Ocean Chemistry
Securing supply of sea scallops for today and tomorrow
reprint of WHOI news release featuring Scott Doney
also picked up by Phys.org
Securing the Supply of Sea Scallops for Today and Tomorrow
Good management has brought the $559 million United States sea scallop fishery back from the brink of collapse over the past 20 years. However, its current fishery management plan does not account for longer-term environmental change like ocean warming and acidification that may affect the fishery in the future. A group of researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, and Ocean Conservancy hope to change that.
Read MoreNew Study Says Frozen Fjords Hold 11% of Oceanic Carbon
mentions WHOI
Ocean Bacteria Get ‘Pumped Up’
In a new study published April 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and their colleague from Rutgers University discovered a surprising new short-circuit to the biological pump. They found that sinking particles of stressed and dying phytoplankton release chemicals that have a jolting, steroid-like effect on marine bacteria feeding on the particles. The chemicals juice up the bacteria’s metabolism causing them to more rapidly convert organic carbon in the particles back into CO2 before they can sink to the deep ocean.
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Two New Technologies Bring a Science Laboratory to the Ocean Floor, Transforming Ocean Exploration
mentions Scott Wankel, quotes Anna Michel
Our View: Let’s dive deep into ocean study
mentions WHOI research on ocean acidification
Carbon Around the World
Fukushima radiation has reached North American shores
quotes Ken Buesseler
Swirling currents deliver phytoplankton carbon to ocean depths
ran the WHOI news release featuring Amala Mahadevan’s work
Spring Plankton Bloom Hitches A Ride On Ocean Eddies
ran WHOI news release
New England states following a model set by Maine to reduce ocean acidity
New England states unite to combat ocean pollution
mentions WHOI
Swirling currents deliver phytoplankton carbon to ocean depths
uotes Amala Mahadevan
Swirling Currents Deliver Phytoplankton Carbon to Ocean Depths
A new paper published March 26 in the journal Science that highlights the significant role that swirling currents, or eddies, play in pushing non-sinking carbon to ocean depths.
Read MoreRadiation From Fukushima Is Probably in Your Sushi, but It Isn’t Going to Kill You
quotes Ken Buesseler and mentions WHOI
Rising acid levels in oceans imperil region’s shellfish
quotes Hauke Kite-Powell
Study Finds Deep Ocean is Source of Dissolved Iron in Central Pacific
A new study led by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) points to the deep ocean as a major source of dissolved iron in the central Pacific Ocean. This finding highlights the vital role ocean mixing plays in determining whether deep sources of iron reach the surface-dwelling life that need it to survive.
Read MoreCoral Reefs Threatened by a Deadly Combination of Changing Ocean Conditions
As the ocean ‘s pH decreases and acidifies, coral reefs are more likely to begin dissolving and “drown”. A new study shows exposing corals to added nutrients increases their erosion and dissolution rate tenfold.
Read MoreHidden Battles on the Reefs
A new study led by WHOI scientists shows how changing ocean conditions can combine to intensify erosion of coral reefs.
Read MoreIs Ocean Acidification Affecting Squid?
By Daniel Cojanu, Elise Hugus :: Originally published online September 26, 2014
Read MoreIs Ocean Acidification Affecting Squid?
The rise in carbon dioxide in the ocean from fossil-fuel burning may have insidious impacts on marine life.
Read MoreSwimming in Low-pH Seas
Researchers knew that squid raised in acidified water developed abnormal balance organs. To find out whether the young squid could still balance and swim normally, Summer Student Fellow Doriane Weiler mapped their movements.
Read MoreScallops Under Stress
Like other marine species, scallops face multiple climate change-related problems. Summer Student Fellow Cailan Sugano studied how scallops respond to acidification and lack of foodâand whether extra food can help them resist damage due to more acidic seawater.
Read MoreProteomics Reveals Ocean’s Inner Workings
In a new study, WHOI scientists have demonstrated how the emerging biomedical technique of measuring proteins—a field called proteomics—can be applied to the ocean to reveal the inner biochemical workings of microbial life and ocean ecosystems.
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