Latest news with #marinebiology
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘World's hottest scientist' signs up for new Netflix shark reality show with incredible £37k prize
A WOMAN once branded the world's hottest scientist has signed up to a new Netflix reality show all about sharks. Biologist Rosie Moore, who boasts hundreds of thousands of followers online thanks to her stunning looks, has confirmed she will be a contestant on Netflix 's All The Sharks, set to launch next month. 4 4 The online star spoke out to fans to address why she went "MIA" online last summer and confirmed it was because she had jetted off to film the brave new show. Taking to Instagram to confirm her participation, the scientist wrote alongside a trailer for the series: "I can finally announce why I went MIA last summer! "Watch for All the Sharks, airing July 4th on @netflix." Florida-based Rosie is known for being an animal lover and litters her Instagram with snaps of her interacting with all sorts of creatures, including crocodiles and snakes. The star is always camera-ready and never shies away from the chance to have a perfectly preened photograph taken. Now, fans will get the chance to see her up close and personal with sharks in All The Sharks. In the programme, four shark lovers, including Rosie, head across the seas with a team of experts to find different variations of the deadly sea creatures. As part of their challenge, the participants are tasked with snapping the best pictures of the sharks that they can. Whoever manages to get the most impressive photo stands to win a cool $50,000 - equivalent to £37,000. But putting themselves so close to sharks does not come without its risks. Shark attack reported at popular US beach as victim rushed to hospital just weeks after 1,600lb beast spotted in state In the show's trailer, the group can be seen surrounded by many sharks as one of them shouts out: "The sharknado. Holy sharks!" Rosie can later be heard talking about the "cutest shark attack ever" - clearly showing she is just as brave as she is beautiful. Reacting with joy to Rosie's casting in the show, one fan said: "Now this is absolutely a reality show I can get behind." Another added: "Rosie!!! This is sick! Congrats." As a third penned: "Cannot wait!!! So happy for you!"
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'Shocking' find could change the way Aussies visit the beach
For 200 years, there has been speculation that swimmers could be tormented by more than one species of bluebottle jellyfish. It turns out there are at least four, including one in Australia that has a 'prominent nose'. 'We were shocked, because we assumed they were all the same species," Griffith University marine ecologist Professor Kylie Pitt said. Until recently, studying these notorious jellyfish has been a challenge because they're hard to keep in captivity, and when they wash up on the beach they disintegrate quickly. Speaking with Yahoo News, Pitt explained the game-changer has been advances in DNA sequencing. 'With our paper, we used the most powerful method, whole genome sequencing, so it's entire DNA has been sampled,' she said. 'By combining the DNA with morphology, we've got the strongest evidence possible for separating out the species.' The discovery is likely to have a direct impact on Aussie swimmers because it could help researchers better understand jellyfish behaviour and predict when they'll swarm towards beaches. Pitt was part of an international research effort by Yale University, University of New South Wales and Griffith University that sequenced the genomes of 151 jellyfish from around the world and published their findings in the journal Current Biology. A key finding of the study that the notorious Portuguese man o' war is only found in the Atlantic and is a completely separate species from Australian bluebottles. 'For a long time, people have said they're much bigger over there and the venom is much more potent,' Pitt said. 'Now we know that the potency of their venom might differ.' Related: 😳 Swimmer's painful encounter with deadly creature on Queensland island The existence of three newly described species, Physalia physalis, Physalia utriculus and Physalia megalista, had been proposed in the 18th and 19th Centuries, but the idea was later dismissed. The researchers also identified a fourth species Physalia minuta that had never been described before. 'The one that really stands out is Physalia megalista because it has a really pronounced nose,' Pitt said. It's also believed there are several distinct subpopulations shaped by regional winds and ocean currents. This new knowledge about bluebottles will have a real-world impact for swimmers, as there could be differences with the venom of Australian species too. It will also help support an investigation into jellyfish behaviour that's funded by the Australian Research Council. 🌏 Secret hidden beneath Australia's 'most important' parcel of land 👙 Tourists oblivious to disturbing scene 500m off sunny Aussie beach 📸 Confronting picture showcases state of Aussie wildlife on world stage Pitt explained a PhD student is working to understand how winds and currents move the bluebottles towards beaches, as well as how they move in the water. 'Bluebottles can actually erect their float or lay it down, depending upon what the wind conditions are. And they can also expand and or extend and contract their tentacles, which might act a little bit like a sea anchor, so there might be a bit more of a drag,' she said. 'Now we know there are at least three species in Australia she may need to look at their behavioural differences.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Humpback Whales Are Blowing ‘Bubble Rings' at Boats. Are They Trying to Communicate?
