Trawling selects for faster fish
A new study suggests that differences in exercise performance make some individuals more vulnerable to capture by trawling than others, and that this may drive the evolution of commercially-important...
View ArticleOxygen favours the bold
It takes personality for the African sharptooth catfishes to breathe air. But they also consider their surroundings before visiting the surface. Photo: Wikimedia. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD...
View ArticleOdd Couples ♥ Tales of Symbiosis in the Ocean
Our Sea of Love theme week kicks off with tales of symbiotic partnerships in the ocean. [Feature image from Wikimedia] Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in...
View ArticleTurtles turn heat exchange topsy-turvy
Counter-current heat exchange is a classic example of an elegant anatomical solution to this physiological problem. Leatherback sea turtles do things just a little bit different. Brittney G....
View ArticleGo Green for Earth Day!
Do Mother Nature a solid with these helpful tips & tricks to go green today! Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada, and joined Oceanbites in...
View ArticleYou look like your mom: parental effects in Atlantic salmon
In honour of our Mother’s Day theme week, we’ll look at how the environment experienced by parents during reproduction and their early life history influences their offspring. Brittney G....
View ArticleWhy don’t sharks go deep?
Happy Shark Week! Today we examine a persistent and interesting biogeographical puzzle: why are there so few deep sea sharks? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in...
View ArticleWith a little help from my friends: sea turtles hatch together to save energy
Sea turtle hatchlings face long odds when they emerge from their buried nests. But at least they don’t have to dig themselves out alone. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster...
View ArticleYoung whales build baleen out of ribs
Juvenile bowhead whales put off gaining length and undergo severe bone loss to invest in growing their massive heads and baleen plates. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster...
View ArticlePet trout: domestication rapidly alters gene expression
The impact of domestication can be detected within one generation in steelhead trout, and may involve adaptation to highly crowded conditions. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at...
View ArticleDo algal blooms kill whales?
Since 2005, southern right whale calves have been found dead in historic numbers off the Patagonian coast in Argentina. Scientists investigate whether harmful algal blooms may be to blame. Brittney G....
View ArticleLong-lived sharks challenge ageing theory
Greenland sharks can live to be over 400 years old. What can they tell us about ageing? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada, and joined...
View ArticleSwashbuckling spiders sailed the high seas
Long before the Vikings reached North America, a group of coastal spiders was already sailing around the world using prevailing winds, currents, and rafts. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD...
View ArticleWarm water curtails sea snakes’ dives
Like frogs, sea snakes can uptake oxygen through both their lungs and their skin. How will these “bimodal breathers” cope with warm ocean temperatures? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate...
View ArticleWhat killer whales tell us about menopause
Killer whales, or orcas (Orcinus orca), are amazingly intelligent and social animals. What can they tell us about the evolution of menopause? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster...
View ArticleNow we got bad blood: Oxygen binding is not affected by haemoglobin subtype...
Why do northern and southern populations of Atlantic cod have different haemoglobin subtypes? A recent study upsets over 50 years of theory. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster...
View ArticleCandidate compass genes in fish
A team of American researchers use next-generation sequencing to ask: “magnetoreception, how does it work?” Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON,...
View ArticleSeaweed antioxidants protect fish too
A new study suggests that feeding fish small amounts of antioxidant-rich seaweed can protected them from environmental challenges. Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University...
View ArticleCrude oil cripples sandpiper flights
Maggini, I., L.V. Kennedy, A. Macmillan, K.H. Elliott, K. Dean, and C.G. Guglielmo. 2017. Light oiling of feathers increases flight energy expenditure in a migratory shorebird. J. Exp. Biol. 202:...
View ArticleSea snakes join the dark side to cope with pollution
Black sea snakes are more common in contaminated sites. Why? Brittney G. BorowiecBrittney is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada, and joined Oceanbites in September 2015. Her...
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