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The Race Against the Climate Crisis

April 19, 2021 sarah Jonas Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, Climate Science, Earth Science, Evironment, Ocean, Wildfire

Just adapting to climate change is not something the world can afford to do. So, the CSU is exploring all options to thwart potentially disastrous consequences.

Research Results

Corals Carefully Organize Proteins to Form Rock-Hard Skeletons

April 8, 2021 sarah Jonas Biomineralization, biominerals, Bones, Calcium Carbonate, Charles Darwin, Climate Change, Coral, Coral Bleaching, Coral Reefs, Environment, Erosion, Evolution, fish, Fishing, Habitat, indo-pacific, Invasive Species, Marine Debris, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Ocean Acidification, Oceans, organic, proteins, Research, Resilience, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, shorelines, stony corals, Storms, theory of evolution, Tropical Cyclones

Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who championed the theory of evolution, noted that corals form far-reaching structures, largely made of limestone, that surround tropical islands. He didn’t know how they performed this feat. Now, Rutgers scientists have shown that coral structures consist of a biomineral containing a highly organized organic mix of proteins that resembles what is in our bones. Their study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, shows for the first time that several proteins are organized spatially – a process that’s critical to forming a rock-hard coral skeleton.

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Viral ‘Pandemics’ in Oceans

April 6, 2021 sarah Jonas Algae, Atmosphere, Biology, Carbon, Carbon Cycle, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, COVID-19, Earth, Ecosystems, Environment, Infections, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Pandemic, Phytoplankton, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Viral Infections, Virus, Viruses

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 6, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick microbial oceanographer Kay D. Bidle is available for interviews on the persistent

Research Results

Overfishing of Atlantic Cod Likely Did Not Cause Genetic Changes

April 5, 2021 sarah Jonas Arctic, Atlantic cod, Atlantic Ocean, Canada, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, DNA, Dna Sequencing, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution, fish, Fish Stocks, Fisheries, Fishing, genetic sequencing, Genetics, Genome, Greenland, Gulf Of Maine, Massachusetts, New England, New Jersey, NJ, North Carolina, Norway, Ocean, Ocean Conservation, Oceans, Overfishing, Research, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick

Overfishing likely did not cause the Atlantic cod, an iconic species, to evolve genetically and mature earlier, according to a study led by Rutgers University and the University of Oslo – the first of its kind – with major implications for ocean conservation.

Research Results

How Does Plastic Debris Make Its Way Into Ocean Garbage Patches?

March 2, 2021 sarah Jonas Chaos, Francisco Beron-Vera, Garbage, Marine Debris, Markov Chain, Modeling, Ocean, ocean dynamics, Ocean Pollution, Philippe Miron, Plastic, plastic debris, University Of Miami

Researchers in the U.S. and Germany decided to explore which pathways transport debris to the middle of the oceans, causing garbage patches, as well as the relative strengths of different subtropical gyres and how they influence long-term accumulation of debris. In Chaos, they report creating a model of the oceans’ surface dynamics from historical trajectories of surface buoys. Their model describes the probability of plastic debris being transported from one region to another.

Research Results

Microplastic Sizes in Hudson-Raritan Estuary and Coastal Ocean Revealed

March 1, 2021 sarah Jonas aquatic life, Atlantic Ocean, BAYS, Coastal, Ecosystems, Environment, Estuaries, Fresh Water, Hudson River, microplastics, New Jersey, New York, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Organic Chemicals, Passaic River, Plastic Pollution, Plastics, Pollution, Polyethylene, Polymer, Raritan River, Rivers, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Stormwater, wastewater treatment plants, water

Rutgers scientists for the first time have pinpointed the sizes of microplastics from a highly urbanized estuarine and coastal system with numerous sources of fresh water, including the Hudson River and Raritan River. Their study of tiny pieces of plastic in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary in New Jersey and New York indicates that stormwater could be an important source of the plastic pollution that plagues oceans, bays, rivers and other waters and threatens aquatic and other life.

