A modular metabolism may explain the environmental success of certain sulphate-reducing bacteria. This is the result of a study published this week in the journal Science Advances. A research team led by scientists from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, investigated the role of the Desulfobacteraceae family of bacteria that are very active in anaerobic sediments. The team reports that all studied strains possess the same central metabolic architecture for harvesting energy, for example. However, some strains possess additional molecular modules that enable them to utilise diverse organic substances. The results could lead to the development of new analytical tools to measure the activity of sulfate-reducing microbes directly in the seafloor and advance our understanding of their relevance for the climate

Researchers at the Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences (Mubadala ACCESS) at NYU Abu Dhabi have found that reef fish from the Arabian Gulf, the world’s hottest sea, exhibit a higher tolerance to temperature fluctuations compared to those from more thermally stable coral reefs. However, the Arabian Gulf hosts fewer fish species overall, indicating that only certain fishes can withstand rising global temperatures.

As climate change accelerates, finding effective solutions that deliver outsized impact becomes increasingly crucial. Now, new research from Chapman University shows that a tiny marine mollusk native to the U.S. West Coast may hold the key to more effective coastal restoration. 

Brendan Cottrell studies the application of remote sensing and drone technology in marine mammal conservation at the Applied Remote Sensing Laboratory at McGill University where he recently completed his MSc. After graduating with a BSc in applied physics from Simon Fraser University, Cottrell worked with the British Columbia Marine Mammal Response Network where he was involved in marine mammal rescue, necropsies, and research. His current research is examining the ability of drones and remote sensing techniques to characterize and catalogue the prevalence and severity of entanglement scarring on large whales such as humpbacks.

He is the first author of a new Frontiers in Marine Science article in which he and his co-authors investigated the practicality of using smartphones to create 3D scans of stranded marine life that can aid in postmortem examinations and help scientists and conservationists protect marine species.