Climate models suggest that climate change could reduce the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, observational data actually shows that this ability has seen no significant decline in recent decades. In a recent study, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute have discovered what may be causing this. Low-salinity water in the upper ocean has typically helped to trap carbon in the deep ocean, which in turn has slowed its release into the atmosphere – until now, that is, because climate change is increasingly altering the Southern Ocean and its function as a carbon sink. The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Many measures have been initiated to reduce plastic pollution in Norway. Only a few of them will lead to extensive change and cleanup, a new study shows. 

A new species of bacteria has been discovered off the coast of Oʻahu, shedding light on how unseen microbial life connects Hawaiʻi’s land and sea ecosystems.

Fossilized fish ear stones – known as otoliths – can reveal far more than previously thought. In a recent study, a team of palaeontologists from the University of Vienna demonstrated that a refined electron microscopy technique can make even the finest growth rings visible. These microscopic structures may reflect a fish's life story down to just a few hours – an important breakthrough for understanding fish growth, biomineralization, and environmental change across millennia. The study was recently published in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods.

The deal is done for the new underwater vehicle that will replace Ran, the submarine that was lost under a glacier in Antarctica in 2024. A large donation means that researchers at the University of Gothenburg can plan for new expeditions.

An exceptional “dual feeding” strategy underlies a Mediterranean coral’s resilience to rising sea temperatures, according to a study in Nature. The stony coral Oculina patagonica is known to feed itself with or without algae. Now, the first direct comparison of algae-hosting cells in O. patagonica and other coral species reveals how this flexibility works at the genetic and cellular level. The study is a window into how marine species are adapting to climate change, and also explains why the stony coral has expanded eastwards since it was first discovered in 1966.

Researchers studied the larvae of the marine rag worm Platynereis, and  used whole-body high-speed imaging to examine the wave behaviour, and the effects of various physical and biological manipulations.

Their results reveal an unprecedented wave structure. Despite the illusion of a single wave travelling across the entire circle of the ciliary band, coordination is only present within individual cells, and the wave does not transmit across cell boundaries. For the first time, the research revealed that short-range ‘steric’ interactions, where cilia ‘bump into each other’, are crucial for maintaining coordination in these very densely packed cilia.

What gives shark skin its toughness and sleek glide? Tiny, tooth-like scales called dermal denticles. Made of the same material as teeth, these structures protect sharks and reduce drag—especially crucial during mating. To uncover how denticles change with age and between sexes, researchers used high-powered electron microscopy on bonnethead sharks. The ultra-detailed images revealed striking variations in denticle shape and size across life stages and body regions. The findings offer a rare glimpse into how shark skin evolves as both armor and adaptation.

Researchers at Arizona State University collaborated with coastal gillnet fishers to develop solar-powered, net-illuminating gear that is highly effective at preventing sea turtles from entanglement while maintaining targeted catch, according to a new study in Conservation Letters.

14 new species descriptions of worms, mollusks, and crustaceans are included in the newest Ocean Species Discoveries – a publication series aimed at speeding up the process of describing new species. The series, coordinated by the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance, offers a specialized platform for concise, data-rich descriptions of marine invertebrate species. The study is published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.