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Scientists believe that the ice shelves under the sea ice hold the keys to further our understanding of climate change. Unfortunately, diving to such areas to explore them is impossible.

How, then, can we access these areas?

Scientist Xi Yu from West Virginia University may have found the answer. She suggests deploying a fleet of marine robots, controlled by a smart mothership, to reach these inaccessible depths and transmit back invaluable insights.

The study, set to be published in the October 15th issue of Environmental Pollution, has provided evidence that microscopic plastic particles, which were discovered in the fats and lungs of around two-thirds of the marine mammals investigated, are not confined to the digestive tracts of these creatures but can migrate and embed themselves in their vital tissues.

A study in the Marine Mammal Science journal examines the question of why Southern Resident orcas in the Pacific Northwest harass and sometimes kill porpoises without eating them.

Such behaviour has been passed down through the generations and across social groupings, and has been recorded as far back as 1962.

The question of why comes to mind.

Not on the menu

Certainly not to eat them. Southern Resident orcas do not harass the porpoises to consume them.

The IJN Akagi, a Japanese aircraft carrier sunk during the pivotal Battle of Midway in World War II, has been surveyed underwater, offering a detailed look at the historic warship. The survey provides insights into the ship's condition and its final moments during the war.

Recent research, published in Current Biology, has uncovered intriguing insights into their cognitive abilities that challenge the notion that jellyfish lack intelligence.

In a recent study, scientists in Brazil are sounding the alarm for the Williams' side-necked turtle (Phrynops williamsi), a rare species found only in Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest and neighboring Pampa grasslands. The growing hydroelectric power industry in the country poses a grave threat to these turtles, already classified as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The revelation that basking sharks are partially warm-blooded challenges previous assumptions about the physiology of these colossal creatures and has significant implications for their conservation and understanding of marine ecosystems.

Ecotourism, particularly shark diving tourism, has become a significant global industry, attracting over half a million participants annually across approximately 85 countries. While it generates substantial revenue and raises awareness for shark conservation, concerns about its impact on shark behaviour and health, as well as human safety, persist.

Ecotourism has been posited as a potential solution to many of the issues facing shark conservation, yet increasingly studies suggest that such activity may negatively influence aspects of shark ecology and so further pressure declining populations.

^{— Joel H. Gayford, et al.}