A paper published in the Functional Ecology journal has documented how blennies have adapted to both marine and terrestrial environments. Initially, the fish have a broad diet and a tolerance of different marine environments. This allows them to “invade” land and adapt to the changed circumstances. However, the adaption to this terrestrial habitat forces them to become more specialized.
A paper published in the Frontiers in Marine Science Journal outlines an innovative new approach to aging whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Using the increase of Carbon 14 that occurred after the nuclear bomb tests that started in the late 1940s as a datum, the technique can use the known decay curve of the radioactive isotope to provide an accurate age. So far, the results suggest that sharks are much more long-lived than was previously thought.
A new paper attempts to explain why whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) gather in large number at specific sites around the world. Published in the PeerJ journal, it investigates whether the bathymetry characteristics of the aggregating sites are similar. Nearly all of them are shallow areas, close of deep water with steep slopes. The paper suggests that these conditions will produce upwellings events and an abundance of food.
An article in Science Daily references a paper in Nature Communications that suggests that the traditional view the phytoplankton simply drifts in currents may be incorrect. (Image from Shutterstock)