Research Results

Fishes Contribute Roughly 1.65 Billion Tons of Carbon in Feces and Other Matter Annually

February 17, 2021 sarah Jonas Algae, Atmosphere, California, Carbon, Carbon Cycle, Carbon Dioxide, Climate, Climate Change, Deep Sea, dissolved organic carbon, Earth, Environment, Feces, fish, global carbon cycle, global warming, Greenhouse Gases, Matter, Migration, National Science Foundation, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Organic Carbon, Phytoplankton, plants, Research, Respiration, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Seafood, Sequestration

Scientists have little understanding of the role fishes play in the global carbon cycle linked to climate change, but a Rutgers-led study found that carbon in feces, respiration and other excretions from fishes – roughly 1.65 billion tons annually – make up about 16 percent of the total carbon that sinks below the ocean’s upper layers.

Research Results

Bacteria and Algae Get Rides in Clouds

February 16, 2021 sarah Jonas Algae, Atlantic Ocean, Atmosphere, Bacteria, blue-green algae, Clouds, Cyanobacteria, Diatoms, Earth, Ecosystems, Environment, France, genes, Health, Lakes, microbes, Microorganisms, Mountains, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Rain, red algae, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, soil, Toxins, water

Human health and ecosystems could be affected by microbes including cyanobacteria and algae that hitch rides in clouds and enter soil, lakes, oceans and other environments when it rains, according to a Rutgers co-authored study.

Research Results

Important Climate Change Mystery Solved by Scientists

January 27, 2021 sarah Jonas Carbon Dioxide, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Models, core, Environment, Fossils, Global Cooling, global temperatures, global warming, Greenhouse Gases, Ice Sheets, New Jersey, NJ, Northern Hemisphere, Ocean, Oceans, Research, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Sediments, Temperatures

Scientists have resolved a key climate change mystery, showing that the annual global temperature today is the warmest of the past 10,000 years – contrary to recent research, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Nature. The long-standing mystery is called the “Holocene temperature conundrum,” with some skeptics contending that climate model predictions of future warming must be wrong. The scientists say their findings will challenge long-held views on the temperature history in the Holocene era, which began about 12,000 years ago.

Research Results

Nuclear War Could Trigger Big El Niño and Decrease Seafood

January 25, 2021 sarah Jonas Algae, Black Carbon, Climate, Climate Change, earth system model, El Nino, El Nino Southern Oscillation, ENSO, Environment, Farming, Fires, fish, Fisheries, Food, India, Indian Ocean, La Nina, Marine, marine food web, New Jersey, NJ, Nuclear, nuclear war, Nutrients, Nutrition, Ocean, Oceans, Pacific Ocean, Pakistan, Photosynthesis, Phytoplankton, Protein, Research, RU, Russia, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Seafood, soot, sunlight, United States, upper atmosphere, Upwelling, War, Warming, Weather

A nuclear war could trigger an unprecedented El Niño-like warming episode in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, slashing algal populations by 40 percent and likely lowering the fish catch, according to a Rutgers-led study. The research, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, shows that turning to the oceans for food if land-based farming fails after a nuclear war is unlikely to be a successful strategy – at least in the equatorial Pacific.

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Legal Expert Available to Discuss Environmental, Climate Change Priorities

January 21, 2021 sarah Jonas biden administration, Biodiversity, Black Carbon, Carbon Footprint, Climate Change, Conservation, Deforestation, Department Of Justice, Environment, Environmental Protection, Environmental Regulations, Fires, Fossil Fuels, Government, hydrofluorocarbons, International, international treaty, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, Land Management, Law, Methane, Mining, NATO, New Jersey, Ngos, NJ, non-governmental organizations, Ocean, Oceans, Oceans, Coasts, and Coral Reefs Specialist Group, Policy, Pollution, President Biden, Regulations, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Security, soot, Sustainability, United Nations, United States, World Commission on Environmental Law

New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 21, 2021) – Rutgers University Professor Cymie R. Payne, an expert on United States and international environmental

Research Results

Big Differences in How Coral Reef Fish Larvae are Dispersed

January 11, 2021 sarah Jonas Adaptation, Biology, Climate Change, Clownfish, Conservation, Coral, Coral Reefs, Corals, Currents, Dispersal, Ecology, Environment, Evolution, Extinction, genetic, Habitats, Larvae, Monsoons, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Philippines, Reef Fish, Research, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Species, Waves, Winds

How the larvae of colorful clownfish that live among coral reefs in the Philippines are dispersed varies widely, depending on the year and seasons – a Rutgers-led finding that could help scientists improve conservation of species. Right after most coral reef fish hatch, they join a swirling sea of plankton as tiny, transparent larvae. Then currents, winds and waves disperse them, frequently to different reefs.

