Ocean Stories
Anthropocene brings some of the best minds to bear on tough questions about the future of the Earth’s largest ecosystems: Should nations farm their EEZs—and how can they do it ecologically? Are there economically viable ways to harvest plastic waste? Can we cultivate acid- and heat-resilient coral reefs?
The astonishing salt marsh-building power of the humble, tiny mussel
Researchers transplanted 200,000 of them and tracked the elevation of marshlands over 3 years; they contributed to new land at 5x the predicted rate.
On the hunt for heat-tolerant genes, coral farmers discover there is no “super coral.”
In reef restoration, as in the stock market, scientists find that a diverse and flexible portfolio is the best way to hedge ones bets in a changing world.
In a first, researchers have engineered marine bacteria to destroy plastics in seawater
By combining key traits of two bacterial species, the team created a novel bug that can break down plastics in salty conditions—at room temperature.
It’s an unsinkable idea
The concept of settling the high seas is back—this time as a sustainable answer to sea-level rise, with an impressive team and UN support.
An overlooked opportunity for kelp farms to double as pollution cleanup sites
Macroalgae get a lot of attention for absorbing carbon. But a new study shows that select species are better at cleaning up nitrogen than carbon.
Probiotics could help save overheated coral
In lab experiments, an infusion of bacteria extracted from coral reefs made the difference between life and death for coral stuck in hot water.
Artificial intelligence can track a coral reef’s health by learning its “song”
Researchers demonstrate how to tell damaged reefs from healthy ones using relatively cheap underwater recorders paired with new computer programs.
Trying to save coral reefs? Think like a hedge fund manager.
With coral reefs in danger of disappearing, scientists say borrowing strategies from gamblers and investors could help.
Is plastic trash in the middle of the ocean becoming a new kind of island habitat?
Giant patches of plastic floating in the ocean have become home to an experiment in a new hybrid ecosystem, made up of stowaway species from coastal environments and organisms that dwell in the middle of the Pacific. Meet the "neopelagic" world.
Closing more of the ocean to fishing actually means there’ll be more fish to eat
Researchers calculate that protecting just 5% more of the ocean could boost fisheries by as much as 20%.
