Marine Biology Research Articles

Parasites: The Hidden Hitchhikers of Cephalopods

Cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid, octopus, and nautilus) are remarkable marine creatures with extraordinary features like high intelligence, impressive camouflage abilities, blue blood, and three hearts. Yet, beneath the waves, they face a hidden threat from microscopic parasites. Parasites can wreak havoc on cephalopods, causing wounds that lead to infections, stomach aches that affect their appetite, and changes in their behavior. Luckily, cephalopods have a defense squad in their blood that battles these invaders. It is not all doom and gloom—parasites can help scientists uncover areas of the ocean where cephalopods travel and whether these areas are facing threats such as pollution and climate change. Scientists can examine the relationship between cephalopods and their parasites, helping cephalopods all over the world stay as healthy as possible. Dive into this thrilling underwater world, as we embark on an adventure to solve the mysteries of cephalopods and their secret hitchhikers.

Reconfiguration and dynamics of clamped fibers under finite-amplitude surface gravity waves

We investigate the behavior of a flexible stem completely submerged under a surface gravity wave of finite amplitude using fully resolved direct numerical simulations. By varying the rigidity of the stem over ten orders of magnitude, we explore its motion in the drag-dominated regime with realistic air and water properties. Our findings reveal two distinct structural responses of the stem depending on the ratio between its natural frequency (fnat) and the wave frequency (fwave). For fnat/fwave≫1, the stem maintains on average a straight configuration and exhibits streamwise oscillations in phase opposition with the wave, moving symmetrically with respect to the vertical direction. Conversely, for fnat/fwave≪1, the stem reconfigures under the influence of the Stokes drift, bending forward and breaking the symmetry, and exhibits oscillations that are more coherent with the surrounding flow field. Resonance is observed when fnat≈fwave. These results provide insights into the dynamics of slender vegetation and manmade structures in wave fields, offering valuable implications for marine biology and engineering. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Overlooked tripartite microbial interactions influencing chemical cycling in the ocean.

Inter-microbial interactions fundamentally govern ocean ecology and biogeochemistry. Recently, Henshaw and colleagues revealed that important inter-bacterial associations in the ocean can be shaped by viral infections, whereby infected cyanobacteria release specific chemicals that attract heterotrophic bacteria, uncovering a new tripartite microbial interaction that influences carbon transfer in the surface ocean.

Counting of Underwater Static Objects Through an Efficient Temporal Technique

Counting marine species is a challenging task for biologists and marine experts. This paper presents an efficient temporal technique for counting underwater static objects. The proposed method employs deep learning techniques to detect objects over time and an efficient spatial–temporal algorithm to track them, allowing for accurate counting of objects within a given area. The technique is designed to handle various challenges that arise in underwater environments such as low visibility, object occlusion, and water turbulence. The approach is validated through experiments conducted on the surveyed data of Nephrops norvegicus. Nephrops is considered one of the main commercial species in Europe. Nephrops spend most of their time inside the burrows. Burrows tracking and counting are the only ways to monitor this species. This paper proposed a technique to accurately count underwater static objects using their spatial–temporal values by minimizing false positives. The proposed technique has potential applications in marine biology, environmental monitoring, and underwater surveillance.

ADL-Net: attention-driven densenet-LSTM network for underwater images classification

Abstract Imaging in marine environment is a challenging task due to several reasons, including light variations, color distortions, noise, and limited datasets, which causes inaccurate target classification problems. This paper presents a methodology for image classification in marine biology and environmental research. We proposed the Attention-Driven DenseNet-LSTM Network (ADL-Net), aiming to improve classification accuracy of underwater imagery. Initially, feature extraction is performed using multi-levels of DenseNet201, which excels in hierarchical feature extraction, offering stability and rapid convergence. In the next stage, two modified attention mechanisms are designed: the squeeze and excitation operations are used to refine channel-specific feature responses, while the convolutional block attention module refines attention for both channels and spatial dimensions. These attention mechanisms help the model to highlight important features and minimize distractions. Additionally, a Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory layer is integrated to capture spatial dependencies and improve classification robustness. Various training strategies are used to find the best parameter tuning. Our method demonstrates excellent performance when tested on fish datasets: LifeCLEF 2015 and Fish4Knowledge, achieving accuracies of 98.02%, and 99.52%, respectively. These findings underscore ADL-Net's potential for enhancing automated underwater image classification, advancing research in marine ecology.

