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A monogenean flatworm
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past
New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past

New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.

New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.

marine biology, ecology

Green fish with boat behind
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill’s Hidden Impacts on Mahi-Mahi      
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Sep 28, 2022 | 5 min read
Mahi-mahi were more likely to be eaten and less likely to spawn after being exposed to sublethal concentrations of oil, raising concerns about the risks oceanic drilling pose to life in the ocean.
Close-up of a fiber with brightly colored pathogens beside it
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Apr 26, 2022 | 2 min read
Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.
A black and white photo of a man standing at a lab bench, holding up a glass jar
Reimagining Ecology, 1939
Lisa Winter | Apr 4, 2022 | 3 min read
Edward Ricketts built his laboratory just onshore from the swirling tidepools of Monterey Bay, California, an ideal backdrop against which he developed a new system for studying the ecology of any given habitat.
Colorized satellite image of milky sea
Milky Seas Can Be Spotted from Space
Connor Lynch | Nov 1, 2021 | 5 min read
Analysis of data from a new satellite sensor helps researchers detect large patches of bioluminescence in the oceans faster than ever before.
sea snake swimming in blue water
Sea Snake “Attacks” Are Cases of Mistaken Identity: Study
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 19, 2021 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke to marine biologist Tim Lynch, who dusted off 25-year-old data from his PhD to figure out why olive sea snakes approach divers so often. He says the animals, especially the males, likely confuse people for potential mates.
man in motorboat by a pier with the sea surface covered in marine mucilage
Why Turkey’s Sea of Marmara Is Full of Marine Snot
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jun 11, 2021 | 3 min read
Turkish officials are scrambling to clean up a massive, gooey plankton bloom that’s sliming the country’s ports and could suffocate the area’s marine ecosystems.
A tiger shark swimming in the shallow water of the ocean above a sandy bottom, with another shark and fish in the background
While Some Sharks Flee, Tiger Sharks Brave Stormy Seas
Nikk Ogasa | May 12, 2021 | 3 min read
For the first time, scientists tracked large shark movements during hurricanes and found that tiger sharks may find the turmoil opportunistic for feeding.
Restored Corals Spawn Hope for Reefs Worldwide
Hanna R. Koch, Erinn Muller, and Michael P. Crosby | Feb 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Novel technologies establish a new paradigm for global coral reef restoration, with in situ spawning of mature, environmentally resilient corals in five years instead of decades.
Infographic: How to Accelerate the Growth of Restored Corals
Hanna R. Koch, Erinn Muller, and Michael P. Crosby | Feb 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Our novel technique involves planting several small fragments of slow-growing corals onto dead coral heads. The fragments eventually fuse, forming a large colony in a fraction of the time that it takes wild corals to build reefs.
Why Fish Don’t Exist TS Book Club Discussion
The Scientist | Jan 28, 2021 | 1 min read
Join The Scientist on March 19 to discuss Lulu Miller’s book about a determined taxonomist whose life and work constitute a fable illustrating the hazards of categorization.
Slideshow: Solving a Gray Whale Murder Mystery
Ashley Yeager | Nov 12, 2020 | 2 min read
One way to investigate the record-setting deaths of the marine mammals is to perform autopsies on them, but researchers are also taking a close look at living whales for clues to what could be killing them.
Infographic: Investigating Whale Strandings Along the North American Coast
Ashley Yeager | Nov 1, 2020 | 2 min read
Knock-on effects of melting sea ice in the Arctic may be to blame for a spate of gray whale deaths along their migration route from Mexico to Alaska.
Clues Point to Climate Change as a Culprit in Gray Whale Deaths
Ashley Yeager | Nov 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
For the past two years, the charismatic marine mammals have washed up on Pacific shores in record numbers. Scientists investigating the strandings suspect warming waters and melting sea ice are partly to blame.
Contributors
The Scientist | Nov 1, 2019 | 4 min read
Meet some of the people featured in the November 2019 issue of The Scientist.
Fastest-Ever Cell Contractions Observed in Primitive Invertebrate
Abby Olena, PhD | Dec 13, 2018 | 4 min read
The microscopic marine animal Trichoplax adhaerens may use rapid changes in cell shape to avoid being ripped apart by forces in the ocean.
Image of the Day: Cryo Corals
Ashley Yeager | Oct 26, 2018 | 1 min read
With the help of gold nanorods and a cryoprotectant, coral larvae are brought back to life after cryopreservation.
Two orcas underwater
Long-Banned Pollutants Will Decimate Orcas: Study
Shawna Williams | Sep 28, 2018 | 2 min read
PCBs persist in the environment and accumulate in killer whales, driving their numbers down.
Rat Infestation Takes a Toll on Nearby Coral Reefs
Shawna Williams | Jul 12, 2018 | 1 min read
A study shows that by killing off seabirds on islands, rodents slash the flow of nutrients into the ocean.
Image of the Day: Landing Blows
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 18, 2018 | 1 min read
The smashing mantis shrimp is strategic in its attack on sea snails.  
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