Research Results

How to Identify Heat-Stressed Corals

January 4, 2021 sarah Jonas Algae, Biology, Climate Change, Coral, Coral Bleaching, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Engineering, Environment, fish, Fishing, Food, global warming, Hawaii, Health, Heat Stress, Invasive Species, Lab-on-a-chip, Marine Debris, Metabolites, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Ocean Acidification, Oceans, proteins, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Sea-level rise, Seafood, Tech, Technology, Tropical Cyclones

Researchers have found a novel way to identify heat-stressed corals, which could help scientists pinpoint the coral species that need protection from warming ocean waters linked to climate change, according to a Rutgers-led study.

Research Results

COVID-19 Pandemic had Big Impact on Commercial Fishing in Northeast

December 17, 2020 sarah Jonas Adaptation, Asian, Commercial Fishing, Consumers, COVID-19, Environment, European, Exports, fish, Fish Stocks, Fisheries, Fishermen, Fishing, Food, Mental Health, New Jersey, NJ, Northeast, Ocean, Oceans, Oil Spills, outdoor dining, Pandemic, Restaurants, Retailers, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Scallops, Seafood, Squid, Well-being

With restaurants and supply chains disrupted due to the global coronavirus pandemic, two-fifths of commercial fishermen surveyed from Maine through North Carolina did not go fishing earlier this year, according to a Rutgers study that also documented their resilience and adaptation. Of those who kept fishing, nearly all reported a decline in income compared with previous years, according to the survey of 258 fishers in the Northeast published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Research Results

Planning Ahead Protects Fish and Fisheries

December 11, 2020 sarah Jonas Canada, Climate Change, Conservation, East Carolina University, Environment, fish, Fisheries, Fishing, global warming, Marine Life, marine species, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey, NJ, NOAA, North America, Ocean, Oceans, offshore wind, Planning, Recreation, Renewable Energy, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Seafood, Shipping, Stanford University, Sustainability, United States, wave energy

Conservation of fish and other marine life migrating from warming ocean waters will be more effective and also protect commercial fisheries if plans are made now to cope with climate change, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Science Advances.

Research Results

Atmospheric Rivers Help Create Massive Holes in Antarctic Sea Ice

November 11, 2020 sarah Jonas Algae, Antarctica, Atmosphere, atmospheric rivers, Climate Change, Coastal Communities, coastal storms, Ecology, Environment, Flooding, heat, marine food web, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, ocean circulation, Oceans, Phytoplankton, Polar, Research, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Sea Ice, Sea-level rise, South America, Southern Ocean, Spring, Water Vapor, Winter

Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to Rutgers co-authored research. Scientists studied the role of long, intense plumes of warm, moist air – known as atmospheric rivers – in creating enormous openings in sea ice. They focused on the Weddell Sea region of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, where these sea ice holes (called polynyas) infrequently develop during the winter.

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss 10 Ways to Adapt to Coastal Flooding

October 14, 2020 sarah Jonas Adaptation, BAYS, Climate Change, Coastal Communities, Coastal Flooding, Coastal resilience, Environment, FEMA, Flood, flood insurance, Flood Risk, Flooding, Floods, Government, Homeowners, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, Marshes, Mitigation, New Jersey, Ocean, Oceans, Residents, Resilience, Rivers, RU, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Sea-level rise, Wetlands

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 14, 2020) – Rutgers coastal expert Vanessa Dornisch is available for interviews on 10 steps residents

Announcement

OSU Assumes Cyberinfrastructure Responsibility for OOI

October 5, 2020 sarah Jonas Cyberinfrastructure, data, Ocean, Ocean Observatories Initiative

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Oregon State University (OSU) jointly announced that OSU will assume responsibilities for the systems management of the cyberinfrastructure that makes data transmission for the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) possible through September of 2023.

