In 2025, BioMARatona saw more than 3,000 citizen science observations of marine life along Portugal’s coast. 

To the point:

Cellular energy threats: Presence of mercury was linked to inefficient fuel use during energy production in wild birds’ cells, while certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may prevent protective responses to cell stress

Foraging shapes exposure: Older birds and males carried more mercury through diet, food choice and lifetime accumulation in a key component of the birds’ blood, however PFAS levels showed no such links, suggesting different contamination routes

Conservation questions: Scientists fear cell-level impacts may compound with those of other ocean threats like global heating and overfishing, raising critical questions about long-term effects on breeding and survival

Early marine algae adapted their light-harvesting systems for weak blue-green light, suggesting how photosynthesis evolved.

Low algal growth despite high iron supply: A new study in Nature Geoscience uncovers a surprising link between West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat and the growth of marine algae over the past 500,000 years. The team's findings suggest that global warming could potentially result in a reduced uptake of carbon dioxide in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is considered unstable, continues to shrink. 

Iron-rich sediments transported by icebergs from West Antarctica failed to support algae growth in the Southern Ocean, because the iron was highly “weathered” and not readily bioavailable to algae—thus reducing the ocean’s carbon dioxide uptake.

Detecting weak and low-frequency underwater sounds remains a major challenge for ocean monitoring, navigation, and marine exploration. 

A global study published in Frontiers of Biogeography reveals that zoantharians (marine hexacorals) are defying long-held views of marine biogeography. Despite the vast distance between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, research shows surprisingly narrow genetic and morphological divergence between zoantharians in these two oceans. As climate change impacts traditional stony corals, zoantharians are increasingly filling these ecological niches. A key highlight of this international research is the establishment of a global atlas for zoantharians to help us understand the future of marine ecosystems amid environmental change.

The highly abundant marine bacterial clade SAR11 has evolved to thrive with limited nutrient resources. However, when nutrient levels increase, SAR11 is often unable to cope. It continues to replicate DNA as it normally would when it divides, but the the cells never divide, causing them to enlarge and die.

Researchers from the Faculty of Sciences University of Lisbon collaborated on an international study that, for the first time, characterized the sounds emitted by the flying gurnard.

This study highlights an underwater world of sounds that can provide deeper insights into how marine ecosystems work.