Ocean Sentry
To what extent and how ocean acidification affects the marine ecosystem as a whole is incredibly hard to predict, but evidence is accumulating that some species are affected adversely. One of these species is the Atlantic cod.
February, 2019
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19 February
Scientists track the source of soot that speeds Arctic melt
Black carbon particles, or soot, are collecting in the pristine Arctic, darkening the surface of the snow and ice and causing it to absorb more heat. Scientists believe that black carbon may be causing the region to warm and melt even faster than it otherwise would as the climate continues …
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15 February
Undersea gases could superheat the planet
For today’s world, the findings could portend an ominous development. The undersea carbon reservoirs released greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as oceans warmed, the study shows, and today the ocean is heating up again due to humanmade global warming.
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15 February
Research forms complex picture of mercury pollution in a period of global change
The loss of coastal wetlands, further complicates the picture. While wetlands can be a source of methylmercury, organic carbon from wetlands may help reduce the amount of mercury that passes into fish and other aquatic species. The conversion of wetlands to other uses means that nature loses an important buffer …
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12 February
A third of Arabian Gulf marine life could be extinct by 2090, researchers warn
A third of the Arabian Gulf’s marine species could be wiped out by 2090 due to rising sea temperatures, according to researchers.
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12 February
NUS marine scientists find toxic bacteria on microplastics retrieved from tropical waters
A field survey conducted by a team of marine scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has uncovered toxic bacteria living on the surfaces of microplastics, which are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimetres in size, collected from the coastal areas of Singapore. These bacteria are capable of …
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8 February
Scientists find some fish can ‘recognise themselves’ in mirror
They are often said to have a three-second memory, but the brain power of fish has been considerably underestimated, according to scientists who found some fish can recognise themselves in the mirror.
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7 February
Scientists in race to save giant kelp off Tasmanian coast
Giant kelp forests once dominated Tasmania’s east coast, but 95 per cent has been lost over the past few decades.
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7 February
Humans’ taste for meat is pushing the world’s largest animals toward extinction
Research published in Conservation Letters today says that direct hunting of the world’s largest animals for human consumption of meat and body parts is the greatest single killer of these animals, and more than 150 species are threatened as a consequence.
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6 February
Climate change: World heading for warmest decade, says Met Office
The world is in the middle of what is likely to be the warmest 10 years since records began in 1850, says the Met Office. It’s forecasting that temperatures for each of the next five years are likely to be at or above 1C compared to pre-industrial levels.
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6 February
West Coast seismic oil survey a threat to marine food chain
A Norwegian company has applied to conduct seismic surveys for oil along the Cape’s West Coast using air-gun blasts known to be highly damaging to marine life.
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6 February
Underwater forests threatened by future climate change, new study finds
In humans, it has been observed that changes in the microbes in the gut can result in poor health. A similar process happens in kelp. Predicted ocean warming and acidification can change microbes on the kelp surface, leading to disease and potentially putting fisheries at risk.