June 22, 2020 By L. Clarke Tate Hakai Magazine
A California team uses science to predict the risk of whale entanglements and shut down the Dungeness crab industry when necessary in “near real time.”
Crab Command and Control
Ocean Plastic “Virtually Unaltered” After a Quarter of a Century
June 22, 2020 Circular
Scientists led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have now, for the first time, examined plastic items that have verifiably been at the abyssal seabed for more than 20 years. As the researchers publish in the online journal Scientific Reports, they could not find any traces of fragmentation or even degradation.
Happy Father’s Day to All the Fish Dads Underwater
June 21, 2020 By Elizabeth Preston The New York Times
Paternal care has evolved dozens of times in aquatic life, and is more common than maternal or combined parenting.
Tiny Plankton Tell the Ocean’s Story – This Vast Marine Mission Has Been Listening
June 19, 2020 By Anna Turns The Guardian
Since 1931 ‘citizen scientists’ on ships have enabled data collection on the tiny building blocks of the sea. Now this research could shape how we tackle the climate crisis.
Mercury With That? Shark Fins Served with Illegal Doses of Heavy Metals
June 19, 2020 By Elizabeth Claire Alberts Mongabay
Shark fin soup is said to be the food of emperors, but a new study finds this “luxury” dish may not be so favorable to the person who eats it. A team of international researchers discovered that shark fins contain high levels of mercury — in most cases, much higher than what’s legally considered safe for human consumption.