Marine chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical composition, speciation, reactions, and biogeochemical cycles of substances in the marine environment, including seawater, sediments, and marine aerosols. It addresses the distributions and transformations of major, minor, and trace elements, dissolved gases, nutrients, and organic compounds, and how these are controlled by physical processes (mixing, circulation), biological activity (production, remineralization), and interactions with the atmosphere and lithosphere. Research in marine chemistry underpins understanding of ocean acidification, carbon cycling, redox dynamics, contaminant fate, and the chemical controls on marine ecosystems and climate-relevant processes.
In Science of The Total Environment, researchers demonstrate the broad distribution of particulate thiols in the western North Pacific and show that their main source is marine phytoplankton. The analysis indicates that differences ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 22, 2026
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Scientists have long sought to explain a key mismatch in Earth's early history: oxygen-producing photosynthesis evolved hundreds of millions of years before atmospheric oxygen began to rise during the Great Oxidation Event. ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 19, 2026
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The rocks beneath our feet are leaving a hidden signature in the shells of marine snails along Australia's ancient coastline, according to new research led by Adelaide University scientists. A study published in Proceedings ...
Ecology
Mar 18, 2026
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Research from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences explores how common sunscreen ingredients behave under light exposure. Led by associate professor Eric Vejerano, the team tested seven commercially available sunscreens ...
Environment
Mar 17, 2026
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The ocean naturally absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere, acting as a carbon sink. This capacity is determined by a natural chemical property referred to as ocean alkalinity. If the alkalinity increases, the ocean has the potential ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
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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
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From coral reefs and kelp forests to the open ocean and deep-sea zones, nutrients that support phytoplankton growth and marine productivity form the foundation of oceanic ecosystems. When levels of key nutrients—such as nitrate ...
Environment
Mar 12, 2026
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In some parts of the deep ocean, it can look like it's snowing. This "marine snow" is the dust and detritus that organisms slough off as they die and decompose. Marine snow can fall several kilometers to the deepest parts ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 9, 2026
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How is carbon metabolized and processed in different ecosystems? In a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, researchers led by Joely Maak, the study's first author and researcher in the Cluster ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 9, 2026
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11
Cyanobacteria, as they still exist today, were the first organisms to carry out photosynthesis and release oxygen. Produced in primeval oceans about 2.5 billion years ago, this oxygen accumulated in Earth's atmosphere on ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 26, 2026
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