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Articles on Algae

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Environmental DNA is a promising tool for tracking species in freshwater ecosystems like Oregon’s Elkhorn Creek. Greg Shine, BLM/Flickr

Scientists at work: We use environmental DNA to monitor how human activities affect life in rivers and streams

Rivers are among the most embattled ecosystems on Earth. Researchers are testing a new, inexpensive way to study river health by using eDNA to count the species that rivers harbor.
For centuries, sailors have told tales of milky seas – huge swaths of ocean glowing on dark nights, seen in blue in this false–color satellite image. Steven D. Miller/NOAA

Scientists are using new satellite tech to find glow-in-the-dark milky seas of maritime lore

When conditions are just right in some parts of the Indian Ocean, a type of bacteria will multiply and start to glow. Satellites are helping scientists study these milky seas for the first time.
Crystal jellyfish contain glowing proteins that scientists repurpose for an endless array of studies. Weili Li/Moment via Getty Images

From CRISPR to glowing proteins to optogenetics – scientists’ most powerful technologies have been borrowed from nature

Three pioneering technologies have forever altered how researchers do their work and promise to revolutionize medicine, from correcting genetic disorders to treating degenerative brain diseases.
Tampa Bay’s sea grass meadows need sunlight to thrive. Algae blooms block that light and can be toxic to marine life. Joe Whalen Caulerpa/Tampa Bay Estuary Program via Unsplash

Water being pumped into Tampa Bay could cause a massive algae bloom, putting fragile manatee and fish habitats at risk

Harmful algae blooms are an increasing problem in Florida. Once nutrients are in the water to fuel them, little can be done to stop the growth, and the results can be devastating for marine life.
A sea cucumber living on the Great Barrier Reef inter-reef seafloor. Kent Holmes/Nature Ecology and Evolution

Life on the hidden doughnuts of the Great Barrier Reef is also threatened by climate change

We are only just beginning to understand the importance of this deep and hidden area of the inter-reef that supports a rich diversity of marine life.
Dead fish are a source of food for bacteria, which then extract oxygen from the river. AAP

How is oxygen ‘sucked out’ of our waterways?

Hundreds of thousands of fish have died in low-oxygen water. Here’s what actually happened to the oxygen, and why we might see more deaths in the coming weeks.
Algae cover the surface of the Caloosahatchee River at the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam, July 12, 2018, in Alva, Florida. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

What is causing Florida’s algae crisis? 5 questions answered

Red tide and a blue-green algae outbreak are fouling hundreds of miles of coast, killing fish and driving tourists away from beaches. Some of the causes are natural, but human actions play a big role.

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