oceanbites

Interested in science communication? Come write for us! Questions? Email oceanbitesorg@gmail.com See oceanbites.org for our most recent articles

Did you know that the tiny crab-like critters at the beach are called amphipods? Amphipods dominate ocean ecosystems, so studying them reveals a lot about marine biodiversity. Here, researchers study how depth, habitat type, and latitude affect amphipods. oceanbites.org/where-the-amph…

Underwater, sound can travel a hundred times further than on land. This makes sound an indispensable tool for marine animals to communicate with. As human continue to add noise to the oceans, how can scientists study the hearing of marine animals? oceanbites.org/hearing-in-a-w…

Climate change is a big problem and coral reefs are complex, so how can we research the effect of climate change on a single factor, like fish presence? In a 12-year project, researchers used video survey to study reef fish patterns in the Gulf of Mexico. oceanbites.org/fish-community…

Have you ever wondered how sea level is measured? In this study, researchers measured the global sea level using data from satellites and ocean surface floats. As sea level rise threatens coastal communities, finding how fast it's changing is crucial. oceanbites.org/the-increasing…

Human-driven nutrient influxes often clash with natural cycles. Isolated island ecosystems rely on unique, natural nutrient sources, like seabird colonies, which provide a steady nutrient flow via guano (yes, seabird poop!). How can guano help corals? oceanbites.org/seabird-poop-a…

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) aim to protect marine ecosystems through a variety of measures. In this study, researchers compare the effectiveness and phenomena that exist in isolated (far from humans) and urban (near high human populations) MPAs. oceanbites.org/testing-the-ef…

A ghostly fish, caught as bycatch in Albania in March, became a puzzle to fishermen and scientists. The discovery of the shark, remarkably different from its relatives, led to an investigation into the reason for its distinct coloration – or lack thereof. oceanbites.org/this-deep-sea-…

The Coral Triangle, which encompasses the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, is the most biodiverse place in the world. It harbors 75% of all known coral species and 40% of reef fish worldwide. But how did it become so biodiverse? oceanbites.org/what-tiny-foss…

One challenge for non-moving marine organisms is the dispersion of larvae, as they can't control where the larvae will settle. In this study, researchers investigate the parasitic use of jellyfish by sea anemone as hosts to further disperse their larvae. oceanbites.org/a-new-host-is-…

It is no secret that our planet is changing and many marine species are disappearing, due to activities like fishing and development. But what if scientists could preserve the cells of important species so that they would never truly go extinct? oceanbites.org/the-fish-that-…

Did you know that it snows underwater? Marine snow, organic material that sinks to the deep ocean, is a crucial part of the carbon cycle. Researchers in this study explore the impact of plastic microfiber pollution on marine snow and nutrient transport. oceanbites.org/from-laundry-t…

While wave energy has shown promise in helping phase out fossil fuels, the impacts of wave energy infrastructure on the ocean is unknown. In this study, researchers set out to predict how rocky shore communities may be impacted wave energy converters. oceanbites.org/waves-of-the-f…

You may have heard that we just exited an El Niño event-a climate anomaly that results in high air and sea surface temperatures. Combined with climate change, El Niño can lead to increased severe weather events. But how are animals impacted by El Niño? oceanbites.org/does-el-nino-d…

While corals are known to use many reproductive modes (e.g., sequential hermaphrodism-producing both eggs and sperm, one at a time), the details of these modes are unknown. Researchers in this study set out to better understand this mode in anchor coral. oceanbites.org/changing-for-r…

Check out our post by guest writer Annabeth McCall, a PhD candidate studying ocean-color remote sensing in Arctic waters. She describes her research and experience on a five-week field expedition to the Canadian Arctic to collect data for her dissertation! oceanbites.org/color-by-numbe…

Temperatures in polar oceans can reach below zero because the salt in seawater lowers the freezing point. So why don’t fish freeze? In this study, scientists investigate a special antifreeze protein adapted in three lineages of polar fish. oceanbites.org/fish-antifreez…

Mangroves–trees that live in saltwater–have an impressive capacity to store large amounts of carbon in their soil. Scientists in this study measured how climate change has impacted this carbon storage ability in recent years. oceanbites.org/super-trees-th…

How do jellyfish orient themselves in the environment? Jellies have surprising complexity beneath the "bell" part of their body. In this study, researchers investigated the biological structures that allow jellyfish to move with such mesmerizing grace. oceanbites.org/decoding-the-g…

New data is unraveling the mystery of the elusive megamouth shark. The filter-feeding species lives 1,000-4,000 feet below the ocean's surface. In this study, scientists tagged three megamouth sharks in Taiwan's waters to understand their daily movements. oceanbites.org/megamouth-shar…

Read about one of our author's experience as an intern at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) in our newest article! oceanbites.org/from-intern-to…