Ocean sciences articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this study, the authors use a dataset of stable isotope compositions of otoliths from Atlantic bluefin tuna to infer the thermal sensitivity of metabolic performance in their first year of life. They then assess the likely trajectories of tuna production until end century under differing emission scenarios in their two main spawning grounds, the western Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.

    • Clive N. Trueman
    • , Iraide Artetxe-Arrate
    •  & Igaratza Fraile

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The deep ocean is increasingly subjected to human-induced environmental change, but little is known about species-specific responses to stressors, including those from deep sea mining. This study shows that elevated temperatures and simulated sediment plumes cause physiological stress in a cosmopolitan deep-sea jellyfish, confirming the detrimental impact of seabed mining.

    • Vanessa I. Stenvers
    • , Helena Hauss
    •  & Henk-Jan T. Hoving

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scleractinian corals are important in both shallow and deep ecosystems. Here, the authors use global spatial distribution data with a phylogenetic approach to examine directionality and speed of colonization during depth diversification, finding an offshore-onshore pattern of evolution and that depth dispersion is associated with phenotypic innovations.

    • Ana N. Campoy
    • , Marcelo M. Rivadeneira
    •  & Chris Venditti

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study presents seawater uranium isotope records based on deep-sea corals from the Drake Passage to track subglacial discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, demonstrating a causal link between enhanced subglacial discharge, retreat of the ice sheet, and the rapid rise in sea levels.

    • Tao Li
    • , Laura F. Robinson
    •  & James W. B. Rae

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coastal upwelling regions are among the most productive marine ecosystems but may be threatened by amplified ocean acidification. Here the authors show from community to molecular levels that phytoplankton in an upwelling region respond to short-term acidification exposure with iron uptake pathways and strategies that reduce cellular iron demand.

    • Robert H. Lampe
    • , Tyler H. Coale
    •  & Andrew E. Allen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    North Greenland ice shelves have lost more than a third of their masses, thinning dramatically from below due to increased ocean temperatures. In response, grounding lines have retreated and the amount of ice discharged into the ocean has increased.

    • R. Millan
    • , E. Jager
    •  & A. Bjørk

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photosymbioses enable efficient nutrient recycling between heterotrophic and phototrophic organisms. This study shows that nutrient cycling in a cnidarian-algal symbiosis is regulated through resource competition between symbiotic partners. Mutualistic interactions can therefore emerge from mutual exploitation in nutrient–exchange symbioses.

    • Nils Rädecker
    • , Stéphane Escrig
    •  & Anders Meibom

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study found that cnidarian animals including corals, anemones and jellyfish share a common mechanism to regulate their association with symbiotic algae. Despite evolving independently, these animals all use the same carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop for algae control, shedding light on the repeated evolution of these marine symbiotic relationships.

    • Guoxin Cui
    • , Jianing Mi
    •  & Manuel Aranda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    By analyzing historical and Argo observations, the authors find that the warming of mode and intermediate water layers drives most of the global upper 2000 m ocean warming, highlighting the outsized heat uptake by regional water masses in both hemispheres.

    • Zhi Li
    • , Matthew H. England
    •  & Sjoerd Groeskamp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A new study reveals that bacterial partners supply essential metabolites to the vital microalgal symbionts of corals, including metabolites that boost symbiont growth. This breakthrough increases our understanding of coral microbial ecology and also opens the door to innovative ways of protecting coral reefs.

    • Jennifer L. Matthews
    • , Abeeha Khalil
    •  & Jean-Baptiste Raina

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rising global temperatures cause widespread bleaching of shallow coral reefs but mesophotic reefs at depths over 30 metres are thought to be sheltered by cooler waters. Here, at sites in the Chagos Archipelago, the authors show bleaching of corals at depths of 90 metres, which might be due to warm surface waters being pushed deeper by the ocean’s response to the Indian Ocean Dipole.

    • Clara Diaz
    • , Nicola L. Foster
    •  & Phil Hosegood

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors identify four main types of vertical structures of marine heatwaves, with different impact depths and spatio-temporal distributions, that are influenced by multiscale ocean dynamical processes.

    • Ying Zhang
    • , Yan Du
    •  & Alistair J. Hobday

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study examines the biogeography and functional gene repertoires of marine eukaryote-infecting large and giant DNA viruses. It shows a clear divide in the viral communities between polar and nonpolar environments, with recurrent evolutionary adaptations to the polar environment likely driven by alterations of their genomic functions.

    • Lingjie Meng
    • , Tom O. Delmont
    •  & Hiroyuki Ogata

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors provide evidence that marine viruses spread via aerosolization and rain through the natural water cycle. Hosts from the first centimeters of the marine water column show signs of immunity against rain viruses. Those have DNA adaptations facilitating their stay in the air.

    • Janina Rahlff
    • , Sarah P. Esser
    •  & Alexander J. Probst

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is a hazard for coastal communities. Elevated N and P in the GASB are measured, with As content reflecting P limitation. Nutrient availability causes GASB blooms but reducing P would increase As accumulation.

    • Dennis Joseph McGillicuddy Jr.
    • , Peter Lynn Morton
    •  & Brian Edward Lapointe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Processes controlling the onset of the Antarctic sea ice season remain unclear. Here, analyses of observations show that ocean solar energy storage and sea ice drift are key drivers, providing insights to understand variations in sea ice season duration.

    • Kenza Himmich
    • , Martin Vancoppenolle
    •  & Marion Lebrun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study investigated how ecological mechanisms and large-scale oceanic current systems shape prokaryotic microbial community patterns. They show that prokaryotic communities in the upper 200 m of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, the southern Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea have a modular structure of co-occurring taxa with similar environmental preferences.