Research Results

Marine animals live where ocean is most ‘breathable,’ but ranges could shrink with climate change

September 16, 2020 sarah Jonas Climate Change, Marine animals, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Biology, Marine Conservation, Marine Ecology, Metabolism, Ocean, Oceans, Oxygen, Physiology

Research shows that many marine animals already inhabit the maximum range of breathable ocean that their physiology allows. The findings are a warning about climate change: Since warmer waters harbor less oxygen, stretches of ocean that are breathable today for a species may not be in the future.

Research Results

Ocean Algae Get “Coup de Grace” from Viruses

September 15, 2020 sarah Jonas Algae, Algae blooms, algal blooms, Calcium, Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, Cells, Chemicals, Coastal Waters, Cycling, deep ocean, Earth, Ecosystems, Environment, Infection, iron, Model, New Jersey, NJ, Norway, Ocean, Oceans, Oregon State University, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Phytoplankton, Research, Rutgers, Rutgers University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Science, Sequestration, University of Bergen, University of California, Santa Barbara, Viruses, water

Scientists have long believed that ocean viruses always quickly kill algae, but Rutgers-led research shows they live in harmony with algae and viruses provide a “coup de grace” only when blooms of algae are already stressed and dying. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, will likely change how scientists view viral infections of algae, also known as phytoplankton – especially the impact of viruses on ecosystem processes like algal bloom formation (and decline) and the cycling of carbon and other chemicals on Earth.

Feature

Using Nature-Inspired Designs To Protect Coastal Communities

September 14, 2020 sarah Jonas Hurricane Aftermath, Ocean

Nearly half the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastline, putting them at risk of rising sea levels, eroding coastlines and more frequent storms and hurricanes. Dr. Jens Figlus and his team are safeguarding these coastal communities through better designed hybrid coastal structures.

Research Results

New paper addresses mix of contaminants in Fukushima wastewater, highlights risks of dumping in ocean

August 6, 2020 sarah Jonas Earthquake, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Ocean, Radioactivity, Tsunami

Ten years after the Tohoku-oki earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, radiation levels have fallen in all but the waters closest to the plant. But a new hazard exists and is growing every day in the number of storage tanks on land surrounding the power plant that hold contaminated wastewater.

Research Results

Newer PFAS compound detected for first time in Arctic seawater

July 29, 2020 sarah Jonas Arctic Ocean, Ocean, PFAS, PFASs, Seawater

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have studied the transport of 29 PFAS into and out of the Arctic Ocean, detecting a newer compound for the first time in Arctic seawater.

Expert Pitch

Dust plume may mean weaker hurricanes, heartier ocean ecosystem

June 25, 2020 sarah Jonas Climate, Environment, Hurricanes, Ocean

A Saharan dust plume is continuing its journey from Africa, crossing the Caribbean and making its way into the Gulf

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Soil Compaction, Healthy Yards

June 23, 2020 sarah Jonas Backyards, Contamination, Environment, Gardens, Lakes, Lawns, Natural Resources, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Pollution, Rivers, Runoff, Rutgers, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, soil, Soil Science, Stormwater, stormwater runoff, Streams, Wildlife, yards

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 23, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Steven Yergeau is available to discuss the causes of

Research Results

The many lifetimes of plastics

June 15, 2020 sarah Jonas Environment, Ocean, Plastics, Polystyrene

Many of us have seen informational posters at parks or aquariums specifying how long plastics bags, bottles, and other products last in the environment. They’re a good reminder to not litter, but where does the information on the lifetime expectancy of plastic goods come from, and how reliable is it?

