmental damage from the active ingredients in sunscreens could have ripple effects on public health if it causes people to use less of them.
The sound of the marine environment has been underestimated, mainly because it is not audible to the human ear. (Shutterstock)

The ocean is not a quiet place

The ocean is often considered a silent universe. But many recent studies highlight the importance of the soundscape for many marine species, both large and small.

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