Science Magazine’s Post

In coastal arid regions where water sources are scarce, a few beetle species have evolved their own unique strategy for water collection - utilizing their bodies to intercept the droplets. In a recent study, scientists delved into how adaptations in the beetles' back enable them to gather enough water. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3WkWaoR.

“The government needs to start listening to scientists… because even though it may be politically in the short term inconvenient, in the long term it’s going to save us from making terrible mistakes.” – Dr. Ian L. Jones, Biology Professor, Memorial University Everything in the ocean is interconnected with everything else. Capelin sit at the center of that web, feeding species like humpback whales, cod and puffins. However, the capelin population in Newfoundland and Labrador is at just 9% of its pre-collapse levels. To protect the health of the ocean, marine animals and coastal communities, the government needs to rebuild capelin back to health. Learn more and take action at Oceana.ca/ProtectCapelin.

💡 READ: New research, supported by data Global Fishing Watch provided on the positions of large shipping vessels, identifies priority sites for whale shark ship-collision management. 👥 The study was carried out by researchers from The Marine Biological Association, the University of Southampton, the Marine Research and Conservation Foundation and the Marine Megafauna Foundation. It underlines how heavily used shipping lanes pass through crucial whale shark feeding grounds, posing a threat to the endangered species. 🌐 Unpack full details on the study published in Science of the Total Environment: bit.ly/4arPOHJ

A new study, “Bellwethers of change”, tracks humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean for the past 20 years with the largest individual identification dataset ever compiled for a whale species. After a period of recovery following the end of commercial whaling in 1976, numbers peaked in 2012 then declined by 20% by 2021, likely due to the impact of a severe marine heatwave from 2014 to 2016, which reduced food availability for humpback whales. This collaborative study highlights the humpback whale as an indicator species for the health of the North Pacific ecosystem in a changing climate. This is the result of the hard work of leading scientist Ted Cheeseman and a collaboration with more than 70 scientists doing whale research in the North Pacific ! Check out the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/enn_BuYt

NEW PAPER ALERT! We have just published a new paper on three poorly known and threatened guitarfish species from the southwestern Indian Ocean: Aitchison RM, Ebert DA, Séret B, Weigmann S (2024) Review of three southwestern Indian Ocean species of Rhinobatos (Rhinopristiformes: Rhinobatidae). Endang Species Res 53:67-87. https://lnkd.in/dNqpTV7K

The first ever identification guide to Namibia's sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras has been published! For each of the 88 species included, it includes information on the morphology, maximum size, distribution, known threats and the IUCN Red List classification, and an illustration. We hope that this guide will encourage more research focusing on chondrichthyans in Namibian waters, to help us better understand the important roles they play in marine ecosystems. The electronic version of the guide is available to download for free, here: https://lnkd.in/gKi5qNq2

Zara Environmental has been working with Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc. for the past few years to learn more about the biology in the Caverns. The biologists with Zara have been conducting terrestrial and aquatic biological surveys throughout the cave system, both in the commercial areas and deeper into newly explored passages. These surveys allow the biologists to know what lives in the cave and understand the distribution of karst invertebrates throughout the cave system. They can also make comparisons of what invertebrates are found within areas of greater disturbance vs less and areas with greater nutrient inputs vs less, on a broad scale. https://lnkd.in/gEKbxC8E

From June 17 to 21, the CIIMAR researcher Vânia Freitas participated in the annual meeting of the ICES Working Group on the value of Coastal Habitats for Exploited Species (ICES-WGVHES), held at the Department of Life Sciences of FCTUC, Coimbra. Topics covered included the revision of methods for assessing essential habitats for juvenile fish, the concept of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), and the effects of global changes on nursery function for marine fish in coastal areas. #CIIMARresearch

Our ISSF researchers and esteemed collaborators have unveiled findings in the ICES Journal of Marine Science that explore using acoustic technology to improve the sustainability of tropical tuna fishing. 🐟📑🌊 The study addresses the challenge of accurately distinguishing between tuna species at FADs using acoustic technology. The findings reveal the different acoustic responses of tuna species. See the full article 📰 https://ow.ly/iVAC50Rmsxu

🌊 Can planktonic pteropods with thin shells protect themselves against ocean acidification? 💎 In the latest Hidden Gem from ICES Journal of Marine Science: pteropods, important bioindicators of ocean health, defend themselves against ocean acidification through a unique protective shell coating, the periostracum. This study demonstrates that even a thin periostracum can protect against shell dissolution, challenging previous assumptions about pteropod vulnerability. The results of this study not only enhance our understanding of pteropod resilience but also underscore the complex mechanisms marine species have evolved to withstand environmental stressors. Watch now ▶ https://lnkd.in/eimAAjHR Dive into the research ▶ https://lnkd.in/eBna3SGP Matt Miller University of Victoria R L Oakes, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University P A Covert, Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada D Ianson, University of Victoria J F Dower, University of Victoria