During the last ice age, the Atlantic Ocean’s powerful current system remained active and continued to transport warm, salty water from the tropics to the North Atlantic despite extensive ice cover across much of the Northern Hemisphere, finds new research led by UCL scientists.

As striking and fascinating as beluga whales are, we know surprisingly little about them. Their cold, remote, and often frozen Arctic habitat makes them very hard to study. But now scientists have collected hundreds of DNA samples from one Alaska population to reveal crucial information about mate choice and reproductive strategies. The team expected to find that a few highly successful beluga males fathered most calves, but instead it seems that both males and females choose many different partners to reproduce with over the years. Scientists believe this mate switching could be saving the small, isolated population from inbreeding. 

In the icy waters of Alaska’s Bristol Bay, beluga whales rely on an unexpected survival strategy: sharing mates over many years. Long-term genetic and behavioral research reveals a polygynandrous system where both males and females spread reproductive opportunities, creating networks of half-siblings. This approach boosts genetic diversity, reduces inbreeding, and protects the population from genetic drift – showcasing how cooperation, choice, and time help sustain resilience in a small, isolated whale community.

A team of researchers led by the University of Plymouth have earned £3.7million from UK Research and Innovation to conduct an unprecedented assessment of the response and resilience of deep sea coral ecosystems. The five-year project will be delivered in collaboration with organisations across the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius and will focus on coral reefs below the surface of the Indian Ocean, employing a number of methods to assess their vulnerability to climate change.

AI analysis of 20 years of satellite data shows floating macroalgae blooms expanding worldwide, with rapid growth beginning around 2008–2010. While floating algae can support marine life offshore, large blooms threaten coastal ecosystems, tourism and local economies when they reach shore.

New research reveals why understanding these social networks is critical for predicting and managing disease outbreaks in oceans already under siege with pressures from climate change, pollution and human activities. 

In a new global study, marine mammal experts from Flinders University and the US warn of the potential of pandemics in marine environments, with some species more vulnerable than others.