marine life – News Stories About marine life - Page 6

Early Plankton Blooming May Starve Ocean Creatures

Nov 21, 2008 6:23 AM CST

Early Plankton Blooming May Starve Ocean Creatures

Blossoming disrupted by warming water

(Newser) - A vast and colorful explosion of life in the Arctic Sea—the sudden, unprecedented blossoming of phytoplankton prompted by warming waters—could spell death for untold numbers of creatures, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Phytoplankton, a microscopic but vital part of the food chain, is blooming—and swiftly dying—at...

Scientists Confirm
Shark's Virgin Birth

Oct 10, 2008 8:34 AM CDT

Scientists Confirm Shark's Virgin Birth

Virginia aquarium blacktip got pregnant without need for shark sperm

(Newser) - A blacktip shark at a Virginia aquarium got pregnant despite not having been around a male of her kind for a decade, the Virginian-Pilot reports. Scientists have long suspected that sharks, like some smaller vertebrates, could reproduce asexually but this is only the second confirmed case. Tests showed the baby...

Fish Found at Record Depth

Jul 31, 2008 1:50 PM CDT

Fish Found at Record Depth

New device can retrieve live creatures from high-pressure deep-sea zones

(Newser) - Scientists have captured a live fish from a record 7,500 feet under the Atlantic Ocean, the BBC reports. A new device allows recovery of live creatures from much farther down than was previously possible. The expedition to learn more about life around hydrothermal vents deep beneath the ocean also...

Appeals Court Nixes Sonar Exemption Claim by Navy

Mar 2, 2008 5:25 AM CST

Appeals Court Nixes Sonar Exemption Claim by Navy

But court sets aside protections for marine life for another 30 days

(Newser) - The US Navy is not exempt from laws that ban whale-harming sonar, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Bush administration had contested an earlier ruling, arguing that halting sonar use when whales are nearby poses "significant restrictions on our ability to train realistically." Whales and dolphins have...

Bizarre Antarctic Sea Life Found

Feb 20, 2008 10:51 AM CST

Bizarre Antarctic Sea Life Found

New species discovered just as they're threatened by global warming

(Newser) - A host of bizarre giant creatures lurk in the little-known waters of Antarctica, the Daily Telegraph reports. Thousands of specimens have been gathered by a mission to study Antarctic marine life before it is wiped out—including giant sea spiders the size of dinner plates, huge sea worms, and mammoth...

Sunscreen Hurts Coral Reefs

Jan 30, 2008 8:42 PM CST

Sunscreen Hurts Coral Reefs

Common ingredients can activate viruses that fatally bleach reef builders

(Newser) - Sunscreen might prevent a bad burn, but it might also be burning coral reefs, National Geographic reports. Four chemicals found in common lotions awaken viruses in algae living in coral, a new study finds; the algae then explode and can leave the reef without its food supply—causing it to...

Dying Coral Zapped Back to Life

Dec 5, 2007 9:52 AM CST

Dying Coral Zapped Back to Life

'Bio'Rock' revives bleached Bali coral

(Newser) - Electrified metal structures submerged off the coast of Bali are reviving dying coral reefs, the AP reports. Low-voltage electricity pulses through cables feeding the structures, spurring pieces of damaged coral attached to them back to health. Scientist Thomas Goreau, co-creator of the 'Bio-Rock' project, is presenting his research at the...

Tanker Crash Spilled 'Nastiest' Oil Into SF Bay

Nov 8, 2007 9:46 AM CST

Tanker Crash Spilled 'Nastiest' Oil Into SF Bay

58,000 gallons dumped in collision with bridge; contamination could linger decades

(Newser) - A massive container ship traveling in dense fog crashed into the San Francisco’s Bay Bridge yesterday, spilling 58,000 gallons of noxious oil lethal to marine life. It was unclear whether mechanical or human error was at fault, but a spill cleaner said the bunker fuel oil is “...