Bio-inspired Octopus-mimicking Soft Robotic Grasping System

Octopus-inspired soft robots have emerged as a promising field of research, drawing inspiration from the remarkable dexterity and adaptability of this marine creature. Their ability to manipulate objects in complex environments, coupled with their soft, compliant bodies, offers significant advantages over traditional rigid robots. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the design and development of octopus-inspired soft robots, focusing on shape control, grasping strategies, and potential applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent advancements in biomimetic robotic design, focusing on octopus-inspired soft robots and soft grippers. This paper discusses various shape control algorithms and modeling methods for octopus-inspired soft manipulators, highlighting their applications in highly flexible and complex grasping tasks. The paper explores grasping planning strategies for soft grippers, such as force equilibrium and minimum grasping force control, to achieve precise grasping of diverse objects. Furthermore, this paper present various design schemes based on soft materials and actuation techniques, including tendon-driven and pneumatic actuation, each with its own structural and performance advantages. This paper provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the further development and optimization of octopus-inspired soft robots.

Creating a scientific picture book of marine organism with natural history illustration: A case study in Japan

In recent years, global concern has grown regarding the degradation of marine ecosystems. Humanity has greatly benefited from the oceans, underscoring the constant need for restoration and conservation of marine ecosystems. International cooperation is essential for protecting the oceans, with Japan, an island nation surrounded by the sea, playing a crucial role in marine environmental conservation. For the sustainable use of marine resources and the preservation of marine environments, comprehensive measures are important. Particularly, marine biology education for the next generation holds great importance. Here, we report a detailed case study on the creation of a scientific picture book about marine organisms in Japan and its feedback. The book explores the theme of mutual symbiosis among marine organisms, aiming through illustrations and storytelling to help children understand the complexities of marine life. It focuses on the symbiotic relationship between hermit crabs and sea anemones. The picture book was developed based on scientific literature survey and specimen observation. Positive feedback from readers highlights how effectively the picture book conveys educational content on marine biology, suggesting the potential of science picture books as powerful tools in educational outreach and environmental conservation efforts. This report discusses the creative process, the educational impact of the picture book, and offers valuable insights into the use of visual arts and narrative in science education.

Dietary Alpha-Lipoic Acid Alleviated Hepatic Glycogen Deposition and Improved Inflammation Response of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Fed on High Dietary Carbohydrates

In order to mitigate the adverse effects of high carbohydrates on largemouth bass and to investigate the feasibility of LA as a feed additive, the present study observed the effects of added α-lipoic acid (LA) on growth performance, glucose metabolism and immunity in largemouth bass fed on high dietary carbohydrates (10% α-cassava starch inclusion). A total of 315 juvenile largemouth bass (initial body weight, 5.09 ± 0.10 g) were divided into nine tanks (800 L) (upper radius 0.65 m × lower radius 0.5 m × height 1 m), with each holding 35 fish. Three iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic diets supplementing with 0 g/kg, 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg LA (LA0, LA500, LA1000) were designed to feed juvenile largemouth bass on a satiation diet twice daily for eight weeks with each diet feeding to triplicate groups. The results indicated that the performance in growth was significantly enhanced by the addition of dietary LA (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, hepatic glycogen content was significantly reduced (p < 0.05), and the expression of genes relating to insulin pathway and glycolysis significantly increased with LA inclusion (p < 0.05). The relative expression of insulin receptor a (ira) in the LA500 group was the highest, while the relative expression of glycerol kinase (gk), phosphofructokinase liver type (pfkl) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) was the highest in the LA1000 group (p < 0.05). In addition, LA supplementation significantly increased the activity of lysozyme, which reached its maximum value in the LA500 group (p < 0.05). LA supplementation also promoted the expression of genes relating to anti-inflammatory and inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory related genes (p < 0.05). Above all, the dietary addition of LA could improve performance in growth, alleviated hepatic glycogen deposition, and improved the immunity function of largemouth bass fed on high dietary carbohydrates. This provides us with ideas to mitigate the adverse effects of high carbohydrates on largemouth bass in actual production and provides a basis for the application of LA in aquatic biology.

