A global research project endorsed by the United Nations called "MegaMove" has tracked over 100 marine megafauna species, identifying the most critical locations in our global oceans for better marine conservation efforts, drawing from UC Santa Cruz's vast data sets on marine-mammal movements and behaviors.

Virginia Tech joined a global research team that tracked more than 100 species and identified ocean hotspots critical for protecting threatened marine megafauna that fall beyond current conservation zones.

A team of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis documented, for the first time, humpback whales producing large bubble rings, like a human smoker blowing smoke rings, during friendly interactions with humans. This previously little studied behavior may represent play or communication. Humpback whales are already known for using bubbles to corral prey and creating bubble trails and bursts when competing to escort a female whale. These new observations show humpback whales producing bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans. This finding contributes to the WhaleSETI team’s broader goal of studying non-human intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The popular notion that coral reefs are often surrounded by "deserts", devoid of nutrients and plankton, isn't true.

Cleaner fish stations are the beauty salons of the sea, where bigger fish "clients" come to have tiny fish clean bacteria and parasites off their bodies. A UC Davis and WHOI study explores their influence on microbial diversity in coral reefs.

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.

MBARI is pleased to announce Antje Boetius as the institute’s president and CEO. A world-renowned polar and deep-sea researcher, Boetius will lead MBARI into an exciting new chapter in its work to develop and deploy innovative technology to understand our changing ocean.