Kidnapping in the Antarctic animal world?
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 10 September 2018
In the Southern Ocean, some amphipods “kidnap” pteropods and carry them piggyback to gain protection from predators, exploiting the pteropods’ chemical defenses. The pteropods, however, starve while captive, making the relationship one-sided and parasitic.
Keywords: pteropods, Southern Ocean, predator-prey, chemical deterrents, Hyperiella antarctica, Clione limacina, Spongiobranchaea australis
Cause of mussel poisoning identified
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 19 March 2009
After over a decade of research, scientists identified the neurotoxin azaspiracid's source as the dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum. This tiny alga, isolated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, poses a risk to mussel consumers and may improve toxin monitoring.
Keywords: azaspiracid, Azadinium spinosum, dinoflagellate, shellfish poisoning, neurotoxin, toxic algae, Alfred Wegener Institute
New fossil finds as witnesses for fluctuations of Arctic sea ice cover during the past 30,000 years
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 23 October 2009
AWI geoscientists used algal biomarkers in sediment cores to reconstruct 30,000 years of sea ice history in the Fram Strait, revealing major ice shifts and offering key insights into Arctic climate variability and ocean circulation.
Keywords: Fram Strait, sea ice history, sediment cores, IP25 biomarker, brassicasterol, Alfred Wegener Institute, Arctic climate, glacial maximum, Bølling warming, ocean currents, climate variability, Helmholtz Association.
