Marine plastic pollution transforms benthic ecosystems Benthic Ecology post by Jessica Sandoval When we think of home, perhaps the first image that comes to mind is not a recycling bin nor an old tire. However, these items can easily become home to many marine animals on the sea floor. How do our plastic goods make their way to the sea … Read More

Benthic ecology blog post by: Leah Werner As man’s reach extends across the planet to the detriment of millions of species, select species are taking full advantage of the new territories and food resources. Jellyfish are one of these. And as a consequence, a new picture of their dominance is emerging. Local jellyfish blooms are increasing in numerous locations across … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Tyler Hee Researchers have found surprising abundances of non-native species in several intertidal habitats (the area of shore exposed at low-tide and submerged at high-tide) and subtidal habitats (the shallow are just below the intertidal) along the important, exposed coastline of Central California. Watersipora a non-native group of bryozoans, or marine invertebrates that live in … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Travis Courtney Coral reefs provide about half a billion people around the world with food, coastal protection, building materials, and/or income (1). Thirty million of those people live on atolls and are nearly entirely dependent on the ecosystem services provided by coral reefs for their livelihood (1). Despite their great importance, coral cover has declined … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Morgan Ziegenhorn When people think of the Arctic, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a polar bear sitting on a piece of ever-shrinking ice. News about polar regions is rarely good, especially when it comes to scientific discoveries—we hear that the ice is diminishing, that the animals are losing habitat, and that … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Madelin Andersen Mangroves are marine trees that form coastal wetlands known as mangrove forests and can be found around the world in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Mangroves have evolved to survive in coastal wetland environments where the salt and oxygen poor soil makes it impossible for other plants to live. Mangroves thrive in these conditions … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Michelle Loewe What We Know The first goal of any living thing is to stay alive. Whether it be to stay alive long enough to reproduce, or to stay alive long enough to pay off your student loans, no matter the organism, the goal is to stay alive. Of course, a very large component of … Read More

Benthic Ecology Blog Post by Tarice Taylor The Deep, Dark Discovery A scientific paper published on February 8, 2018, in Scientific Reports, details the 2015 discovery and research of external egg cases belonging to the deep-sea skate species, Bathyraja spinosissima (think: cartilaginous fish related to sting rays and sharks), nestled within close range of a hydrothermal vent system. This location … Read More