Tag: ecosystem

A humpback whale feeds on schooling forage fish in Prince William Sound Alaska. Photo taken under NOAA Fisheries Permit #24378 Credit: NOAA Fisheries/John Moran

Capelin: a “Sea Canary” for Marine Ecosystem Change in Response to Heatwaves

5/27/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Capelin are a major forage fish species in high-latitude marine ecosystems. Recent heatwaves in Alaska led to a dramatic decline in capelin abundance, which can have major impacts on predators, including marine mammals, seabirds, and fish. Twenty years ago, Dr. George Rose with Memorial University of Newfoundland called capelin… SEE MORE

Five Reasons Seamounts Matter

7/1/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Just like on land, there are vast mountains that lie deep beneath the ocean’s waters. Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise at least 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) from the surrounding seafloor, most of which include the remains of extinct volcanoes. These submarine mountains can be found in every ocean basin… SEE MORE

Deep Learning on the Rocky Shore

4/25/2025 - By tula.org. Drones allow researchers to do marine surveys from the sky. Now artificial intelligence is offering a quantum leap in image processing. What are your respective backgrounds in working with these kinds of AI processes? Taylor: I did my master’s degree at Ontario’s University of Waterloo on computer vision systems… SEE MORE

How Sharks Keep the Ocean Healthy

4/23/2025 - By Claire Mullin, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Sharks have long been portrayed as terrifying predators of the deep, but really, they are essential guardians of the ocean. Despite their fearsome reputation, these apex predators play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Sharks contribute… SEE MORE

Don’t Drain the Swamps: Tidal Wetlands Store Huge Amounts of Carbon

4/19/2025 - By tula.org. Research just published by the American Geophysical Union digs deeper into the carbon-storing power of wetlands along North America’s Pacific coast. A new paper featuring Hakai Institute researchers and led by Oregon State University reveals that the forested tidal swamps of the Pacific Northwest, alongside mangroves in Mexico, stash away… SEE MORE

Will Shrinking Glaciers Mean More Harmful Algal Blooms?

4/15/2025 - By tula.org. Marine algae known as phytoplankton form the essential foundation of marine food webs. Some are dangerous to marine mammals and humans, and researchers are exploring how the diversity and abundance of certain phytoplankton are linked to fresh water—which may be bad news in a changing climate. Toxic algal… SEE MORE

What’s Happening in the Ocean During Springtime?

3/2/2025 - By noaa.gov. When you think of springtime on land, you might think of birds migrating, flowers blooming, and leaves emerging. While these changes are happening on land, changes are happening in the ocean, too! But how can you tell if spring has sprung in the sea? This graphic explains some… SEE MORE

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Designate 18th National Marine Sanctuary

1/23/2025 - By noaa.gov. Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary status to bring strengthened conservation, management to area. NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one… SEE MORE

Battling Ghost Gear to Protect Marine Ecosystems and Economies

1/9/2025 - By nationalfisherman.com. The commercial fishing industry battles an ever-present threat: derelict fishing gear. These "ghost" pots and traps, lost to storms or boat traffic, continue fishing long after they're discarded, ensnaring marine life and disrupting ecosystems and economies. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, as recent initiatives and studies… SEE MORE

The Destructive Legacy of Failed Aquaculture

12/21/2024 - By Larry Pynn. Removing abandoned infrastructure is challenging, time-consuming, and costly. Aquaculture is big business in Canada. In 2023, open-net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia alone produced 50,000 tonnes of fish worth just over US $350-million. But on June 30, 2029, the federal government’s long-looming ban on open-net-pen salmon farming… SEE MORE