The potential of the BBNJ clearing house mechanism to enhance knowledge pluralism in marine carbon dioxide removal assessment

As the global community intensifies efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, active carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is being planned alongside emission reductions. The open ocean, which already absorbs a substantial portion of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, is increasingly seen as a promising site for various types of marine CDR (mCDR). All of these approaches are in the preliminary stages of development, and many questions remain with regard to their assessment and governance. This paper discusses the potential role of the newly established Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) in assessing and governing mCDR. A step-by-step mapping of the various stages of the BBNJ environmental impact assessment process shows that the new Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) could facilitate knowledge pluralism and contribute to the holistic assessment of mCDR proposals. The paper concludes by identifying challenges in operationalizing the CHM and putting forward recommendations to strengthen its capacity for fostering knowledge pluralism in decision-making on mCDR research and implementation.

From wild to captive: Understanding the main nutritional diseases of sharks in public aquariums.

The establishment of a well-adapted and accurate feeding regimen is a fundamental determining factor in the maintenance of shark species in captivity. Replicating the natural diet in captivity is commonly accepted and recommended. Given the diverse nutritional composition of prey, supplementation may become necessary. The captive environment poses unique challenges, making sharks susceptible to an array of health issues, including numerous diseases. Mitigating these risks demands detailed husbandry practices, an appropriate physical environment and a balanced diet. Supplementation, encompassing vitamins and minerals, becomes imperative for the provision of essential nutrients. This complexity has rendered the formulation of an adapted feeding plan for aquarists exceptionally challenging. The scarcity of information in these species adds to the issue, mandating extrapolation from various shark groups and to species with analogous characteristics. This literature review concentrates predominantly on benthic and pelagic shark species prevalent in contemporary aquariums. The central argument posits that dietary choices in captivity rely on factors such as availability, quality and consistency of supply. The advocated approach highlights the importance of a balanced, diverse feeding that closely mirrors natural diets. It is then crucial to emphasize that these are general guidelines, and the specific dietary requisites may diverge between shark species. Collaborating with experts in marine biology, shark husbandry and veterinary care is imperative for the formulation and perpetuation of an adapted diet for captive sharks.

Will Climate Change Alter the Swimming Behavior of Larval Stone Crabs?: A Guided-Inquiry Lesson

The ocean has absorbed ~one third of the excess atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) released since the Industrial Revolution. When the ocean absorbs excess CO2, a series of chemical reactions occur that result in a reduction in seawater pH, a process called ocean acidification. The excess atmospheric CO2 is also resulting in warmer seawater temperatures. These stressors pose a threat to marine organisms, especially during earlier life stages (i.e., larvae). The larvae of species like the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) are free swimming, allowing a population to disperse and recruit into new habitats. After release, stone crab larvae undergo vertical swimming excursions in response to abiotic stimuli (gravity, light, pressure) allowing them to control their depth. Typically, newly hatched larvae respond to abiotic cues that would promote a shallower depth distribution, where surface currents can transport them offshore to complete development. As larvae develop offshore, they become less sensitive to certain abiotic stimuli, which promotes a deeper depth distribution that may expose them to variable current speeds, thus influencing the direction of advection (horizontal movement). Environmental stressors like ocean acidification and elevated seawater temperatures may also impact the larvae’s natural response to these abiotic stimuli throughout ontogeny (development). Changes in their natural swimming behavior due to climate stressors could, therefore, influence the transport and dispersal of the species. This guided-inquiry lesson challenges introductory marine biology and oceanography students to determine how future ocean pH and temperature projections could impact the swimming behavior of Florida stone crab larvae.

Automated detection of aquatic animals using deep learning techniques

Deep learning-based approaches have arisen as promising devices for mechanizing the recognition and characterization of oceanic creatures, offering critical progressions in marine biology, fisheries the board, and natural checking. This paper gives a far-reaching survey of the difficulties and potential open doors related with executing profound learning techniques in sea-going science. Picture grouping undertakings have seen an ascent with the presentation of profound learning strategies. In this paper, we have proposed a crossover Deep learning system that is utilized for highlight extraction and profound learning strategy for characterization. Both the proposed structures are tried on various dataset. Our trial results show that our system gives improved results than the majority of the customary as well as existing profound learning procedures. The vital advances of DL calculations applied to the visual acknowledgment and location of oceanic creatures are summed up, including datasets, calculations and execution. Besides, the difficulties are summarized and characterized in the item acknowledgment and identification space for oceanic creatures.