Humpback whales are known for their extensive use of bubbles—from powerful, aggressive bursts that prove their prowess during courtship to the bubble-net 'curtains' they produce to round up prey in a spectacle that often draws tourists from around the world. Now a new study published in Marine Mammal Science explores rare instances when humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) create dramatic, doughnut-shaped vortex bubbles that look like a rolling underwater smoke ring. Video credit: Simon Hilbourne, Molly Gaughan, Karime Nicholas [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and their colleagues at other institutions—including the SETI Institute, which is known for focusing on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) but is also interested in nonhuman intelligences on Earth—were looking for examples of whales' general bubble behavior when they uncovered a striking video taken by videographer Dan Knaub in 1988. In the footage, a humpback called 'Thorn' blows 19 bubble structures—including 11 rings—over a 10-minute period. 'We were just gobsmacked—like, 'What the hell is going on?'' says Fred Sharpe, a whale biologist at U.C. Davis. 'For a team that's interested in assisting astrobiologists parse unusual signals coming from deep space, it just fell real neatly into our paradigm.... It's so bizarre.' Sharpe and his colleagues soon found more examples on social media and from other researchers. Study co-author Jodi Frediani, a wildlife photographer who is also at U.C. Davis, even noticed a telltale circle in a photograph a friend showed during a presentation about humpback whales. With this phenomenon on her mind, she says, 'I went, 'Gee, there's a bubble ring!'' For the study, the team recorded 12 events across the North and South Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans in which 11 individual humpbacks were seen blowing bubble rings. The researchers described 39 rings in total. 'It's not a lot in the world of whales but enough—and in multiple oceans,' Frediani says. 'It's a really fun paper,' says Syracuse University biologist Susan E. Parks, who studies bubble-net feeding in humpbacks and wasn't involved in the new study. 'It reads like a detective story that's trying to piece together information about something that's not widely studied and happens rarely.' Parks hasn't observed any bubble rings herself—as far as she knows, she says, 'I may have seen them before and never really thought anything of them.' Despite compiling so many examples of the rings, Sharpe still doesn't know what to think about their purpose. 'My guess is that this is what it's going to feel like when we first make contact with aliens,' he says. The researchers speculate that the behavior could be playful. One whale would blow a bubble ring and then swim through it or 'do a spy hop right through the middle of it,' Frediani says—when performing such a spy hop, the whale would peep its head vertically above the surface, right through the bubble ring. Or perhaps the animals' behavior could respresent curiosity toward humans: of the 12 recorded events, nine involved whales that approached the human observers more closely before they blew rings. Humpback communication quote Could the whales be trying to communicate with us? Sharpe doesn't rule this out as a possibility. He posits that the presence of humans seems to trigger bubble blowing and that humpbacks improve with practice. 'This may be a species-atypical signal that's crafted for people,' he says, 'whales reaching out to humans ... using their own parlance, their own form of communication.' Parks thinks it's plausible that the animals are putting on a display for humans, but she adds that it's too soon to tell with such a small sample size. 'They'd want a lot more [observations] before they could say with certainty,' she says. Because most of the observations were made by people, this could skew the data, she notes, although there were 'two observations from planes, so we know [the whales] do produce them [bubble rings] when people aren't present, too.' Now that more researchers know to look for these bubble rings, Parks says, reported sightings may greatly increase. With more data, Sharpe and his colleagues hope to figure out what the purpose of these swirling doughnuts of air is—and whether the rings could possibly contain information. 'We need the entire human brain trust's help deciphering this,' Sharpe says. 'It's almost like [the whales'] blowhole is a mouth, and the symbols coming out are bubbles, as opposed to sounds.' Sharpe hopes footage from the study will help people feel connected with whales and make them want to protect the animals from human threats such as ship strikes, entanglement, noise and chemical pollution, habitat loss and disruption of the food web. He says that he also wants to find a way to let the whales 'know that they've been heard.' For him, trying to decipher potential messages and find a way to respond puts the team 'in the same place you would be if you were trying to communicate with aliens—and you got a message.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Science
- BBC News
Marine expert explains jellyfish 'influx' on Lincolnshire coast
A marine expert has explained why masses of jellyfish are washing up on Lincolnshire on Sea Beachcare, a litter-picking project, said there had been numerous sightings of blue, moon and compass jellyfish from Mablethorpe to Skegness in recent Bulgakova, a data analyst at the Marine Conservation Society, said "warm waters and abundant food" can lead to a population increase, with onshore winds washing them group has asked for jellyfish sightings to be reported to them to help with its research. Lianne Havell, who runs Sutton on Sea Beachcare, which is run by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water, said she had seen a "real influx" of jellyfish along the coastline over the past said people had reported sightings in Huttoft, Saltfleet, Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea."There have been hundreds, literally hundreds," said Ms Havell."It's more unusual to see the blue ones, we don't see them that often. Ms Bulgakova added: "Large jellyfish strandings like this one in Lincolnshire happen most years, though their timing and location vary. "Warm waters and abundant food can lead to jellyfish blooms, and if combined with onshore winds, they can find themselves stranded on the shore."Ms Bulgakova said jellyfish are "key indicators of ocean change" and reporting sightings helps to monitor ocean health and support research about "our changing seas".She also advised people to observe jellyfish from a distance. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
