As the infamous floating “garbage patch” churns up bits of plastic in the tropical Pacific Ocean, a University of Washington undergraduate has discovered a related problem much closer to home: nearly invisible bits of plastic on Puget Sound beaches.
Read more[The Whole U]: Faculty Friday: Luke Tornabene
Learn more about one of the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences' newest faculty Associate Professor Luke Tornabene and his work as the curator of the UW Fish Collection in this 'Faculty Friday' profile.
Read more[Tide Bites] Understanding the Effects of Ocean Acidification on Predator-Prey Interactions
Marine organisms are experiencing dramatic environmental changes due to global climate change. As atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise, the oceans absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, which results in acidification. While ocean acidification affects several different types of organisms, calcifiers — those that make their shells or skeletons from calcium carbonate like shellfish or corals — have been identified as particularly vulnerable.
Read more[UW Today]: Video shows invasive lionfish feasting on new Caribbean fish species
Caribbean coral reefs have been invaded by lionfish, showy predators with venomous spines. And they’ve found a new market to exploit: the ocean’s “twilight zone” — an area below traditional SCUBA diving depths, where little is known about the reefs or the species that inhabit them.
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Study at Friday Harbor Laboratories
Find out more about Friday Harbor Laboratories, one of the best places in the world to study marine biology, in the scenic San Juan Islands.
