An MIT study finds microparticles are less likely to accumulate in sediment infused with biofilms, such as sandy riverbeds or seashores. The work may guide people studying impacts of microplastics or determining priority zones for monitoring and protection.

A new database cataloging the maximum body size of marine animals looks set to be crucial in conservation efforts 

Scientists with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have discovered that a bacterial probiotic helps slow the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) in already infected wild corals in Florida. The findings, published today in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, reveal that applying the probiotic treatment across entire coral colonies helped prevent tissue loss. The new treatment provides a viable alternative to antibiotics, which only offer temporary protection and also run the risk of creating resistant strains of SCTLD.

As the planet’s oceans are gradually warmed by the effects of climate change, a huge area in the North Atlantic stands out as an unusual zone of relative cooling. A region that stretches roughly from Greenland to Ireland, counterintuitively dubbed the North Atlantic warming hole, is a conspicuous patch of blue on global climate change maps. Researchers say its temperature contrast could intensify in the decades ahead as shifting climate-driven winds amplify the cooling process in the North Atlantic.

In 2023, a basin-wide marine heatwave swept across the North Atlantic Ocean. Now, scientists have revealed what drove this unprecedented event.

Microplastics (MPs) and freshwater acidification jointly threaten aquatic ecosystems. This 21-day study on Eriocheir sinensis revealed synergistic toxicity: combined low pH (6.5) and MPs exacerbated oxidative stress and immune suppression, disrupted the TCA cycle and arginine biosynthesis, and altered gut microbiota function. While MPs alone affected pyrimidine metabolism, acidification amplified MPs' toxicity via immune-metabolic crosstalk. The findings underscore the need to evaluate multiple stressors under climate change, providing critical insights for aquatic risk assessment.