How Miami's Waters Are A Lifeline For Hammerheads
An eight-year study highlights Biscayne Bay as a vital nursery and seasonal refuge for great ... More hammerhead sharks, underscoring its importance across life stages and for long-term shark conservation. In the warm, shallow waters just off the city of Miami, is a haven for one of the ocean's most iconic yet critically endangered marine predators. Hidden beneath the skyline, among seagrass beds and mangrove shorelines, Biscayne Bay serves as a sort of 'cradle' for the great hammerhead shark, a new study from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science confirms. It turns out that juvenile great hammerheads, during their most vulnerable years, rely heavily on the bay as a nursery habitat. The great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is the largest species of hammerhead, easily recognized by its wide, T-shaped head and tall, curved dorsal fin. Reaching lengths of up to 20 feet (6 meters), these sharks are found in warm, coastal waters around the world. Their unique head shape enhances their ability to detect prey, especially stingrays buried in the sand, and plays a crucial role in their hunting strategy. Despite their formidable size and hunting abilities, great hammerheads are critically endangered due to overfishing, habitat loss, and their sensitivity to capture stress. They often fall victim to bycatch in commercial fisheries and are targeted for their fins. Unlike other sharks that roam vast distances, great hammerheads display strong site fidelity to certain coastal habitats, particularly during juvenile stages. Researchers examined the feeding and habitat patterns of 62 great hammerhead sharks sampled between 2018 and 2025. Using multi-tissue stable isotope analysis (a non-lethal technique that measures the chemical 'fingerprints' left by food sources in muscle and blood plasma) the team tracked both the recent and long-term dietary habits of these animals, allowing them to understand how hammerheads use Biscayne Bay across different life stages. What they found was striking. 'Juvenile great hammerheads show a constrained diet and habitat use, potentially feeding heavily on ... More small inshore stingrays early in life,' said Catherine Macdonald, a research associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, and the director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the Rosenstiel School. 'This reliance on a narrow range of prey and habitats makes juvenile great hammerheads particularly vulnerable to human activity and environmental change.' For their first two years of life, these young sharks depend almost entirely on the bay's inshore habitats and prey. After that, they begin venturing to coastal reefs, but they still return to the bay seasonally, usually between late spring and early summer. Some adult sharks even continue to forage in the area, showing that the bay isn't just important early on but significant throughout their entire lives. Located in one of the most densely populated parts of Florida, Biscayne Bay has been under pressure for decades. Declining water quality, reduced freshwater inflow, and widespread physical degradation — driven by local rapid urban growth — have vastly changed the ecosystem. What was once a pristine estuary has become a hotspot for pollution, habitat loss, and stress. These changes affect all marine life in the bay, but for the young great hammerheads, they may be especially devastating. 'Juvenile great hammerheads show a constrained diet and habitat use, potentially feeding heavily on small inshore stingrays early in life,' said Dr. Catherine Macdonald, a research associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, and the director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the Rosenstiel School. 'This reliance on a narrow range of prey and habitats makes juvenile great hammerheads particularly vulnerable to human activity and environmental change.' Their limited diet and strong preference for nearshore habitats means they have fewer options if conditions deteriorate or if fishing pressure increases. And fishing pressure is a real concern, since Miami is a major destination for recreational fishing, and great hammerheads are often caught unintentionally. The species is known to be extremely sensitive to capture stress, to that point that even when released, many individuals don't survive. 'Reducing interactions with these sharks — particularly avoiding catch-and-release fishing in key nursery areas — can dramatically improve survival for this endangered species,' said researcher John Hlavin, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School. 'If a shark is accidentally caught, the best action is a quick, in-water release, without photographs that delay the release process.' Every second the shark is out of the water decreases its odds of survival. That's why responsible fishing is critical, Hlavin continues, especially between March and July, when both juveniles and subadults are present in the bay. Avoiding catch-and-release in known nursery areas could greatly reduce mortality for this species. The results of the study also offer valuable information for policy makers and conservationists. Stable isotope analysis revealed how tightly tied these sharks are to the bay's resources, particularly in their early life. This kind of data can be used to create spatial protections, seasonal fishing restrictions, or habitat restoration initiatives. For example, if we know juvenile hammerheads are concentrated in specific parts of Biscayne Bay in certain months, those areas can be prioritized for protection or restricted from fishing during key periods. While protecting open-ocean shark populations is challenging due to their wide-ranging nature, preserving nursery habitats like Biscayne Bay is a tangible, localized way to make a big difference. Biscayne Bay may lie in the shadow of Miami's skyscrapers, but it's also at the heart of this species' survival. It's here, in the shallows, where these young sharks take their first bites. It's here where they learn to hunt, and where they face some of their greatest risks. The future of great hammerhead sharks may depend not just on what happens out in the deep ocean… but on what we choose to protect right here at home.
