Sludge, snags, and surreal animals: life aboard a voyage to study the abyss
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.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Marine biology
Displaying 1 - 20 of 54 articles
Curious Kids: why are some shells smooth and some shells corrugated?
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.
Climate change could drive coastal food webs to collapse
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.
Fishing for DNA: Free-floating eDNA identifies presence and abundance of ocean life
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.
Genes reveal how the seahorse got its snout and became a great father
Scientists have sequenced the seahorse's genome and found the genes that could explain male pregnancy.
Understanding the conditions that foster coral reefs’ caretaker fishes
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.
Whale shark mugshots reveal teenage males hang around WA’s coast
How you tell one whale shark from another? Spots and stripes.
Underwater health check shows kelp forests are declining around the world
Cool-water kelp forests are being eaten by tropical species moving south on warming waters.
Satellite-tagged eels are leading us towards their mysterious birthplace
Scientists think the European eel spawns thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea – but no one has ever seen an eel there.
Underwater robots help scientists see where marine larvae go and how they get there
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.
Oil, gas and marine parks really can coexist in our oceans – here’s how
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.
Sea turtle ‘hitchhikers’ could play an important role in conservation
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.
Underwater microscope provides new views of ocean-floor sea creatures in their natural setting
Could this new technology do for the microscopic marine world what the first telescopes did for the heavens above?
A marine heatwave has wiped out a swathe of WA’s undersea kelp forest
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.
Oceans may become too acidic for animals to smell their way around
'Smell-free seas' would be a disaster for marine life.
Solved mystery of the deep-sea mushroom just raises new questions
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.
How will the Barrier Reef recover from the death of one-third of its northern corals?
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.
Turtle hatchlings lend each other a flipper to save energy
New research suggests turtle hatchlings work together with clutch mates to escape their underground nests.
Historic UN talks could save the high seas
The next cancer breakthrough could be found in international waters – but who's in charge of the high seas?
Western Australia’s coral reefs are in trouble: we mustn’t ignore them
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.
Top contributors
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Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Sheffield
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Professor, Marine Biology, University of Adelaide
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ARC Future Fellow in Marine Ecology, University of Western Australia
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Senior Lecturer in marine ecology, UNSW
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Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museum Victoria
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Associate professor in Marine Biology, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Senior lecturer in Marine Ecology & Head of Blue Carbon Lab, Deakin University
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Director ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland
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Winthrop Professor, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia
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Lecturer in Tropical Biology, James Cook University
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Associate Professor Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University
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Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull
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Professor and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), UNSW
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Associate Scientist, Marine Biological Laboratory
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