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Articles on Marine biology

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Ocean carbon storage is driven by phytoplankton blooms, like the turquoise swirls visible here in the North Sea and waters off Denmark. NASA

Tiny plankton drive processes in the ocean that capture twice as much carbon as scientists thought

Microscopic ocean phytoplankton feed a “biological pump” that carries carbon from the surface to deep waters. Scientists have found that this process stores much more carbon than previously thought.
Researchers use Atlantic mackerel for bait on long-lining fishing sampling expeditions in the Gulf of Mexico.. C-IMAGE Consortium

Scientists have found oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout in fishes’ livers and on the deep ocean floor

The Deepwater Horizon oil disaster catalyzed a decade of research on oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, from surface waters to the seabed, with surprising findings.
The Ringtail Unicornfish, which occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific. All fish sleep, even the weird-looking ones. Bernard Spragg/Flickr

Curious Kids: how do fish sleep?

Fish may not have eyelids to close, but they sleep – and perhaps even dream.
Larval black sea bass, an important commercial species along the US Atlantic coast. NOAA Fisheries/Ehren Habeck

Fish larvae float across national borders, binding the world’s oceans in a single network

Fish can’t read maps, and their eggs and larvae drift across national boundaries. Recent research shows that local problems in one fishery can affect others across wide areas.
It’s OK, I’m a filter feeder: Whale shark off Indonesia. Marcel Ekkel/Flickr

Shark Week looms, but don’t panic

Media coverage of sharks often exaggerates risks to people, but more than 500 shark species have never been known to attack humans, and there’s lots to learn about them.
Anglerfish have an enlarged fin overhanging their eyes and their mouth that acts as a lure – much like bait on a fisherman’s line. Shutterstock

Curious Kids: how would the disappearance of anglerfish affect our environment?

We know very little about the deep sea and how its inhabitants, including anglerfish, will respond to change. In fact, more people have walked on the Moon than have been to the bottom of the ocean.
Everything in an animal’s body is made out of cells. And these cells need chemicals, such as salt, in and around them to work properly. The chemical balance needs to be just right. Alyse & Remi/flickr

Curious Kids: how do sea creatures drink sea water and not get sick?

Some animals, such as ghost shrimps can even cope with water that is saltier than normal seawater. It’s all down to evolution.
A school of juvenile bocaccio in the midwaters of Platform Gilda, Santa Barbara Channel, Calif. Scott Gietler

Retired oil rigs off the California coast could find new lives as artificial reefs

Californians love their coast and strongly oppose offshore drilling. Will they support converting old oil rigs to artificial reefs – a policy that benefits both marine life and oil companies?
Climate change could further stress species such as Atlantic cod that already are threatened by overfishing. Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock

How is climate change affecting fishes? There are clues inside their ears

Tiny calcified formations inside fishes’ ears can be used to trace a fish’s life history – and potentially, how climate change has affected its growth and development.

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