Marine biology is the scientific discipline that investigates the biology of organisms inhabiting marine and brackish environments, encompassing molecular to ecosystem scales. It examines physiological, genetic, and behavioral adaptations to saline conditions, pressure, light regimes, and hydrodynamics, as well as population dynamics, trophic interactions, and biogeochemical roles of marine taxa from microbes to megafauna. Marine biologists employ field surveys, experimental manipulations, remote sensing, and omics-based approaches to quantify biodiversity patterns, primary production, nutrient cycling, and responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors, thereby informing ecosystem modeling, conservation strategies, and management of living marine resources.
Oysters filter seawater for food. In the process, they concentrate a wide variety of microorganisms from their environment—including bacteria and viruses—into a tiny space.
Ecology
4 hours ago
0
2
Data spanning nearly half a century shows that endangered southern resident killer whales are spending less time in inland waters, whereas their larger cousins, Bigg's killer whales, are increasingly present in Puget Sound.
Plants & Animals
7 hours ago
0
4
A global review of kelp conservation efforts has found the strongest restoration programs are built on unlikely partnerships among scientists, fishers, Indigenous groups and coastal communities.
Plants & Animals
Jun 23, 2026
0
7
Research is helping to shape a national roadmap linking ocean health, communities, governance and the economy to strengthen how Australia uses evidence to manage its oceans. Dr. Tai Loureiro, from The University of Western ...
Environment
Jun 18, 2026
0
5
Porpoises that strand in the Netherlands have, on average, a lower BMI than their counterparts in Scotland and elsewhere, according to an international study led by Utrecht University in collaboration with the Scottish Marine ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 15, 2026
0
6
When a whale dies, a very special natural phenomenon can come alive. The carcass might float at the surface for some time, attracting sharks and other predators. As it becomes weathered, it may start to sink, falling through ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jun 14, 2026
0
172
The first published live observations of the rare goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) in its natural deep-ocean habitat were reported in a new paper by a University of Hawai'i at Mānoa-led team of oceanographers. In the past, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 11, 2026
0
283
Humpback whales are one of the most popular species for whale watching. Since they are active close to the water's surface, groups of whale watchers can often see them breaching and diving during breeding periods. One popular ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 10, 2026
0
24
Researchers have repurposed an AI model designed for visual identification tasks to detect Bryde's whale calls contained within seismic data collected in the South China Sea. The detection system precisely identified calls ...
Ecology
Jun 10, 2026
0
8
The deep sea is a unique "evolutionary engine," with one of the richest and most unexplored sources of genetic diversity on Earth, according to a major new study that assessed its potential to transform biotechnology and ...
Evolution
Jun 10, 2026
0
9