Research Results

Mangrove Trees Won’t Survive Sea-Level Rise by 2050 if Emissions Aren’t Cut

June 4, 2020 sarah Jonas Atmosphere, Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, Climate, Climate Change, Coast, Coastal, Coastline, Ecosystems, Environment, Erosion, fish, Food, Forests, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Habitat, Mangroves, Nanyang Technological University, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey, NJ, NOAA, Ocean, Oceans, Predators, Rutgers, Rutgers University-New Brunswck, sea-level change, Sea-level rise, Sediment, shorelines, Species, Subtropical, Tides, Trees, Tropical, Waves

Mangrove trees – valuable coastal ecosystems found in Florida and other warm climates – won’t survive sea-level rise by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t reduced, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Science. Mangrove forests store large amounts of carbon, help protect coastlines and provide habitat for fish and other species. Using sediment data from the last 10,000 years, an international team led by Macquarie University in Australia estimated the chances of mangrove survival based on rates of sea-level rise.

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risks of Ocean Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic

May 21, 2020 sarah Jonas Aquatic, Coronavirus, Coronaviruses, COVID-19, Environment, Health, Lakes, Light, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Parks, Pathogens, Rivers, Rutgers, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswck, SARS-CoV-2, social distancing, Surfing, Swimming, Virus, Viruses, Wind

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 21, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Kay Bidle is available for interviews on the possible risks from

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Experts Can Discuss 2020 Hurricane Season Outlook in N.J.

May 19, 2020 sarah Jonas Atlantic Ocean, Climate, Climate Change, Climatology, Coast, Coastal, Coronavirus, covid, COVID-19, Emergency Management, Environment, Evacuation, evacuations, Flooding, Garden State, Hurricanes, Meteorology, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey, New Jersey Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, NJ, NOAA, Ocean, Oceans, Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist, physical distancing, Rivers, Rutgers, Rutgers NJ Weather Network, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Storm Surge, Travel, Traveling, Tropical Storms, Vulnerability, Weather

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 19, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick experts are available for interviews on the 2020 hurricane season

Feature

Ocean explorer and filmmaker James Cameron to host virtual event on Extreme Ocean Machines

May 15, 2020 sarah Jonas Exploration, Ocean, Robots, Technology

On May 20, ocean explorer and world-renowned filmmaker James Cameron will host a special edition of Ocean Encounters, a popular virtual event series from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Research Results

Ocean acidification prediction now possible years in advance

May 1, 2020 sarah Jonas California, Forecast, Ocean, ocean acidifcation

CU Boulder researchers have developed a method that could enable scientists to accurately forecast ocean acidity up to five years in advance. This would enable fisheries and communities that depend on seafood negatively affected by ocean acidification to adapt to changing conditions in real time, improving economic and food security in the next few decades.

Research Results

Algae in the Oceans Often Steal Genes from Bacteria

April 29, 2020 sarah Jonas Algae, Bacteria, Carbohydrates, Diatoms, Earth, Environment, Food, Food Webs, genes, Genetics, Genomics, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Organic Matter, Oxygen, Photosynthesis, Phytoplankton, Protein, Protozoa, Rutgers, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Science

Algae in the oceans often steal genes from bacteria to gain beneficial attributes, such as the ability to tolerate stressful environments or break down carbohydrates for food, according to a Rutgers co-authored study.
The study of 23 species of brown and golden-brown algae, published in the journal Science Advances, shows for the first time that gene acquisition had a significant impact on the evolution of a massive and ancient group of algae and protists (mostly one-celled organisms including protozoa) that help form the base of oceanic food webs.

Announcement

Enhanced climate change models possible through NSF grant

April 24, 2020 sarah Jonas Climate Change, Mechanical Engineering, NSF, Ocean, Particulate Matter

Mechanical engineering’s Matthew Rau will study ocean particulate matter, with the hopes of adding to the knowledge surrounding carbon dioxide absorption

Expert Pitch

Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Environmental Protection During COVID-19 Crisis

April 15, 2020 sarah Jonas Antibiotics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Coastal, combined sewer overflows, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Engineering, Environment, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Protection, EPIDEMIOLOGY, Estuaries, Feces, Health, Home, microbes, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Pandemic, Pharmaceuticals, Rivers, Rutgers, Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Rutgers School of Engineering, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswck, soap, Urban, Urine, Wastewater, Wastewater Treatment Plant, water, Water Pollution, Water Quality, Waterways

