Coastal ecosystems are multidisciplinary research topics encompassing the structure, function, and dynamics of biological communities and physical environments at the land–sea interface, including salt marshes, mangroves, seagrass meadows, tidal flats, estuaries, rocky shores, and coastal dunes. Scientific study focuses on biogeochemical cycles, primary productivity, trophic interactions, sediment transport, and hydrodynamic forcing (tides, waves, currents) that shape habitat distribution and resilience. Research also examines nutrient loading, contaminant fate, habitat fragmentation, and climate-driven stressors such as sea-level rise, ocean acidification, and warming, often integrating remote sensing, numerical modeling, and long-term ecological monitoring to quantify ecosystem services and assess vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts.
Rising sea levels are contributing to a phenomenon called "ghost forests," which are groups of dead and dying standing trees that have been drowned by intruding saltwater. And all along the eastern U.S. where there used to ...
Ecology
Mar 26, 2026
0
9
An international study warns that critical scientific and practical gaps are slowing the use of blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) in global efforts to tackle climate change. Led by a team of international researchers, including ...
Environment
Mar 24, 2026
0
8
New research led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography is shining a spotlight on one of the ocean's most overlooked habitats: seagrass. Led by Scripps Oceanography Ph.D. candidate Rilee Sanders, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 24, 2026
0
6
Every time we do a load of laundry, tiny fibers of polyester escape from our clothes and slip down the drain. These microfibers, so small they can be invisible to the naked eye, are among the most common forms of microplastic ...
Researchers at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability have developed the most high-resolution statewide maps of California's kelp forests to date, giving researchers, conservationists and community members ...
Ecology
Mar 18, 2026
0
13
An antibiotic treatment used in many parts of the Caribbean and on Florida's Coral Reef to combat stony coral tissue loss disease does not exhibit negative side effects, scientists at Nova Southeastern University, in collaboration ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
0
7
From sea turtles to birds and the gentle dugong, the Persian Gulf's diverse but fragile marine life is threatened by the bombs and oil of the war in the Middle East.
Ecology
Mar 17, 2026
0
13
A global analysis of more than 2,300 seawater samples from more than 20 field studies around the globe indicates that human-made chemicals make up a significant portion of organic matter in coastal oceans. The international ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 16, 2026
0
20
Birds that live and breed in vegetated coastal areas, such as dunes and small islands, not only build nests but also—unintentionally—shape their own surroundings. This was discovered by Utrecht-based Earth scientist Floris ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 15, 2026
0
154
The tidal environment of mangrove forests serves as nurseries for many fish species. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have measured carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in 23 of the world's mangrove areas. The study, ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 11, 2026
0
53
