What's New in Research?
- Birds hit by climate, diet shift - A change in the diet of seabirds may be making them less intelligent and lowering their chances of survival and breeding. (Reported 2005-11-10)
- Scientists gain new insights into "frozen" methane from beneath ocean floor - An international team of scientists supported by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) has completed a unique research expedition aimed at recovering samples of gas hydrate, an ice-like substance hidden beneath the seafloor off Canada’s western coast. Gas hydrate, a mixture of water and mostly methane, is believed to occur under the world’s oceans in great abundance, but it quickly “melts” once removed from the high pressure and cold temperatures of its natural environment, making it very challenging to recover and analyze. (Reported 2005-10-31)
- Scripps scientists participate in historic first surface vessel voyage across Canada Basin - Two ships taking part in a recently completed research voyage investigating the oceanography, marine geology, geophysics and ice cover of the Arctic Ocean have become the first surface vessels to traverse the Canada Basin , the ice-covered sea between Alaska and the North Pole. (Reported 2005-10-31)
- How hot tuna (and some sharks) stay warm - Scientists now have direct evidence that the north Pacific salmon shark maintains its red muscle (RM) at 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit (F), much warmer than the 47 F water in which it lives. The elevated muscle temperature presumably helps the salmon shark survive the cold waters of the north Pacific and take advantage of the abundant food supply there. The heat also appears to factor into the fish's impressive swimming ability. (Reported 2005-10-27)
- Satellite technology allows scientists to track warm sharks in frigid polar seas - Electronic tags broadcasting from the dorsal fins of salmon sharks reveal that these top predators migrate from the glacial waters of Alaska to the warm seas off Hawaii, according to a new study in the journal Science. The salmon shark's ability to survive such a broad range of thermal conditions is attributed to high levels of specialized proteins that keep its heart muscle cells beating at very low temperatures, say the study's authors. (Reported 2005-10-12)
- Secrets of the whale riders - University of Utah biologists studied the genetics of “whale lice” – small crustaceans that are parasites on endangered “right whales” – and showed the giant whales split into three species 5 million to 6 million years ago, and that all three species probably were equally abundant before whaling reduced their numbers. (Reported 2005-09-14)
- Climate change will affect carbon sequestration in oceans, model shows - An Earth System model developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign indicates that the best location to store carbon dioxide in the deep ocean will change with climate change. (Reported 2005-09-07)
- New science sheds light on rebuilding fisheries - In a scientific double whammy, researchers report that fishing pressure is causing fish to evolve to smaller sizes, just as new studies show that larger fish are critical to sustaining populations. In species such as Pacific rockfish, the big, old females not only produce exponentially more eggs than younger, smaller females, but their hearty larvae have a far greater chance of survival. Keeping these big fish in the water increases the chances of strong population numbers in the next generation – which is paramount to the recovery of overfished stocks.(Reported 2005-02-19)
- Big, old fish key to restoring groundfish stocks - Recent studies have found that large, old and oily groundfish are significantly more important than their younger counterparts in maintaining healthy marine fish stocks - the larvae from their eggs better resist starvation and have a much greater chance of survival. (Reported 2005-01-18)
- New approach measures heat flux in Steller sea lions - Staying warm in winter is a constant challenge for most warm-blooded Arctic animals, and marine mammals such as Steller sea lions are no exception. They depend on a diet of fatty fish to fuel their metabolism and maintain their insulating blubber layer, which minimizes heat flux, or the amount of energy they lose to their surroundings per unit area. (Reported 2005-03-21)
- Researchers pioneer new technique for imaging earth's interior - Seismologists have long relied on earthquakes or expensive tools like explosives to help create images of Earth's interior, but a new method created by University of Colorado at Boulder researchers will produce quicker, cheaper and clearer images. (Reported 2005-03-14)
- A revolution in oceanic exploration reveals an "alien" world on earth - Scientists can now visualize the ocean floor in remote areas of the Arctic, observe rockfish hideouts, and see live images of coral cities thousands of meters under the sea's surface. Soon their robots will be able to "live" on the bottom of the ocean - monitoring everything from signs of tsunamis to the effects of deep sea drilling. (Reported 2005-02-21)
- New system can measure productivity of oceans - Researchers at Oregon State University, NASA and other institutions announced today the discovery of a method to determine from outer space the productivity of marine phytoplankton – a breakthrough that may provide a new understanding of life in the world's oceans. (Reported 2005-02-14)
- Argo robotic instrument network now covers most of the globe - International network reaches 1,500th float deployment-halfway to full array. (Reported 2004-11-24)
- International accolades for open ocean research project - Upon passing by the sleepy Reed Point marina near Vancouver, the unsuspecting boater might be alarmed to see a Steller sea lion enthusiastically launch itself from the front door of a float house and into the open water. - Steller Sea Lion Open Water Project (Reported 2004-11-05)
- Steller Watch: A Year in the Life of a Sea Lion - In the coming months, AquaNews will bring you stories from remote South West Brothers Island in Alaska, where a small but intrepid group of scientists are studying populations of Steller sea lions. (Project began 2004-09)
- High-tech solutions help solve dietary puzzle - It is well known that environmental factors such as seasonal variations in prey abundance can trigger changes in the diet of many marine mammals. But exactly how animals such as Steller sea lions respond to this natural flux is still very much a mystery — and currently the subject of extensive research. (Reported 2004-11-22)
- Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) Malfunction -- Press Release
- TASK TEAM Established for ADEOS -- Press Release
- Summary of ADEOS Spacecraft Status as of 8:00am EDT June 30,1997
- Prolonged Biological Production in the Southeastern Bering Sea
- Detecting Bering Sea Eddies
- Multispecies Virtual Population Analysis Model of the Eastern Bering Sea
- Recent NOAA/University of Alaska Research on the Green Belt in the Eastern Bering Sea
- Conceptual Model of Relationships Between Pollock Recruitment and Biophysical Correlates in the Southeast Bering Sea
- Visualization of Marine Habitats Affected by Wind and Tidal Mixing near the Pribilof Islands
- NOAA WP-3D Research Aircraft Investigates the Bio-Physical Environment of the Bering Sea