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Nicole Fahrenfeld and John Reinfelder are available for interviews

Research Results

A Rapidly Changing Arctic

April 8, 2020 sarah Jonas Arctic, Climate, Climate Change, Ecosystem, Ocean, Ocean Chemistry, ocean circulation

A new study by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and their international colleagues found that freshwater runoff from rivers and continental shelf sediments are bringing significant quantities of carbon and trace elements into parts of the Arctic Ocean via the Transpolar Drift—a major surface current that moves water from Siberia across the North Pole to the North Atlantic Ocean.

Research Results

Ocean’s ‘biological pump’ captures more carbon than expected

April 6, 2020 sarah Jonas Carbon, Carbon Cycle, Climate, Climate Models, Fisheries, Ocean

Scientists have long known that the ocean plays an essential role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere, but a new study from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows that the efficiency of the ocean’s “biological carbon pump” has been drastically underestimated, with implications for future climate assessments.

Research Results

How Old are Whale Sharks? Nuclear Bomb Legacy Reveals Their Age

April 6, 2020 sarah Jonas air, Atmosphere, Carbon, China, Cold War, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, fish, France, Great Britain, Nuclear, Ocean, Oceans, Pakistan, Radioactive, Radioactivity, Saudi Arabia, Sharks, Testing, United States

Nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s have helped scientists accurately estimate the age of whale sharks, the biggest fish in the seas, according to a Rutgers-led study. It’s the first time the age of this majestic species has been verified. One whale shark was an estimated 50 years old when it died, making it the oldest known of its kind. Another shark was an estimated 35 years old.

Feature

Soil Science Society publishes blogs about Deepwater Horizon’s Anniversary

April 2, 2020 sarah Jonas Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Environment, History, Ocean, oil, Remediation, Research, Restoration, soil, water

Blogs look at the immediate and long-term impacts on the Gulf’s coastal soils

Research Results

Oysters and Clams Can be Farmed Together

April 2, 2020 sarah Jonas Algae, Aquaculture, Clams, Crops, Environment, Farmers, Farming, Farms, Food, Growth, Mussels, New Jersey, NJ, Northeast, Ocean, Oceans, Oysters, Research, Rutgers, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswck, Science, Seafood, Seawater, Shellfish, United States

Eastern oysters and three species of clams can be farmed together and flourish, potentially boosting profits of shellfish growers, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study. Though diverse groups of species often outperform single-species groups, most bivalve farms in the United States and around the world grow their crops as monocultures, notes the study in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Feature

Finding answers in the ocean

March 25, 2020 sarah Jonas biomedical applications, corona virus testing, microbes, Ocean, Pandemics

The test being used to diagnose the novel coronavirus—and other pandemics like AIDS and SARS—was developed with the help of

Announcement

$8.3M award to WHOI extends observational record of critical climate research

March 18, 2020 sarah Jonas Climate, Climate Change, Funding, Ocean, Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded $8.2 million to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to extend the life of the Overturning in the Sub-polar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP) in a key part of Earth’s ocean-climate system. The award is part of a $15.5 million grant to four U.S. institutions that will help add four years to the record being assembled by the observatory.

Research Results

Climate Change Could Threaten Sea Snails in Mid-Atlantic Waters

March 11, 2020 sarah Jonas Atlantic Ocean, Canada, Climate Change, Commercial Fishing, Environment, Europe, Fisheries, Fishing, Food, Harvest, Marine, New Jersey, NOAA, Ocean, Oceans, Overfishing, Recruitment, Reproduction, Research, Rutgers, Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Science

Climate change could threaten the survival and development of common whelk – a type of sea snail – in the mid-Atlantic region, according to a study led by scientists at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The common, or waved, whelk (Buccinum undatum) is an important commercial species that has been harvested for decades in Europe and Canada for bait and human consumption. Its habitat within the mid-Atlantic region is one of the Earth’s fastest warming marine areas and annual fluctuations in the bottom temperature are among the most extreme on the planet due to unique oceanographic conditions.

