Growing up, you probably changed your style based on your social influences. It turns out, such pressures affect the appearance of young clownfish (anemonefish) too. A new study from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has revealed the social influences and biological mechanisms controlling bar loss in tomato anemonefish, showing how the presence of older fish changes the speed at which young fish lose their additional white vertical stripe.

Species numbers alone do not fully capture how ecosystems are changing. In a global study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, scientists analysed long-term data from nearly 15,000 marine and freshwater fish communities. They found that fish food webs have changed substantially over recent decades, even in places where the number of species (species richness) has remained stable. Published in Science Advances, the study shows consistent shifts in species composition, body size, and feeding relationships, highlighting that changes in species traits such as body size and interactions can alter ecosystem structure without obvious changes in species richness.

Pygmy sperm whales are elusive deep divers rarely seen alive. Scientists rely on stranded individuals, especially along the southeastern U.S., to study them. Researchers analyzed more than 20 years of stranding data and identified three previously unknown Helicobacter genotypes in whale stomach tissue. Detected through histopathology, molecular diagnostics and DNA sequencing, the bacteria were linked to ulcers and inflammation, expanding knowledge of this little-known species and ocean microbes.

The widespread presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems has negative impacts on human and marine life. However, the traditional MP detection methods are time-consuming and limited by detection thresholds. Now, researchers have revealed that electrochemical sensors based on metal oxide electrodes are a suitable alternative for MP detection. They highlight that metal oxides offer superior properties such as high surface area, tunable conductivity, and chemical stability, making them highly sensitive, affordable, and applicable in real-time.

Research from Adelaide University and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) has shown for the first time that Australian sea lion pups can learn foraging behaviour from their mothers.

Rutgers researchers have made a discovery that could change the future of seafood farming in New Jersey.

A study led by marine scientist Daphne Munroe has shown that Atlantic surfclams can be successfully farmed in the open ocean.

Her research, published in the North American Journal of Aquaculture, proves that offshore aquaculture is not only possible but promising. This method could help meet the increasing demand for seafood while protecting wild clam populations.

New research shows a single year of warmer-than-average Arctic temperatures can cause malnutrition in Arctic seals, intensifying risks to Inuit food security and northern ecosystems already under pressure from environmental toxins, warn Simon Fraser University researchers.

New research has identified optimal design for artificial habitats to support restoration of oyster reefs, based on a detailed understanding of natural oyster reef geometry.

There was a total of 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, slightly less than the most recent 10-year average of 72. Nine of last year’s bites resulted in fatalities, compared to the ten-year average of six.

For more than a century, researchers have suspected that glacier fronts serve as important feeding hotspots for marine predators with no direct evidence. To address this, researchers have examined the stomach contents of ringed seals harvested through Inuit subsistence hunting in Greenland and compared their diet with capture location. The findings show that seals near the glaciers had eaten more than those farther away, highlighting climate-driven glacier retreat may threaten foraging grounds and marine ecosystems.