Evaluation of Microplastics Ingested by Sea Cucumber Holothuria Scabra from Pulau Jambongan, Sabah.

Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic pieces having a diameter of less than 5mm. They can arise from larger plastic debris that degrades over time, synthetic fibres from clothing, microbeads in personal care items and even larger plastic debris. Sea cucumbers are marine creatures vital to the ocean's ecosystem as they assist in maintaining a clean seabed and recycle nutrients. The aim of this research was to characterize the types of MPs isolated from the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra from Pulau Jambongan, Sabah. A total of 30 H. scabra were collected. Their gastrointestinal tracts were removed and digested using NaOH. The digestates were filtrated several times to extract the MPs. MPs were observed under microscope and categorized into shapes and colours. To determine the functional group of polymers, further analysis using Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed. The samples contained a total of 7403 MPs. Majority of MPs were black colored (72.25%) and in the form of fibres (99.05%). Two types of polymers were detected: polycarbonate (PC) found in 4% of the population and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) present in 96%. In conclusion, the presence of MPs in the gastrointestinal tract of H. scabra suggests that the animals and their habitat have been contaminated. Further study is required to comprehend the effects of MPs on sea cucumbers and other marine organisms as well as to develop prevention strategies.

Leveraging collective impact to characterize and identify solutions to cultural challenges within scientific societies

Abstract A consortium of scientific societies recently identified challenges to inclusivity within the biology communities they represent. Specifically, societies encounter difficulties collecting member demographic data effectively, integrating scientists at transitional career stages, and diversifying their leadership. In response, the Leveraging, Enhancing, and Developing Biology (LED-BIO) research coordination network (NSF 2134725) organized two meetings at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA to gather stakeholders and employ top-down and bottom-up organizational approaches to address these challenges. These meetings included Town Hall and Think Tank events to facilitate open dialogue and gather feedback on policies and programs from national organizations in attendance. These discussions provided valuable insights into the barriers societies face and the available resources and interventions societies use to promote inclusivity. This article uses the LED-BIO research coordination network as a case study to discuss the Town Hall-Think Tank-Consensus Building (TTC) methodology for advancing inclusive excellence in scientific communities.

Building Consistent Characters through Open-Source Generative AI

This paper presents a pipeline for creating consistent characters using open-source generative AI tools, aimed at enhancing educational content. Through the use of XTTS, Fooocus, and FaceFusion, a talking avatar of the marine biologist Raffaele Issel was developed, accurately replicating his facial and vocal features. This study demonstrates how these tools can generate high-quality, engaging educational materials with minimal technical expertise and resources. The methodology facilitates the creation of interactive avatars for use in graphic novels and comic books, enriching museum and educational experiences.

Bio-inspired designs: leveraging biological brilliance in mechanical engineering-an overview.

Nature's evolutionary mastery has perfected design over the years, yielding organisms superbly adapted to their surroundings. This research delves into the promising domain of bio-inspired designs, poised to revolutionize mechanical engineering. Leveraging insights drawn from prior conversations, we categorize innovations influenced by life on land, in water, and through the air, emphasizing their pivotal contributions to mechanical properties. Our comprehensive review reveals a wealth of bio-inspired designs that have already made substantial inroads in mechanical engineering. From avian-inspired lightweight yet robust materials to hydrodynamically optimized forms borrowed from marine creatures, these innovations hold immense potential for enhancing mechanical systems. In conclusion, this study underscores the transformative potential of bio-inspired designs, offering improved mechanical characteristics and the promise of sustainability and efficiency across a broad spectrum of applications. This research envisions a future where bio-inspired designs shape the mechanical landscape, fostering a more harmonious coexistence between human technology and the natural world.

Fish-Finder: A robust small target detection method for aquaculture fish in low-quality underwater images.

