Listed below are interesting reads from the news

How do blue whales find food? They check the weather. (10/6/2022)
Bigger than even the largest dinosaurs, blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are mysterious and elusive—surviving mainly on tiny crustaceans called krill and leaving many unanswered questions about their ecology and biology. They are found all over the world, except the Arctic Ocean, and their movements are based on two main events: time to breed and time to feast on their favorite crustaceans. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, these whales spend their winters off the coast of Mexico and Central America, and then can travel up to 30 miles per day on their migration north towards California in the summer.

Researchers dive for kelp in the Arctic (9/21/2022)
As waters warm, the distribution of different seaweed species changes. The Arctic and Antarctic are expected to be the most negatively affected by this, as once those waters warm there will be nowhere colder for seaweed to go.

Rising Ocean Acidity Levels Are Weakening Mussel Shells, UCSD Scientists Find (1/12/2021)
UC San Diego scientists reported Monday that increased ocean acidity is weakening California mussel shells along the Pacific Coast, a result of rising levels of human-produced carbon dioxide.

The large mollusk known as the California mussel makes its home in the rocky shoreline from Mexico to Alaska. It is considered a “foundational” animal, as it provides homes for hundreds of other species and offers a rich food source for species ranging from spiny lobsters to humans.

As the mussel becomes more tolerant of acidic conditions, the shells are changing to a weaker composition, according to the UCSD scientists.

Australian sea anemone venom may lead to life-saving drugs (2/4/2022)
QUT Ph.D. researcher Lauren Ashwood has studied sea anemones’ venom makeup extensively, in particular, Telmatactis stephensoni a reef-based sea anemone that can grow from 8 to 10 cm.

Ms Ashwood found that this species produced different venoms for biological functions—defense, predation, and digestion—and that the toxins were located at sites that corresponded to their function.
https://phys.org/news/2022-02-australian-sea-anemone-venom-life-saving.amp

Port of San Diego installing 300 ‘reef balls’ pilot oyster living shoreline begins (12/9/2021)
SAN DIEGO (CNS) — The Port of San Diego has begun installation of 300 “reef balls” as part of the South Bay Native Oyster Living Shoreline Project next to the Chula Vista Wildlife Refuge, it was announced Thursday.
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/port-of-san-diego-installing-300-reef-balls-as-pilot-oyster-living-shoreline-begins

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Read in CNN: https://apple.news/AJ7YJY5wsTvuihnDS–qz4Q

Genes Reveal How Some Rockfish Live Up to 200 Years (11/29/21)
Few groups of animals encapsulate the extremes of longevity more than fish. While coral reef pygmy govies survive for less than ten weeks, Greenland sharks can endure more than 500 years. So when a team of biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, wanted to explore the genetics of aging, they grabbed their fishing gear.

This fierce fish grows 20 new teeth each day (11/29/21)
The Pacific lingcod, which feasts upon a wide variety of prey, replaces teeth much faster than expected—and it might not be alone.

One of the ocean’s top predators is dying off. That’s a major problem (11/25/21)
Sunflower sea stars are dying off in huge numbers along the west coast of the United States, which is causing devastating effects for the region’s marine ecosystems.

Read in Scientific American: https://apple.news/Aiyr-gYwyQIuX4vcav2So9g

Read in National Geographic: https://apple.news/A5gwq9-jWQwKIdMwo7jsh_g

Octopus-inspired camouflage fabric can change colour to blend in (11/22/2021)
Many camouflage materials are limited by the need for power or external sensors as they effectively record video of what is behind an object to be hidden and display it on the front. Instead, a new material inspired by octopuses and squid shines an infrared torch on an object to match its surroundings.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2298523-octopus-inspired-camouflage-fabric-can-change-colour-to-blend-in/amp/