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Purposeful Predators

You many think that the oceans would be a safer place for all life if top predatory sharks were gone, but just the opposite is true.

Top predatory sharks play a crucial role in the oceans ecosystems. Their predatory behaviors on sick, injured, and lesser predatory animals keep ocean food webs thriving. When you remove top predatory animals, the results can be devastating.
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Breakwater

The world’s largest breakwater brings controversy.

Should the Long Beach breakwater be altered to bring back the popular beaches Long Beach enjoyed in the 1930s? A sea of debate surrounds this controversial issue.
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A Toothy Situation

Taking a closer look at shark teeth

The very body part that makes sharks so intimidating is also what makes sharks so fascinating: teeth! From sharks that filter their food instead of biting to sharks that have jaws much like a nutcracker, you can learn a tremendous amount about a shark just by looking at its teeth.
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Sibling Rivalry

Sand tiger sharks get a jump start on predation.

Sibling rivalry takes on a whole new meaning in the case of sand tiger shark reproduction. Discover how these embryonic sharks become experienced predators even before they are born.
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Against the Flow

How fish larvae find a reef home.

Tiny drifters or determined swimmers? New research is discovering some startling information about how larval fish find and populate new reef ecosystems.
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Cascade

The complex relationships between predators

Sea otters, bald eagles, and orcas are all Alaskan marine predators. These three very different species are linked through a complex series of relationships that reach across ecosystems and species.
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Minerals from the Deep Sea

From science fiction to commercial opportunity

Deep sea mining, once the realm of science fiction, is now an impending reality. The impacts of mining on the organisms of the deep sea are poorly understood as fundamental research on this ecosystem remains to be done.
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On a Rising Tide

Harvesting energy from tides

Tidal power provides a renewable energy source that is clean and reliable. Generators harvest the energy of moving water as tides flood and ebb. Tidal power generation requires suitable environmental conditions to be efficient and effective.
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Cleaning Symbiosis - Do Cheaters Prosper?

Are cleaner fish tempted to bite their clients?

Parasites may be harmful to living organisms. A relationship called the cleaning symbiosis describes how some animals, the cleaners, remove parasites from other animals, the clients. Because of the close interaction between cleaner and client, a question arises: instead of picking off parasites, do cleaners ever bite their clients instead?
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Black Sun, Blue Water

Atomic bombs and the life of a coral reef

Between 1946 and 1958 the United States exploded nearly two dozen nuclear bombs at Bikini Atoll. How has this affected the life of the coral reef over the last half-century?
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Living Camouflage

How some crabs avoid their predators

Some species of crabs utilize novel forms of camouflage, covering their shells with other living organisms to fool their predators.
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Steller Visions

Georg Steller and the vanishing species which bear his name

The Gulf of California is home to a diverse assemblage of wildlife. This diversity is a reflection of the Gulf's distinctive geography. Impacts to wildlife from a variety of sources threaten many of the rare and endangered species that make the Gulf their home.
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Corps of Discovery

The Corps of Discovery reaches the Pacific Ocean.

On November 15, 1806, the Corps of Discovery reached the mouth of the Columbia River, completing a 4,000 mile journey to the Pacific Coast. They would spend the next four months adding to science’s knowledge of the Pacific Ocean and its inhabitants before beginning their long journey home.
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Surging Seas

Storm surges in a warmer world.

Since the middle of the nineteenth century scientists have recorded an increase in the global sea level. Higher sea levels may intensify the impact of hurricanes and typhoons to coastal communities. Preserving natural shorelines could be key to lessening storm damage in a warmer world.
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Goldeneye

Sea ducks drink seawater with help from a special gland

The Common Goldeneye spends part of its year on freshwater lakes, and part on the coastal ocean. Like other sea ducks, they have an adaptation that allows them to drink saltwater safely.

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