Why do harmful algal blooms devastate some estuaries while remaining short-lived in others? A new grant will enable researchers to investigate why blooms persist in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon but are less severe in a Georgia estuary. By uncovering the environmental and biological factors that fuel these blooms, the team aims to improve predictions, strengthen early warnings and help resource managers protect vulnerable ecosystems, wildlife and coastal economies.

Less favorable ocean conditions mean marbled murrelet chicks take longer to leave the nest, making them more vulnerable to predation, according to a new study of the iconic Pacific Northwest seabird by Oregon State University scientists.

The glacial Arctic Ocean was not a barren ice desert but a breeding ground for the evolution of cold adaptation in marine fish. This is the main conclusion of a new scientific publication from Stockholm University that examines small fish bones found in deep-sea sediments during an expedition aboard the Swedish Icebreaker Oden.

In a boost for the conservation of one of the world's most elusive and least-understood whale species, researchers analysing more than 18 years of underwater acoustic recordings collected off northwest Australia have discovered that Omura's whales are most likely to be found in warm, food-rich waters.

Researchers have identified rainbow trout blood as a promising platform for monitoring the biological hazards of biodegradable microplastics. By combining advanced fluorescence imaging with single-cell analysis, the study reveals how these particles interact with circulating blood cells and disrupt immune-related processes. The findings also highlight an overlooked concern: environmental aging may alter and potentially intensify the harmful effects of plastics designed to biodegrade.

19 October 2026 / Kiel / San Diego. Last weekend, the research vessel SONNE set sail from San Diego into the Pacific Ocean for expedition SO322. Its destination: the Clarion-Clipperton Zone north of the equator - the area that harbours the largest known deposits of polymetallic nodules on the seafloor. Germany, among others, holds an exploration licence in this region. Under the guidance of Dr Matthias Haeckel from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, a multidisciplinary team will investigate sites where nodule mining was tested five and a half years ago. The goal of the expedition is to assess the impacts on habitats in the water and on the seafloor. The results will directly feed into fact-based recommendations for international regulations of deep-sea mining.