Research Results

Designing plastic to break down in the ocean is possible, but is it practical?

March 3, 2020 sarah Jonas Envionment, Machine Learning, Ocean, Plastic

In a study, the researchers used a machine learning algorithm to classify more than 110 types of plastics, including commercial and lab-made varieties, to better understand how they might degrade in the ocean.

Research Results

Simulations Show Effects of Buoyancy on Drift in Florida Current

February 11, 2020 sarah Jonas Florida, Fluid Dynamics, NOAA, Ocean, OCEANOGRAPHY, PHYSICS OF FLUIDS

Acquiring a better understanding for how objects drift in the ocean has importance for many uses, but most models lack a systematic approach. One new effort looks to provide a clearer alternative. Researchers have released the results from an experiment aimed at tracking different objects as they drift in the Florida Current. Using satellite data, the group developed a new model for how objects drift. They discuss their work in this week’s Physics of Fluids.

Feature

Where the sky meets the sea: Exploring the sea-surface microlayer

February 7, 2020 sarah Jonas Ocean

The separation between sky and sea is only one millimeter at its thickest and, yet, this sea-surface microlayer plays a major role in global phenomena. Dr. Aarthi Sekaran is taking a deeper look into how flow instabilities in this microlayer affects weather patterns and prediction.

Research Results

Global Cooling After Nuclear War Would Harm Ocean Life

February 5, 2020 sarah Jonas Agriculture, Black Carbon, Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, Chemistry, Climate Change, Corals, Environment, fish, Fish Stocks, Fisheries, Food, Fossil Fuels, global warming, India, LAND, Marine Life, National Center For Atmospheric Research, New Jersey, nuclear war, Nuclear Weapons, nuclear winter, Nutrition, Ocean, Ocean Acidification, Oceans, Oysters, Pakistan, Russia, Rutgers, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Salinity, Sea, Seafood, Shellfish, Smoke, soot, Stratosphere, sunlight, Temperature, U.S. Department Of Energy, United States, University of Colorado Boulder, upper atmosphere, water

A nuclear war that cooled Earth could worsen the impact of ocean acidification on corals, clams, oysters and other marine life with shells or skeletons, according to the first study of its kind.

Research Results

Microplastics from ocean fishing can ‘hide’ in deep sediments

January 29, 2020 sarah Jonas 0 Comments Fishing, fishing gear, Microparticles, microplastics, Ocean, Pollution

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have linked microplastics in China’s Beibu Gulf with heavy fishing activities.

Research Results

Scientists Find Far Higher than Expected Rate of Underwater Glacial Melting

January 29, 2020 sarah Jonas 0 Comments Alaska, Climate Change, Environment, Freshwater, Glaciers, global warming, ice, Meltwater, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean, Oceans, Robotic, Robots, Rutgers, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Sea-level rise, SNOW, Sonar, University Of Alaska Fairbanks, water

Tidewater glaciers, the massive rivers of ice that end in the ocean, may be melting underwater much faster than previously thought, according to a Rutgers co-authored study that used robotic kayaks. The findings, which challenge current frameworks for analyzing ocean-glacier interactions, have implications for the rest of the world’s tidewater glaciers, whose rapid retreat is contributing to sea-level rise.

Research Results

For now, river deltas gain land worldwide

January 23, 2020 sarah Jonas 0 Comments dams, Ocean, Rivers, Science, Sea Level Rise

Researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and colleagues found that delta areas worldwide have actually gained land in the past 30 years, despite river damming. However, recent land gains are unlikely to last throughout the 21st century due to expected, accelerated sea level rise. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature.

Feature

Spock versus the volcano

January 20, 2020 sarah Jonas 0 Comments Artificial Intelligence, Automated, Eruptions, Greece, Ocean, Santorini, Science, Volcanic Eruption, Volcano

Kolumbo volcano—which sits 500 meters below the surface within the fault-heavy Hellenic Volcanic Arc just off Santorini—is the Aegean Sea’s most active and potentially dangerous volcano.

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