Kyoto, Japan --  The species Orcinus orca, generally known as orcas or killer whales, is made up of many genetically distinct populations called ecotypes. Each ecotype indicates an ecological specialization with its own ecological and phylogenetic characteristics. The North Pacific is home to three known ecotypes of killer whales, called the transient, resident, and offshore ecotypes. While transient ecotype killer whales are mammal-eating, the resident and offshore orcas are fish-eating.

Though killer whale populations in the eastern North Pacific near Vancouver Island and Alaska have been studied extensively, populations in the western North Pacific have been less studied, especially around Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. One of these sea areas, Shiretoko, is the best in Japan to spot killer whales and is even home to a UNESCO natural World Heritage site, yet information on its killer whale population has remained limited. Researchers from Kyoto University and collaborating institutions worked together with a shared determination to change that.

"Clarifying the ecological characteristics of killer whales is crucial for achieving coexistence with them, as they are deeply entwined with human activities such as tourism and fisheries in Hokkaido," says first and corresponding author Momoka Suzuki.

A groundbreaking video from Kumamoto University's Center for Water Cycle, Marine Evironment and Disaster Management (Aitsu Marine Station) has been selected as one of "November's Best Science Images" by the scientific journal Nature. This special feature celebrates the most visually striking and scientifically innovative research images each month, and the selection is an incredible honor for Associate Professor. Yoshikawa and his team.

— This study introduces the concept of fishing fleets as "ecosystem sentinels," which are living sensors that indicate changing conditions in a natural habitat.

— Researchers found that near-real-time data from the global Vessel Monitoring System can detect climate-driven ecosystem disruptions, such as fish fleeing warming waters, much earlier than traditional indicators.

— Vessel-tracking data were six times more effective at predicting tuna distribution shifts than sea-surface temperature anomalies. Earlier detection could accelerate fishery management response time and avoid harm to local economies driven by commercial fishing.

A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet.  The discovery was made during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition and reveals a previously unknown ecosystem thriving at 3,640 metres on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea. The groundbreaking findings regarding the Freya Hydrate Mounds, which hold scientific significance and implications for Arctic governance and sustainable development, have recently been published in Nature Communications.  

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), has launched the world's first Deep Ocean Omics (DOO) database (https://DeepOceanOmics.org/). As the largest platform of its kind, DOO integrates and analyzes multi-omics data from organisms thriving in the ocean's most extreme environments, alongside customized analytical tools to support cross-species comparative and evolutionary studies. By facilitating the utilization of deep-sea biological resources, the platform aims to advance scientific understanding of deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystems, and to foster global research and applications related to biological adaptation in extreme environments.