Underwater fish object detection serves as a pivotal research direction in marine biology, aquaculture management, and computer vision, yet it poses substantial challenges due to the complexity of underwater environments, occultations, and the small-sized and frequently moving fish in aquaculture. Addressing these challenges, we propose a novel underwater fish object detection algorithm named Fish-Finder. First, we engendered a structure titled "C2fBF," utilizing the dual-path routing attention protocol of BiFormer. The primary objective of this structure is to alleviate the perturbations induced by underwater intricacies during the phase of downsampling in the backbone network, thereby discerning and conserving finer contextual features. Subsequently, we co-opted the RepGFPN method within our neck network-a distinctive approach that adeptly merges high-level semantic constructs with low-level spatial specifics, thus fortifying its multi-scale detection prowess. Then, in an endeavor to diminish the sensitivity toward positional aberrations during the detection of diminutive aquatic creatures, we incorporated a novel bounding box regression loss function, the Wasserstein loss, to the existing CIoU. This innovative function gauges the congruity between the predicted bounding box Gaussian distribution and the reference bounding box Gaussian distribution. Finally, in regard to the dataset, we independently assembled a specific dataset termed "SmallFish." This unique dataset, meticulously designed for the detection of small-scale fish within intricate underwater settings, includes 5000 annotated images of small fish. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared to the state-of-the-art detection methods, our proposed method improves the accuracy by and , and mean average precision (mAP) increases and in public dataset Kaggle-Fish and our SmallFish dataset, respectively.

The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: A Critical Assessment

Abstract The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction is a complex treaty aiming to fill the gaps left by the UNCLOS in regulating marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In view of the multifaceted nature the Agreement, this contribution proposes an early stage critical analysis of certain choices made by the Intergovernmental Conference. An assessment of cross-sectional and general issues and of some specific provisions contained in Part III calls for a reflection on whether, and in which manner, the BBNJ Agreement can be considered an environmental treaty, or a treaty possessing a hybrid nature and employing an innovative approach compared to the UNCLOS.

Enhancing Learning Through Universally Designed Augmented Reality: A Comparative Study of Augmented and Traditional Learning Materials.

This paper examines the impact and effectiveness of educational Universally Designed (UD) Augmented Reality (AR) applications compared to traditional paper-based counterparts. The study evaluates accessibility, usability, user experience, and short-term learning outcomes in marine biology, human anatomy, and cultural history. Thirty-six participants with diverse skills and abilities, including visual impairments and dyslexia, participated in two experiments. The findings reveal that UD-designed AR applications significantly improve accessibility and usability for users with special needs and enhance learning performance for sighted users, particularly in spatial tasks. Users with dyslexia demonstrated effective information recall, while blind users could interact with and learn from the AR content without needing third-party assistive technologies, which is not possible with paper-based solutions. This study underscores the importance of incorporating UD principles in AR development to enhance accessibility and usability, ensuring that immersive technologies facilitate digital inclusion.

Cryopreservation of Noble Scallop Mimachlamys nobilis sperm: Optimization study of cooling rate and thawing temperature

In marine biology reproduction research, the cryopreservation of sperm is a crucial area, especially for economically valuable species. Effective freezing techniques help maintain genetic diversity and support sustainable development in aquaculture. This study examined the effects of freezing protocols and thawing methods on the cryopreservation of Mimachlamys nobilis sperm. Experimental results indicated that a cooling rate of 5 °C/min and an equilibration time of 5 minutes were the most suitable conditions for maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the sperm. Comparisons of different thawing temperatures showed that 38 °C provided the best results, minimizing ice recrystallization and cellular damage. Additionally, it was found that a 10 % concentration of DMSO effectively balanced protection and cytotoxicity, maintaining sperm viability and motility. Transmission electron microscopy further revealed the impact of freezing conditions on sperm, including damage to the plasma membrane, dissolution, blurring and swelling of the acrosome and mitochondria, and cristae fragmentation and loss. This study emphasizes the importance of optimizing freezing and thawing protocols and accurately controlling cryoprotectant concentration, providing key insights for the effective long-term preservation of M.nobilis sperm. This is significant for the conservation of marine organisms and aquaculture.