Ocean Content

The Plastisphere, Marine Snow and Ocean Plastics

Katherine E Kerlin — May 19, 2022 - 12:34pm

A mini-explainer on "The Plastisphere" and "marine snow."

Citizen Divers Aid Understanding of Fish in the Salish Sea

Katherine E Kerlin — March 24, 2022 - 10:27am

Hundreds of fish species live in the Salish Sea, and many face a number of threats. Monitoring the health of these fish populations is crucial. But with nearly 5,000 miles of coastline and more than 400 islands, it’s no small task.

Baja Field Station Plans Underway

Katherine E Kerlin — January 07, 2022 - 12:01pm

I don’t know about you, but there are huge parts of the past couple of years that I just missed. Even things in 2019 completely escaped my radar as the pandemic interrupted their momentum.

Crude Awakenings: An Oil Spill, a Tiny Bird and a Big Care Network

Tanya H Perez — November 08, 2021 - 8:00am

Learn how ΢��Ƶ’ Oiled Wildlife Care Network responders carefully wash, treat and rehabilitate endangered birds for their survival and conservation efforts.

When ‘Eradicated’ Species Bounce Back With a Vengeance

Katherine E Kerlin — March 15, 2021 - 12:00pm

Some invasive species targeted for total eradication bounce back with a vengeance, especially in aquatic systems, finds a study led by the University of California, Davis.

Bringing the Salish Sea to Tacoma’s Fifth Graders

Katherine E Kerlin — March 08, 2021 - 2:44pm

Tacoma Public School students are taking a big step into their local ecosystem.

While the pandemic has disrupted in-person schooling nationwide, Tacoma Public Schools is piloting a new Explore the Salish Sea science curriculum district-wide that adventurous fifth grade teachers at two Tacoma schools implemented last year.

A Fixed-Effort Fishery More Sustainable for Economy and Environment

Katherine E Kerlin — November 04, 2020 - 10:00am

For a truly sustainable fishery, more needs to be considered than just the abundance of the harvested species. Harvesting even abundant species can create indirect extinction cascades down the food web that can harm the long-term economic and ecological sustainability of a fishery.

That is according to a study from the University of California, Davis, published today in the journal Science Advances.

AAAS Press Briefing: Protecting the Health of Endangered Whales

Katherine E Kerlin — February 16, 2020 - 4:34pm

Marine mammal health is changing across the globe due to human activities and climate change. Increasing numbers of animals are dying from trauma, environmental pollution, disease and lack of food. Some populations have recovered while others face extinction.

Scientists and veterinarians from the University of California, Davis, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will hold a press briefing about new and ongoing efforts to protect marine mammal health, including that of endangered southern resident killer whales, North Atlantic right whales, and the vaquita.

Climate Change Could Shrink Oyster Habitat in California

Katherine E Kerlin — August 05, 2019 - 1:54pm

Ocean acidification is bad news for shellfish, making it harder for them to form their calcium-based shells. But several other factors related to climate change could also make California bays less hospitable to shelled organisms like oysters, which are a key part of the food web.

Changes to water temperature and chemistry resulting from human-caused climate change could shrink the prime habitat and farming locations for oysters in California bays, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

Where on Earth Is the Salish Sea?

Katherine E Kerlin — May 16, 2019 - 3:09pm

Less than half of the people in Washington and British Columbia have heard of the Salish Sea, even though they live alongside it.