Oceans
- Earth
Simulation tracks ocean’s missing heat
Climate scientists suggest energy is buried deep undersea or released to space.
- Animals
Lionfish no match for big groupers
Despite its invasive success, the lionfish can't withstand grouper appetites.
- Microbes
Gulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast
Observations may explain the widespread mortality of sediment-dwelling animals.
- Science & Society
Methane from BP spill goes missing
Latest sampling suggests either that microbes have already devoured the most abundant hydrocarbon produced by the leak — or that researchers have simply lost track of it.
- Environment
Gases dominate Gulf’s subsea plumes
Shipboard experiments in June show that natural gas dominates the Gulf oil plumes and that its components are the favorite choice of microbes.
- Science & Society
Placement of marine reserves is key
A study finds that focusing on the heaviest-fished areas can help meet conservation goals.
- Oceans
Death by magma
Widespread extinctions in the world’s oceans millions of years ago may have been triggered by massive underwater volcanic eruptions that created much of the Caribbean seafloor.
