To settle or not to settle? Oyster larvae settlement cues investigated
oysters

To settle or not to settle? Oyster larvae settlement cues investigated

The inclusion of ecosystem engineers in coastal planning is an approach being considered to mitigate coastal erosion in different environments worldwide. Oysters are reef building and can alter and improve their habitat acting as a barrier for coastal protection by sediment stabilization and wave...

WoRMS featured in Blue Planet II
BluePlanetII_showtile

WoRMS featured in Blue Planet II

"Covering almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface, the world’s great oceans are home to an incredibly diverse web of life. The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) currently lists just under a quarter of a million species, with new ones being identified all the time. But even as we begin to...

Assessing the state of the oceans
WOA II

Assessing the state of the oceans

The second World Ocean Assessment – WOA II – is a global exercise by hundreds of marine scientists to evaluate trends and identify knowledge gaps in the world ocean. Two chapters of WOA II have made use of several components of the LifeWatch Species Information Backbone.

Observing plankton to understand ocean health
RV Stevin mesh

Observing plankton to understand ocean health

Increasing human activities are putting the ocean under stress, threatening the ecological health of marine ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Since plankton are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and are short-lived, they can be used as early warning systems for the...

Understanding mass mortality in saiga antelope population
saiga west kazakhstan

Understanding mass mortality in saiga antelope population

The Saiga antelope is an endangered species that lives in Central Asian steppes and semi-arid regions. Scientists around the world are working tirelessly to prevent it from becoming completely extinct. Every year, they migrate approximately 500 km from north to south, and back. In 2015, roughly 60%...