Ecosystems

Marine Protected Areas overlook a large fraction of biodiversity hotspots

December 18, 2018 // 0 Comments

Image of Finland coast. New assessment finds lack of knowledge when designating MPAs lets important species and biodiversity slip through the net- and that small, targeted changes can have big effects on protected area efficiency: Frontiers in Marine Science

Lack of knowledge when designating MPAs lets ecologically important species slip through the net, but small, targeted changes can have big effects on protected area efficiency: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Invaluable to the medical industry, the horseshoe crab is under threat

August 15, 2018 // 0 Comments

Horseshoe crab blood is invaluable for drug and safety testing, but unsustainable commercial demand threatens these 'living fossils': Frontiers in Marine Science

Horseshoe crab blood is invaluable for drug and safety testing, but this commercial demand threatens these 'living fossils': Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

High levels of hazardous chemicals found in plastics collected from Lake Geneva

April 18, 2018 // 1 Comment

The first analysis of plastic from the lake's beaches finds cadmium, mercury and lead, sometimes at levels exceeding those permitted under EU law: Frontiers in Environmental Science [...]

Moths in mud can uncover prehistoric secrets

March 2, 2018 // 1 Comment

Lepidoptera scales moths prehistoric secrets

Revolutionary new technique for studying lake sediments can reveal when prehistoric insect swarms occurred: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

High levels of microplastics found in Northwest Atlantic fish

February 21, 2018 // 0 Comments

Marine science: plastic pollution mesopelagic fish

Study finds microplastics in 73 percent of mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic - one of the highest levels globally: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

10,000th microbiology article published today!

February 13, 2018 // 0 Comments

Frontiers in Microbiology David Hutchins article

The article, on vitamin B12 production by a marine microbe, comes from scientists at the University of California and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. [...]

Modern man vs. giant animals

February 12, 2018 // 0 Comments

Megafauna extinction mammoth woolly rhinoceros giant sloth

Extinct herbivorous megafauna -- like woolly rhinos, giant sloths and mammoths -- were displaced by humans who partly took their place in the ecosystem: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

Seabed mining could destroy deep sea ecosystems

February 2, 2018 // 0 Comments

Marine science: environmental impact of deepsea mining

The first global overview of seabed mining highlights potential environmental impacts, knowledge gaps and areas for future research: Frontiers in Marine Science [...]

Habitat restoration can maximize the benefits of marine protected areas

October 30, 2017 // 0 Comments

marine-protected-areas-habitat-restoration-oyster

Spillover of oyster larvae from marine protected areas is only beneficial if harvested areas contain suitable oyster habitat, finds research in Frontiers in Marine Science. [...]

Exploration of mesophotic coral ecosystems for new medicines

October 16, 2017 // 0 Comments

The marine environment is a precious common heritage and an incredibly rich source of biological and chemical diversity with wide applications. It is important to develop technologies that help us make use of marine resources sustainably, so they are available for future generations.

Research Topic will feed into policy recommendations to ensure sustainable practices for collecting marine resources in unexplored areas of the ocean [...]

Microbial colonisers of Arctic soils are sensitive to future climate change

April 4, 2017 // 0 Comments

New research in Frontiers In Earth Science shows that ecosystems created by melting glaciers in the Arctic are sensitive to climate change and human activity. [...]