Oceanbites

The goal of oceanbites is to make cutting edge research in the ocean sciences accessible to all!

Oceanbites is a grad student-run blog bringing cutting-edge research in marine science to broad audiences by translating recent journal articles using language anyone with a high school science background can easily understand.

01/08/2025

Did you know that the tiny crab-looking critters at the beach are actually called amphipods? Amphipods tend to be the dominant species in healthy ocean ecosystems, so knowing where they live is key to understanding marine biodiversity. In this study, researchers investigate how depth, habitat type, latitude, and the environment affect amphipod diversity and distributions.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/where-the-amphipods-are/

12/18/2024

Studying animal communication is no easy feat, and underwater, the challenges grow exponentially. In the ocean, where vision fades quickly and scents drift unpredictably with the currents, sound takes center stage as the primary mode of communication.

In the air, low-frequency sounds travel a few kilometers at best, but underwater, the same sounds can travel tens to hundreds of kilometers. This makes sound an indispensable tool for marine animals to explore their environment and stay connected.

As human concerningly continue to add noise to the oceans, how can scientists study the hearing of marine animals?

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/hearing-in-a-world-of-noise-testing-the-hearing-capacity-of-minke-whales/

12/11/2024

Climate change has proven to be a threat to all ecosystems, but coral reefs are especially at risk. Because the problem is so big, and reefs so complex, understanding the effect of environmental conditions on a single factor is not easy.

So how can we research how fish presence and environmental conditions interact in the real world? In a long-term study conducted over 12 years (1995-2007), researchers used video footage to investigate reef fish patterns in the Gulf of Mexico.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/fish-community-organization/

12/01/2024

Have you ever wondered how climate change causes sea level rise?
As the climate warms, the ocean expands as water molecules become gaseous and ice in the pole melt.
In a recent study, researchers aimed to measure the global sea level using data captured by satellites and floats on the ocean surface, which measure the physical height of the ocean surface. As sea level rise threatens coastal communities, understanding the rate of sea level change is crucial.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/the-increasing-rates-of-sea-level-rise/

11/13/2024

Human-driven nutrient influxes frequently clash with natural nutrient cycles, especially in aquatic and marine settings. In freshwater, fertilizers and other runoffs can spur algae blooms and increase populations of filter feeders, shifting the balance of local ecosystems. In contrast, isolated island ecosystems rely on unique, natural nutrient sources, like seabird colonies, which provide a steady nutrient flow via guano (yes, seabird p**p!). How can seabird p**p help corals?

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/seabird-p**p-and-coral-growth-an-unexpected-link/

11/11/2024

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one of several conservation tools we use to help protect critical ocean environments and species. Examples include bans on fishing/trawling or limiting boat traffic. Fish have been shown to significantly increase in density, size and biomass as a result, which is known as the ‘reserve effect.’

In the Mediterranean Sea, many established MPAs with this effect are isolated. They exist in low human density locations or along islands with minimal disturbance.

Conservationists are now looking at urban MPAs, MPAs next to large population centers, to combat this loss of isolation. With their proximity to human disturbances like tourism, boat traffic, and pollution, can these be as effective as their more isolated counterparts?

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/testing-the-effectiveness-of-urban-marine-protected-areas/

11/08/2024

An accidental bycatch from a trawler became a puzzling surprise to both fisherman and scientist alike. A ghostly pale individual was brought up from the waters of Albania in March this year–a deep sea angular rough shark that looked remarkably different from its relatives. This discovery led to a scientific investigation into the reason for this individual’s distinct coloration – or lack thereof.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/this-deep-sea-shark-pales-in-comparison-for-an-unknown-reason/

11/06/2024

The Coral Triangle glimmers with life. It contains over six hundred species of colorful reef-building corals that line the coastline and makes a home for three thousand species of fish.
This region is so biodiverse that it harbors seventy-five percent of all known coral species and forty percent of reef fish worldwide. In fact, the Coral Triangle, which encompasses the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, is considered the most biodiverse place in the world. But how did it become so biodiverse?

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/what-tiny-fossils-can-tell-us-about-a-biodiversity-hotspot/

10/27/2024

One of the most difficult processes of non-moving marine organisms is the dispersion of larvae, as they can't control where the larvae will settle. One way to combat this challenge is by having parasitic larvae.
In this study, researchers investigate the use of jellyfish by sea anemone as hosts to further disperse their larvae.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/a-new-host-is-a-new-life/

10/21/2024

It is no secret that our planet is changing and many species are endangered, disappearing, or extinct. This is especially true in the marine environment, as activities like fishing, coastal development, and pollution pose a threat to marine life. However, as technology evolves and improves, perhaps we can reverse or prevent these losses with new discoveries. What if scientists could preserve the cells of important species so that they would never truly go extinct?

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/the-fish-that-could-live-forever/

10/16/2024

Did you know snow is just as important in the ocean as it is on land? Marine snow, or the sinking of organic material to the ocean’s deeper layers, plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle by transporting nutrients to deep-sea species.

A significant threat to this process is the incorporation of microplastics into sinking aggregates. Researchers in this study explore the impact of plastic microfibers on essential sinking processes like marine snow and the implications for nutrient transport.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/from-laundry-to-the-deep-sea/

10/14/2024

Wave energy shows a lot of promise in helping the world phase out fossil fuels. The technology continues to be perfected while sites along high energy coastlines are mapped out. However, the impacts of this infrastructure on the ocean itself is not well assessed. In this study, researchers set out to predict how rocky shore communities would change if wave energy converters were installed on the Orkney islands, north of Scotland.

Read more here: https://oceanbites.org/waves-of-the-future/

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