Shark depredation is a rising issue in recreational fishing, especially in Florida, where sharks steal fish straight off anglers' lines. Researchers harnessed citizen science – social media, angler surveys, charters – and genetic analysis, to investigate the problem. Findings reveal that snapper-grouper species are the most targeted, with bull and sandbar sharks as the primary culprits. Nearly half of anglers reported depredation. These insights help shed light on the extent of this human-wildlife conflict and its impact on different fishery sectors.

It’s 1999, the 21st century is on the horizon, and California has big plans for marine conservation. New legislation has presented a mandate to establish an ambitious network of marine protected areas (MPAs) unlike anywhere else in the world. The goal is to craft strategic protections to safeguard the state’s marine life for preservation and economic benefits alike.

Researchers have designed an alternative, autonomous observational method to monitor the Arctic’s melting ice, which holds promise for improving the autonomy of marine vehicles, aiding in maritime missions, and gaining a deeper understanding of how melting Arctic sea ice affects marine ecosystems. Their conceptual design features a small waterplane area twin hull vessel that acts as a docking and charging station for autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, using solar and turbine energy to enable continuous monitoring.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have analysed the soft tissue from a fossilized plesiosaur for the first time. The results show that the long-necked marine reptile had both smooth and scaly skin. This was likely so it could both swim rapidly and move along rough seabeds.

Measurements and data collected from space can be used to better understand life on Earth. 

An ambitious, multinational research project funded by NASA and co-led by UC Merced civil and environmental engineering Professor Erin Hestir demonstrated that Earth’s biodiversity can be monitored and measured from space, leading to a better understanding of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Hestir led the team alongside University of Buffalo geography Professor Adam Wilson and Professor Jasper Slingsby from the University of Cape Town on BioSCape, which collected data over six weeks in late 2024.

In a new study, biology researchers from the College of Sciences’ UCF Marine Turtle Research Group studied the dispersal movements of four juvenile sea turtle species, revealing that they may be active swimmers, rather than passive drifters, during their early life stage known as the “lost years.”

These findings challenge existing hypotheses and provide important data for assessing risks from human activity and informing conservation efforts.