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?
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.
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.
Buy High, Sell Low
Like it or not, retreat from the coasts has begun. The only question left is whether it will be managed or chaotic.
The case for co-locating offshore wind parks and nature reserves
Wind parks could benefit the natural world—in ways beyond the generation of zero-carbon energy.
How much is a mangrove forest worth? In some places, $850,000 per hectare.
Thousands of kilometers of shoreline would qualify as cost-effective candidates for mangrove forest and coral reef restoration, thanks to their ability to reduce flooding, new research shows.
Two fish. Two divergent fates. And the power of regulations.
Tuna populations on the rebound as fishing limits take hold. But lightly regulated sharks continue their downward spiral.
Scientists see clearly that marine protected areas protect fish, and fishers, alike.
Mexico’s industrial fishers claimed that banning them from a marine reserve would decrease their catch by 20%. A multinational team of researchers tested that assumption.
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.
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
Which seafood is the most nutritious and the least carbon intensive?
A new study finds that species with exceptionally high nutrient levels overlap with those associated with low carbon emissions—pointing toward a more sustainable diet.
