sea life Archives - Science Connected Magazine

A stranded humpback whale carcass in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Humpback whales were among the Alaska marine mammals that showed exposure to algal toxins, according to new research. Photo credit: Kathy Burek-Huntington, Alaska Veterinary and Pathology Services.

Algal Toxins Found in Alaskan Marine Mammals

March 14, 2016March 8, 2016 Science Connectedecology, environment, marine mammals, polution, sea life, toxic algae, whales

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore Harmful algal blooms produce toxins that can be deadly to marine mammals. In the US, such toxins—unheard of 20 years ago—have caused almost half of all unusual marine mammal deaths in the last two decades, particularly among California sea lions. Now, for the first time scientists have discovered algal toxins farther north in Alaskan marine mammals; the mammals’ health can be jeopardized by these toxins. “What really surprised us was finding these toxins so widespread in Alaska, far north of where they have been previously documented…

Animals Photos

Swimming with the Sea Lions

February 24, 2016February 22, 2016 Science Connectedanimals, marine mammals, sea life, seal lions, snorkeling

Max Goldberg continues his tale of photographing whales, sea lions, and other wildlife in Cabo Hardly anyone got any sleep the night before our fourth day on the National Geographic trip to the coast of Mexico, because we were too excited about the next day’s activities. Before we went to bed, we were briefed on what we were going to do: swim with sea lions. We woke up, had breakfast, and got in the boats for a little tour around the sea lion colony. The first thing I noticed was…

Photo of coral (Courtesy of Public.Resource.Org via Flickr)

Animals Environment

Copying Coral to Contain Heavy Metal Pollution

August 25, 2015September 1, 2015 Science Connectedcoral reef, marine biology, oceans, sea life, synthetic coral

By Jonathan Trinastic @jptrinastic Copying Coral to Contain Heavy Metal Pollution Coral’s characteristically colorful tentacles, while attracting tourists and SCUBA divers with their unique beauty, are both the animal’s greatest strength and weakness. Although these structures have evolved to efficiently absorb nutrients from the water, they also let in toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, or cadmium, which industrial manufacturers are pouring into the oceans in increasing quantities. However, scientists may have found a way to reduce heavy metal concentrations in oceans and prevent coral and other animals (including humans) from…

Isabela surfacing to breathe in the waters of Chile's Gulf of Corcovado (Courtesy of Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete/Blue Whale Center)

Animals Oceanography

Where Do Blue Whales Go to Breed?

June 17, 2015September 2, 2015 Science Connectedblue whales, conservation, ecology, marine life, save the whales, sea life, whale breeding, whales

By Kate S. The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, yet the breeding grounds of this elusive creature have remained a mystery…until now. Scientists studying blue whales in the waters of Chile through DNA profiling and photo-identification may have solved the mystery of where these huge animals go to breed, according to a recent study by the Chile’s Blue Whale Center/Universidad Austral de Chile, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The researchers have been tracking a female blue whale they call…