62% of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated to protect rare migratory fish species are outside of their core habitats, according to a new modelling study.
Giant, prehistoric salmon had tusk-like teeth
Baby sharks stick close to shore
Scientists have shown for the first time that juvenile great white sharks gather in nearshore waters up to 10 meters deep with temperatures between 16 and 22 °C – a very different habitat from that of adults. These preferences may optimize their growth and minimize the risk of predation. These results can inform conservation efforts and help avoid unwanted encounters with swimmers.
750+ Oil Slicks Found in Mediterranean Sea
A new report released at the Our Ocean Conference in Greece by SkyTruth, a nonprofit conservation technology organization, identified 757 oil slicks covering 1.9 million hectares in the Mediterranean Sea between July 2020 - January 2024. Most of these slicks were discharged from vessels in transit.
Data collected by record-breaking rowers shows Great Britain’s warming seas
Deepwater sharks threatened by overfishing
BLUE-X: harvesting Earth Observation data for offshore renewables
Seven European partners, including offshore renewable energy and Earth Observation specialists, have teamed up for the BLUE-X project. Together, they will develop a satellite-based decision support tool to accelerate offshore renewable energy deployments. This is the first blue energy Horizon Europe project funded by the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA).
Tiny crustaceans discovered preying on live jellyfish during harsh Arctic night
Scientists used DNA metabarcoding to show for the first time that jellyfish are an important food for amphipods during the Arctic polar night in waters off Svalbard, at a time of year when other food resources are scarce. Amphipods were not only observed to feast on ‘jelly-falls’ of dead jellyfish, but also to prey on live jellyfish. These results corroborate an ongoing ‘paradigm shift’ which recognizes that jellyfish aren’t a trophic dead-end but an important food for many marine organisms.
Call for your letters to the Sea
Galápagos penguin is exposed to and may accumulate microplastics at high rate within its food web, modelling suggests
Bacteria linked to mass death of sea sponges weakened by warming Mediterranean
In 2021, divers off the Turkish Aegean coast first observed dark stinging sponges dying in great numbers. Researchers have now sampled three species of pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, previously known to infect unrelated marine animals, from diseased and dying sponges. Evidence suggests that vibriosis may be a secondary illness that affects already weakened sponges, but is not necessarily the primary agent of the novel disease.