A new paper in Biology Methods and Protocols finds that we can now distinguish wild from farmed salmon using deep learning, potentially greatly improving strategies for environmental protection.

In a study now published in iScience, researchers from the University of Vienna (Austria), National Institute of Technology - Wakayama College (NITW; Japan), and Shimane University (Japan) present the largest cephalopod genome sequenced to date. Their analyses show that the vampire squid has retained parts of an ancient, squid-like chromosomal architecture, and thus revealing that modern octopuses evolved from squid-like ancestors.

An international study published in Nature Climate Change reveals that vast regions of the global ocean are experiencing compound state change, with simultaneously warming, becoming saltier or fresher, losing oxygen, and acidifying—clear indicators of climate change pushing marine environments into uncharted territory.

Estimating the multigenerational effects of chiral pesticide metabolites is essential for fully understanding their ecological impacts. This study demonstrated that S-o,p'-DDD accumulated preferentially in adult zebrafish and transferred more efficiently to their offspring compared to the R-enantiomer, leading to pronounced developmental defects and endocrine disruption across both generations. Molecular docking against key thyroid-related proteins provided a mechanistic explanation for this stereospecific toxicity. These findings suggest that evaluating only racemic mixtures may underestimate real-world hazards.

A massive, multi-year scientific expedition determined that land use on tropical islands can shape water quality in lagoons and that rainfall can be an important mediator for connections between land and lagoon waters. The scale of this research is sigificant: the researchers assessed at algal tissue nutrients, water chemistry, and microbial communities at nearly 200 sites around the island of Mo‘orea, French Polynesia, and repeated this sampling over multiple years.

Florida State University oceanographers have discovered a significant connection between small-scale microbial processes and ecosystem-wide dynamics, offering new insights into the mechanisms driving marine carbon storage.

Researchers from Kelson Marine in Portland, Maine and the University of Maine developed a new tool that provides detailed economic analyses for kelp farmers and reveals strategies for reducing the cost of farmed seaweed. The tool incorporates many different factors from a farming scenario, including site specific-ocean and meteorological conditions, species-specific crop characteristics and growth, workboat types and sizes, labor structures, operational technology, local shore-side infrastructure, maintenance schedules and more. By resolving the comprehensive impact on the bottom line and the multitude of tradeoffs associated with specific operational and farm design decisions, the tool provides unique insight into the implications of cost-saving alternatives.

An innovative alternative to concrete could enable important coastal restoration work to take place. The material Xiriton, made with local grass species and seawater, captures CO₂ instead of emitting it, as conventional concrete does. NIOZ researchers successfully tested the material for its suitability as a substrate for shell banks or salt marsh restoration, for example. They published their work in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

Growing port congestion demands smarter management. In a new study, researchers developed a dynamic forecasting framework using real-time operation indicators from a two-stage queuing model to predict vessel turnaround time. Tested with data from Busan Port, the model achieved up to 28% higher accuracy than traditional methods. By improving berth planning and resource allocation, this approach can significantly enhance efficiency and reduce delays in global port operations.