Tiny fibers create unseen plastic pollution
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHILE the polyester leisure suit was a 1970s mistake, polyester and other synthetic fibers like nylon are still around and are a major contributor to the microplastics load in the environment, according to a Penn State materials scientist, who suggests switching to biosynthetic fibers to solve this problem. “These materials, during production, processing and after […]
IOES, FJIO promote ocean observation technology through training course
Reading Time: 2 minutesJOINTLY organised by the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), University of Malaya (UM) and the Fujian Institute of Oceanography (FJIO), China, 2018 Overseas Training Course on China-Malaysia Multidisciplinary Ocean Observation Technology was held as part of the China-Malaysia human resources training cooperation programme. The two-week training course took place at UM, Universiti Malaysia […]
What is coral bleaching?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCORALS are known as the underwater gardens of the ocean. Besides providing shelters to 25% of marine species, they amaze us with their myriad colours of beauty. But little do we know that the vivid colours of corals come from a type of algae that resides in it, called zooxanthellae. They also provide nutrients to […]
Nanoplastics can accumulate in marine organisms’ bodies, study finds
Reading Time: 3 minutesPLASTIC nanoparticles – these are tiny pieces of plastic less than 1 micrometre in size – could potentially contaminate food chains, and ultimately affect human health, according to a recent study by scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS). They discovered that nanoplastics are easily ingested by marine organisms, and they accumulate in the […]
Global warming is transforming the Great Barrier Reef
Reading Time: 2 minutesA NEW study published online recently in Nature shows that corals on the northern Great Barrier Reef experienced a catastrophic die-off following the extended marine heatwave of 2016. “When corals bleach from a heatwave, they can either survive and regain their colour slowly as the temperature drops, or they can die. Averaged across the whole […]
SELF-DRIVING ROBOT.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor the first time, scientists from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) will deploy a small fleet of long-range autonomous underwater vehicles (LRAUVs) that have the ability to collect and archive seawater samples automatically. Edward DeLong and David Karl, oceanography professors in the UH Mānoa […]
Taste, not appearance, drives corals to eat plastics
Reading Time: 3 minutesSCIENTISTS have long known that marine animals mistakenly eat plastic debris because the tiny bits of floating plastic might look like prey. But a new Duke University study of plastic ingestion by corals suggests there may be an additional reason for the potentially harmful behaviour. Visual cues, such as a resemblance to prey, don’t factor […]
Researchers find world’s first warm-blooded fish
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS have discovered a first fully warm-blooded fish that circulates heated blood throughout its body much like mammals and birds. The silvery fish, roughly the size of a large automobile tire, is known from oceans around the world and dwells hundreds of feet beneath the surface in chilly, dimly lit waters. The warm-blooded opah or […]
Seagrasses greatly reduce bacteria, benefiting humans and marine life
Reading Time: 2 minutesSEAGRASS meadows reduce bacteria pathogenic to humans and marine life by up to 50%, a new study shows. What’s more, corals located near seagrass meadows exhibit only half the prevalence of disease. These findings highlight the importance of seagrass ecosystems to the health of humans and other organisms; not only could they help with improving […]