Ocean Sustainability
Over 70% of the earth is covered in water, which serves as a vital resource human subsistence. Contamination and acidification pose major threats to aquatic health and biodiversity. Microbes offer a promising solution in their ability to breakdown contamination from oil spills and plastics. Applied microbiologists can play a significant part in understanding biodiversity, contributing to solutions, and encouraging stewardship.
My PhD Experience: Collaborations between academia and industry in the microbial bioremediation of marine oil pollution
Jake A Smallbone reveals how a industry collaboration as part of his PhD led to work on a real world oil spill to uncover the fascinating ways that bacterial communities respond to pollution and can be deployed as biomarkers and in bioremediation.
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The problem of microplastics in the oceans: it’s time for effective solutions
Francielly Bruna Neto Francisco and Ricardo Henrique Krüger, from the University of Brasília (UNB), warn that we urgently need technologies that will effectively eliminate partially or nonbiodegradable polymers from the marine environment.
Study probes light-harvesting proteins of purple sulfur bacteria in high-salt, high-alkaline environments
Halorhodospira halophila, a purple sulfur bacterium, is believed to perform photosynthesis efficiently by integrating light harvesting protein complexes LH2 and LH1-RC. Researchers employed cryo-electron microscopy to investigate.
Heat-stressed reefs may benefit from coral-dwelling crabs
A species of branching coral is able to recover from heat stress and wounds due to its mutualistic relationship with crabs in the Great Barrier Reef Corals, a new study shows. This evolutionary partnership will inspire coral reef restoration strategies in the future.
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Stromatolite study provides new detail on the impact of volcanic activity on early marine life
Analysis of fossilised rocks known as stromatolites - layered rock formations created by ancient microorganisms, such as bacteria - from more than two-and-a-half billion years ago has provided new insights into the conditions on Earth before the evolution of oxygen.
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Nitrogen fixation on marine snow particles is widespread in the world's oceans
Researchers have shown that bacteria attached to marine snow particles can fix N2 over a wide range of temperatures in the global oceans, from the tropics to the poles, and from the surface to the abyss, accounting for about 10% of the overall N2 fixation in oceans.
Resilient algae may speed up Greenland ice melt
Microscopic algae darken glacier surfaces and can accelerate melting. A new study investigating where the small algae get the necessary nutrients to survive in this hostile environment reveals how they absorb and store nutrients.
Expedition confirms spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the Weddell Sea
The CSIC-UNESPA scientific expedition monitoring the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI H5N1) in Antarctica has confirmed the presence of the virus in all species detected on six islands in the Weddell Sea.
Scientists to forecast climate tipping points by capturing ocean’s pulse - plankton
A new project is set to revolutionise climate forecasting by focusing on plankton as the “canaries in the coalmine” of ocean health. Next-generation autonomous underwater robots will deliver near real-time observations in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre.
Study reveals how anemonefish avoid stings from their sea anemone hosts - bacteria could be involved
Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding how anemonefish can live safely among sea anemones without being stung by their venomous tentacles, solving a century-long mystery.
Marine fungi that degrade plastic can train to do it faster
Researchers recently discovered that many species of fungi isolated from Hawai‘i’s nearshore environment have the ability to degrade plastic and some can be conditioned to do it faster.
A new system to study phytoplankton: Crucial species for planet Earth
Researchers have come up with a new way to study phytoplankton. They’ve built a system that can measure the light given off by individual phytoplankton cells, which tells them how efficiently each individual is using light.
Symbiotic bacteria ride along with marine cells in ocean’s upper layer
Symbiotic bacteria often accompany single-celled protists in the ocean’s upper layer. Some of these symbionts, scientists have discovered, are close relatives of bacteria pathogenic to animals, including humans.
Flexible and resilient: remarkable cell functions of newly discovered algae species
A new species of algae, demonstrating its incredible resilience to extreme environmental conditions including cold and light, is identified in the Baltic Sea and Arctic tundra. Its unique property could be applied to potential cosmetic product manufacturing.
Whale poo contains iron that may have helped fertilize past oceans
A new study suggests that nutrients that whales excrete may provide a key fertilizer to marine ecosystems. Whale excrement contains significant amounts of iron and nontoxic forms of copper, another essential nutrient that in some forms can harm life.
New technology lights way for accelerating coral reef restoration
Scientists have developed a novel tool designed to protect and conserve coral reefs by providing them with an abundance of feeding opportunities. The autonomous, programmable underwater light works to draw in nearby zooplankton for coral to feed on.
Study tracks algae species interactions to help predict harmful algae blooms
A study yields new insights into how algae species interact with each other and their environment in coastal waters, aiming to understand how harmful algal species interact with other phytoplankton and environmental factors like temperature and salinity.
Efforts to find alien life could be boosted by simple test that triggers microbes
Scientists explored microbial movement as a possible biosignature to detect life on Mars and beyond, cheaper and faster than ever before.
Cultivation of microalga for food production shows that two-stage process yields best results
A new study looking into cultivating the microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica for food production shows that temperature and light are key factors in the yield of key nutrients.
The deadly pathogen that decimated sea urchins in Eilat has now spread to the Indian Ocean
The pathogen responsible for the mass deaths of sea urchins along the Red Sea coast is the same one responsible for mass mortality events among sea urchins off the coast of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.
Scientists reveals how tiny algae shaped the evolution of giant clams
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the most widespread species of giant clam, Tridacna maxima, to reveal how these creatures adapted their genome to coexist with algae living inside them.
Researchers develop new weapon against harmful algal blooms
Few studies have looked into how algal biomass, especially cyanobacteria, can be used to create materials that remove phosphate from water. Now, researchers have transformed cyanobacterial biomass, which is typically a hazardous waste, into custom-made adsorbent materials that can pull harmful phosphorus out of water.
Coastal waters: An underestimated source of methane
A new study revealed that methane emissions in coastal habitats are highly influenced by natural factors like tides and seasonal changes, which also affect the activity of methane-eating microbes.