    • Felix Milke
    • , Jens Meyerjürgens
    •  & Meinhard Simon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Modelling a planktonic ecosystem in the ocean is challenging as it is embedded in a patch of water that is continuously moving, stretching, and diluting. This study introduces a new theoretical framework to account for such aspects, tracking a patch of water hosting a drifting ecosystem, along with its physical, environmental and biochemical features.

    • Enrico Ser-Giacomi
    • , Ricardo Martinez-Garcia
    •  & Michael J. Follows

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cetaceans such as dolphins and whales contribute to the cycling of essential nutrients in the surface ocean through defecation. Using a bioenergetic modelling approach, this study shows that the contribution of different cetaceans is heterogeneous both in terms of quantity and in quality, as the nutrient cocktails they release reflect the physiology and ecology of each species.

    • Lola Gilbert
    • , Tiphaine Jeanniard-du-Dot
    •  & Jérôme Spitz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study examines the effect of four marine heatwaves in the Northeast Pacific on the distributions of 14 top predators, revealing a wide-array of predator responses both among and within heatwaves. Predator responses were highly predictable, demonstrating capacity for early warning systems of heatwave impacts, similar to weather forecasts.

    • Heather Welch
    • , Matthew S. Savoca
    •  & Elliott L. Hazen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The sustainability of the majority of multispecies reef fisheries around the globe remains unassessed. This study provides context-specific sustainable reference points for coral reef fish using environmental conditions. Using these reference points, they show that most reef fish stocks have failed at least one fisheries sustainability benchmark.

    • Jessica Zamborain-Mason
    • , Joshua E. Cinner
    •  & Sean R. Connolly

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cryopreservation is one approach to conserving the genetic diversity of threatened coral reefs but has thus far been limited to difficult-to-obtain coral reproductive material. Using a new cytotechnology called isochoric vitrification, this study reports the successful cryopreservation and revival of whole mature coral fragments.

    • Matthew J. Powell-Palm
    • , E. Michael Henley
    •  & Mary Hagedorn

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Marine heatwaves and mass bleaching mortality events threaten the persistence of coral communities on tropical reefs. This study demonstrates that the thermal tolerance of coral communities in Palau has likely increased since the late 1980s. Such ecological resilience could reduce future bleaching impacts if global carbon emissions are cut down.

    • Liam Lachs
    • , Simon D. Donner
    •  & James R. Guest

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Totten Glacier in East Antarctica is grounded below sea level and vulnerable to ocean forcing. Observations and simulations demonstrate warm water access from offshore to the glacier, facilitated by deep topography off the Sabrina Coast.

    • Daisuke Hirano
    • , Takeshi Tamura
    •  & Shigeru Aoki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nutrient limitation is a key constraint on ocean productivity. Here, by analysing a compilation of field experiments spanning the global ocean, this study shows that increasing the number of different nutrients supplied significantly increases net phytoplankton growth, suggesting multiple nutrients are often approaching co-limiting levels.

    • Thomas J. Browning
    •  & C. Mark Moore

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Marine bivalves are important components of ecosystems and are exploited for food across the world. This study expands the list of marine bivalves known to be exploited worldwide and then uses a trait-based approach to identify intrinsically vulnerable species and to pinpoint regions with high levels of extinction-prone exploited species, helping to prioritize areas for conservation effort.

    • Shan Huang
    • , Stewart M. Edie
    •  & David Jablonski

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study unified cnidarian microbiome data from 186 studies (~ 6.5 billion sequence reads), providing novel insights into cnidarian microbial communities and highlighting key bacteria across sub-phylum, geography, depth and microhabitat. Understanding factors governing microbiome health will support ongoing and future coral preservation efforts.

    • M. McCauley
    • , T. L. Goulet
    •  & S. Loesgen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Corals living in naturally extreme environments such as mangrove lagoons have been considered as ‘super corals’ for reef conservation. However, this study shows that resistance in highly variable conditions comes with biological trade-offs that could compromise the suitability of these stress-tolerant corals for reef management under worsening climate change conditions.

    • Federica Scucchia
    • , Paul Zaslansky
    •  & Emma F. Camp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Turbulent pair dispersion is relevant for mixing processes such as microplastics transport in the ocean or dynamics of water droplets in clouds. The authors present a geometrical framework and empirical evidence that elucidate the universality of the process across scales, while forming a bridge with the classical Richardson theory.

    • Ron Shnapp
    • , Stefano Brizzolara
    •  & Markus Holzner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Petrels are wide-ranging, highly threatened seabirds that often ingest plastic. This study used tracking data for 7,137 petrels of 77 species to map global exposure risk and compare regions, species, and populations. The results show higher exposure risk for threatened species and stress the need for international cooperation to tackle marine litter.

    • Bethany L. Clark
    • , Ana P. B. Carneiro
    •  & Maria P. Dias

  • Article
    | Open Access

    This study presents an absolute metabolic index that quantifies how ocean temperature, dissolved oxygen and organismal mass interact to constrain the oxygen budget an organism can use to fuel aerobic metabolism. The index is calibrated with physiological measurements from purple sea urchin and red abalone and the authors test if the index can delimit the distribution of these two species.

    • Murray I. Duncan
    • , Fiorenza Micheli
    •  & Erik A. Sperling

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this study, the authors use a global dataset of satellite-derived shoreline positions, and demonstrate that their interannual evolution is dominated by El Niño through its worldwide influence of sea level, river discharge and ocean waves

    • Rafael Almar
    • , Julien Boucharel
    •  & Fei-Fei Jin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Using two different mass spectrometric platforms, authors demonstrate how metabolomic data fusion and multivariate analysis can be used to accurately identify the geographic origin and production method of salmon.

    • Yunhe Hong
    • , Nicholas Birse
    •  & Christopher T. Elliott

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