Marine ecosystems

Analysis and Comment (7)

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Rubbish in the ocean – marine debris – is a terrible threat to wildlife. Discarded fishing nets are among the worst. AAP Image/Department of the Environment and Heritage/Melbourne Zoo

Ghostnets fish on: marine rubbish threatens northern Australian turtles

By Britta Denise Hardesty, CSIRO and Chris Wilcox, CSIRO

Each year around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or thrown overboard by the fisheries around the world. These “ghostnets” drift through the oceans and can continue fishing for many years. They kill…
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Microbial abundances in the sub-seafloor environment are much more variable than thought. giveawayboy

Drastic measures: a revised estimate of Earth’s microbes

By Greg Skilbeck, University of Technology, Sydney

A paper released today in the journal PNAS provides a new estimate of microbial abundance, in light of new information, from the sub-seafloor realm (the so-called “deep biosphere”). As such, we now have…
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Little penguins are among a number of species that are threatened by climate change. AAP/Rick Stevens

Ocean winners and losers revealed in Marine Report Card

By Alistair Hobday, CSIRO

Fish are on the move in Australia’s waters. In southern Australia, scientists, commercial and recreational fishers, divers and beach-goers are reporting the presence of new species. The movement of species…
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South Korea says following Japan in their whaling pursuits for “scientific” purposes is not open to moral debate. Flickr.Issac Kohane

Can South Korea justify its plans for ‘scientific’ whaling?

By Lars Bejder, Murdoch University

The Australian government has sought urgent high level talks over an announcement by South Korea that it intends to resume whaling for “scientific” reasons. South Korea delegate Park Jeong-Seok has told…
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Hard numbers: less than 1% of the world’s oceans are protected but marine scientists think 20% should be off-limits to fishing. AAP/Lloyd Jones

Marine parks: cause for optimism, but devilish details

By David Booth, University of Technology, Sydney

As a marine scientist, I welcome Senator Burke’s brave decision today to roll out Australia’s marine park system. This puts us on a par with other leading nations like the US and UK who have established…
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Networks of nature: a potato cod with striped cleaner wrasse at Osprey Reef, an area in the expanded marine reservations announced today. Flickr/richard ling

Big splash: welcome back to top-shelf marine conservation

By Geoffrey Wescott, Deakin University

Today’s announcement of a national network of marine parks is really a memorable day for Australian nature conservation. The political rhetoric and self-congratulation associated with major events is…
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The wrecking of the MV Tycoon happened just as Christmas Island’s famous crabs began spawning. Justin Gilligan

Christmas Island oil spill: time to value natural treasures, not just trade

By Jean-Paul Hobbs, University of Western Australia and Carlos Duarte, University of Western Australia

Christmas Island has been once again in the headlines: not because of incidents involving asylum-seekers, but because of the recent sinking and breaking up of the Panamanian phosphate carrier MC Tycoon…

Research and News (3)

Research Briefs (17)

Warmer oceans could lead to smaller fish

University of British Columbia

Change in climate, resulting in warmer and less oxygenated oceans, could mean a reduction in the size of fish. Over 600…

Piranhas have a bark to match their bite

University of Liège

Piranhas have been found to bark by a team of biologists from the University of Liège, Belgium. The scientists used a hydrophone…

Participants (39)