A rare contagious cancer has triggered a severe outbreak in soft-shell clams in Washington state's Puget Sound after likely being introduced from Atlantic Coast populations. Researchers also developed an environmental DNA tool to detect and track the disease in seawater, creating a new way to monitor emerging marine diseases and study the evolution of cancer resistance in wild populations.

Using artificial intelligence to detect images of African leopards and rattlesnakes and freezing samples of endangered marine organisms far below zero degrees Fahrenheit are just some of the ways that new technologies can help protect biodiversity and threatened ecosystems. San Diego State University and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) announced a partnership to increase the impact of such innovations developed through SDZWA’s research, conservation, and wildlife care initiative

Ingredient derived from Sargassum filipendula shows high potential as functional component even in small quantities.

Aquatic fungi are microorganisms that play a key role in the ecological balance of rivers. They help decompose organic matter, degrade contaminants and are part of the nutrient and energy cycle in freshwater ecosystems. Despite their ecological importance, a study published in the journal Freshwater Biology now warns that the biodiversity and biological functions of these microorganisms in these natural environments are at risk due to rising temperatures, prolonged dry periods and the loss of riparian vegetation caused by climate change.

New research from the University of St Andrews has shown that higher extinction risk is associated with higher frequency of decreasing local prevalence of species, in an analysis of one of the most comprehensive long-term databases ever created, BioTIME – a major tool to study biodiversity change also developed at the University of St Andrews. Researchers from the School of Biology alongside a team of international partners, analysed over 60 000 populations of 2362 species across 978 marine and terrestrial assemblages. These populations have been sampled comprehensively over at least 20 years. The picture that emerged was of complex links between the two factors, but a clear signal also emerged that decreasing temporal trends were associated with higher extinction risk compared to the other trends. Overall, fewer than 10% of populations showed either increasing or decreasing prevalence over time 

Artificial light spilling into coastal waters from cities, ports, roads, and hotels is disrupting sleep in coral reef fish and is associated with changes in markers linked to brain health, according to a new study from Bar-Ilan University.

A multi-institutional team of researchers have successfully conducted the first comprehensive exploration of the intertidal and subtidal rocky ecosystems of Inútil Bay. The expedition, supported by the Marine Program of Rewilding Chile, brought together specialists from CADIC-CONICET and the Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) to conduct the first survey of benthic macroalgae in a region that had never been systematically studied before.

In recent years, marine heatwaves have been taking an ever-greater toll on the world’s oceans and their ecosystems. Amplified by increasing global warming, these events are occurring more frequently and lasting longer. The Arctic is not spared from this trend either, as it is warming faster than any other region on our planet. However, due to local processes and conditions, marine heatwaves in the Arctic differ fundamentally from those in non-polar oceans. A recent study, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, summarizes how these events have developed over recent decades, what science knows about the driving forces behind them, and where there are still knowledge gaps to be filled. 

Arabian Sea humpback whales have, at some point during their evolutionary history, adapted to living hyper-locally within the confines of the Arabian Sea. Now, researchers monitored their dives using satellite tags which allowed them to track their movement across the Arabian Sea. The results showed most whales are homebodies – moving within a narrow latitudinal band spanning just a few hundred kilometers. Just one whale broke the pattern and travelled across the Arabian Sea. This is the first direct evidence of a long-distance journey made by an Arabian Sea humpback whale. The team said better understanding of these whales’ movement could provide important insights for the endangered species’ conservation.