Almost all of the nitrogen that fertilizes life in the open ocean of the Gulf of Mexico is carried into the gulf from shallower coastal areas, researchers from Florida State University found. Michael Stukel, an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science The work, published in Nature Communications, is crucial to understanding the food web of that ecosystem, which is a spawning ground for several commercially valuable species of fish, including the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which was a focus of the research.

Dr. Jeroen Ingels contributes to the United Nations' Second World Ocean Assessment, leading the chapter on "Abyssal Plains" and contributing to Levin et al. “Continental Slopes and Submarine Canyons”. Check out the assessment and global launch!

Certain brightly colored coral species dotting the seafloor may appear indistinguishable to many divers and snorkelers, but Florida State University researchers have found that these genetically diverse marine invertebrates vary in their response to ocean warming, a finding that has implications for the long-term health of coral reefs.

Sophie McCoy, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Science, will receive $300,000 over three years to support her research and graduate students through the newly established Tatelbaum Ocean Research Fund. The McCoy Lab conducts a variety of marine research projects ranging from climate change to pollution.

Peter Klimley, a well-known shark biologist and author of "The Biology of Sharks and Rays" (2013), publishes a glowing review of Dean Grubbs and Daniel Abel's new book, "Shark Biology and Conservation" in the journal, Environmental Biology of Fishes.

Dr. Ingels has spearheaded a new article in Nature Ecology and Evolution on the importance of including meiofauna and microbiota in deep-sea monitoring for effective conservation. "Undervaluing the contribution of microscopic organisms to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and their efficacy in early detection of change, would hamper effective management of deep-sea ecosystems." - Jeroen Ingels

The Department of Biological Science at FSU has awarded the Jack Winn Gramling Award in Marine Biology to 4th year students Josh Manning and Ethan Cissell this year to support their work.

FSUCML's Dr. Sophie McCoy and Ph.D. Candidate Ethan Cissell reveal that bacterial mats are more complex than scientists previously knew, opening the door for many questions about how to best protect reef ecosystems in the future.

The Scientist spoke with Jeroen Ingels, a marine ecologist at Florida State University and the lead author of the new study, about the most pressing takeaways from the team’s findings.

"FSU Assistant Professor of Biological Science Sophie McCoy and her team are proposing formal definitions for algae species and subcategories for the research community to consider: They are recommending algae be classified first by DNA and then by other traits."