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 most comprehensive study ever reveals which are the greenest ‘blue foods’
The lowest-impact label went to farmed bivalves and seaweeds; but there were also some surprises—e.g., wild and farmed salmon have the same footprint
Researchers calculate the value of bivalves’ appetite for pollution. It’s huge.
If coastal cities planted clam beds along the urban edge, they could save millions in nitrogen clean-up costs
1 in 3 wild fish are discarded before ever reaching a plate. This invention tackles the waste.
The new system diverts fish 'byproducts' from their fate as animal feed, turning them into human food and reducing pressure on wild stocks at sea.
Using seawater for cooling could be a sustainable option
Researchers found that just one cubic meter of seawater has the same cooling energy as a solar farm the size of 68 football fields—or 21 wind turbines.
Can marine reserves work if they still allow fishing? One UK bay suggests “Yes.”
On the southwest coast of the England, near the town of Lyme Regis, scientists found that fish populations boomed when reefs were protected, even though some kinds of fishing continued.
Researchers connect the dots between aquatic biodiversity and human nutrition
That more diverse an aquatic area, the more nutrients make it to our plates
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.
Nearly a century after being extirpated, blue whales are moving back to South Georgia Island
Now that whaling has been outlawed for decades, populations are beginning to heal—but they face new threats.
Scientists dissect the nuanced choreography of two top predators: humans and dolphins
The keys to saving this imperiled and unusual display of intraspecies cooperation are cracking down on overfishing and rewarding dolphin-friendly fishers
Letting the big fish get away could be an unexpected climate solution
Big fish sinking to the bottom of the sea could sequester millions of tons of carbon
