Each week I scan several thousand blog and news posts, picking out ones of interest to me and writing a bit about them – if I have time. Two problems – selfish interest, and lack of time! Here I’m going to try something a bit different, and be a lot less selective, but only write a very short tag for each item. This way hopefully you get a chance to find stuff of interest w/o having to scan everything…

Here goes my marine science roundup #1:

Plankton’s importance for carbon fixation: In the marine ecosystem both eukaryotes and cyanobacteria are important for fixing carbon at the base of the food chain. This article indicates that the eukaryotes (diatoms, dinoflagellates, protozoa and ‘seaweed’) are responsible for a bit under half the total carbon fixation in the world’s oceans (via ScienceDaily, Apr. 16, 2010).

Seabed Biodiversity in Oxygen Minimum Zones: Lack of oxygen in the water column favours some unusual organisms, and can increase biodiversity (as long as the areas are not too large). From ScienceDaily Apr. 19, 2010.

Smart fish adapt to environmental changes: Living in a changing or dynamic environment seems to favour smarter fish. From PLoS Biology 8(4): e1000351. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000351.

Masses more bugs: The number of microbial species in the world’s oceans may be one hundred times greater than previously estimated. From Nature News, April 18, 2010.

New species of bacterium discovered: I guess given the increase in the number of microbes now expected, reporting each discovery individually might have to go by the wayside – so make the most of it! This one was found in the gut of a worm that lives in a Swedish fjord…

Junk food: A beached whale that died in Puget Sound (US) was found to have a pair of trousers, a golf ball, surgical gloves, small towels, and more than 20 plastic bags in its stomach. The problem with plastic litter is not confined to the US, the MCS organises beach litter surveys around the UK to monitor the state of our seas, and bring pressure to bear to get them cleaned up. You can help – see our diary pages for the next beach cleanup!

Fish oil supplements provide no benefit: The largest ever trial of fish oil supplements has found no evidence that they offer benefits for cognitive function in older people. The trial author noted that the duration of the trial might not have been long enough for any true beneficial effects to be detected amongst this test group of initially healthy older people. From ScienceDaily Apr. 21, 2010.

Big Seas, Big Trouble? An extended article about the effects of increased CO₂ on Ocean Acidification, and how that will effect life in the oceans in the coming decades. From Santa Barbara Independent Thursday, April 22, 2010

Carbon dioxide emissions causing ocean acidification: US congressional report finds that CO₂ emissions will have unknown effects on marine life (see also previous article). From ScienceDaily Apr. 22, 2010.

What are you eating? DNA analysis shows that a large proportion of the fish eaten in Dublin is mis-sold as something it isn’t. Similar results have been reported in the US, and the problem is likely to be global. From ScienceDaily Apr. 22, 2010.

More than one killer whale? recent DNA profiling data suggests that there is more than one species of killer whale.