This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and the red lionfish has gained increasing attention since the nonnative predator first began to appear in waters off the NC coast about 20 years ago.
marine life
Whales eat much more than previously thought: Study
A recent study found that baleen whales can consume 5 to 30% of its body mass on a daily basis, illustrating the large impact they have on the marine food web.
Duke to study offshore wind energy’s effects on marine life
With a recently announced $7.5 million federal grant, Duke University is leading a research project to better understand how offshore wind development can affect marine species.
Nature Notes: Northern puffers are one hoot of a blowfish
Their defensive strategy can be amusing to watch and their powerful teeth can crush almost any kind of shellfish — northern puffers are a strange but familiar sight in North Carolina waters.
UNC institute’s shark survey a trove of 50 years of data
Long before sharks became a fearsome focus for filmmakers and TV programmers, scientists with the UNC Institute of Marine Sciencea’ shark survey began what is now considered a rare archive of consistent, long-term research.
Turtle Trash Collectors Adapt to COVID-19
UNCW’s MarineQuest outreach program Turtle Trash Collectors has launched a citizen-science project to better understand how COVID-19 is affecting pollution and marine debris.