A new study shows that barn owls crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the Caribbean islands, where they diversified and evolved into giant forms, less than two million years ago. They've since dispersed from the Caribbean to the Galápagos and from the Caribbean to the mainland American continents. 

A research team from FIU revealed an unprecedented decline in fishes, crustaceans and squid after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of America.  

Cephalopods, like the octopus, have specialized arms and suckers, but how these structures evolved from the simple bodies of their mollusk ancestors remains a mystery. Researchers from the University of Tokyo compared gene activity during embryonic development of cuttlefish, octopus and snail body parts. They found that several genes associated with appendage patterning showed expression along developing cephalopod arms, but no comparable patterns in developing suckers. Developing suckers instead expressed Ets1, a gene associated with early embryonic development in mollusks. The findings suggest cephalopods evolved suckers by reusing existing genes in new ways. 

The distinctive male pregnancy in seahorses is supported by specialized physiological adaptations as demonstrated by a new report showing the expression and localization of Rh glycoproteins in the brood pouch that nourishes the embryos. The study proposes that the metabolic waste, ammonia, is transported out from the brood pouch to the gills through the paternal bloodstream, via the Rh proteins, before being excreted into seawater. This improved understanding will benefit seahorse conservation and breeding efforts.

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.

A comprehensive review of decades of research on the critically endangered green sawfish led by Murdoch University has revealed that Northern Australia, particularly the Pilbara, could play a crucial role in the species' recovery.