Briana Dickinson's Page

Hatchery-raised salmon too crowded

Every year, large numbers of hatchery-raised young salmonids are released into Swedish rivers and streams to compensate for losses in natural production. Butthese fish generally survive poorly in the wild. Researchers have discovered why: the young fish are too crowded at the hatchery.

Dental delight: Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals

Some of the most common minerals in biology, including those in bones and shells, have a mysterious structure: Their crystals are positioned in the same orientation, making them behave as one giant crystal, even though they do not look like a faceted crystal.

Marine Research Is Key To 'Super Foods' Market

Milk drinks that lower blood pressure, meat products that reduce the risk of heart disease, chocolate that calms you down and a new range of foods that can fight obesity can be created from marine animals and plants. Japan already has several product ranges on the shelves and research programs are underway all over the world to create more. And now Ireland is well on the way to becoming a player in this worldwide multi-billion euro industry, according to recently presented research results.

Turtles' Christmas journey tracked by scientists

Noelle and Darwinia are two adult female leatherback turtles that nest in Gabon, Western Central Africa. A research team has fitted each turtle with a small satellite tracking device, which enables the scientists to monitor their precise movements and observe where and how deep they dive.

Rise in human-made carbon dioxide affects ocean acoustics

Oceanographers have discovered that seawater sound absorption will drop by up to 70 percent this century, due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide causing ocean acidification. As a result, underwater sound could travel farther, and this could lead to growing noise levels in the oceans. Increasing transparency of the oceans to low-frequency sounds could also enable marine mammals to communicate over longer distances.