Group items tagged

A parasite that devastated long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean and Florida in 2022 has caused another die-off more than 7,000 miles away in the Sea of Oman.

With marine heatwaves of varying severity identified in Australian waters over the summer, a new study of a remote coral reef in the north-west has found that they can recover from bleaching events caused by heatwaves, and other disturbances, as long as there is enough time.

As predators of bacteria and viruses and as food sources for microzooplankton, heterotrophic flagellates (HFs) play an important role in the marine micro-food web. Based on the global climate change's impact on marine ecosystems, particularly sea ice melting, we analyzed the community composition and diversity of heterotrophic flagellates, focusing on the Antarctic Cosmonaut Sea. During the 36th China Antarctic research expedition (2019-2020), we collected seawater samples, subsequently analyzing HFs through IlluminaMiSeq2000 sequencing to assess community composition and diversity. Notable variations in HFs abundance were observed between the western and eastern sectors of the Cosmonaut Sea, with a distinct concentration at a 100-meter water depth. Different zones exhibited diverse indicators and dominants taxa influenced by local ocean currents. Both the northern Antarctic Peninsula and the western Cosmonaut Sea, where the Weddell Eddy and Antarctic Land Slope Current intersect, showcased marine stramenopiles as dominant HFs species. Our findings offer insights into dominant taxa, spatial distribution patterns among heterotrophic flagellates, correlations between taxa distribution and environmental factors, and the exploration of potential indicator taxa.

Near the HMAS Stirling naval base, a battle is being waged on the shores of Garden Island to protect its most elusive inhabitants. Dr Belinda CANNELL is a conservation ecologist with The University of Western Australia, whose decades-long dedication to little penguins has earned her the affectionate nickname 'the penguin lady'. Burrowing into her jacket […]