Where'd You Get Those Genes? Individual Growth Can Vary Wildly When Populations Interbreed
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Published: 12 March 2020
Scripps researchers found that poor hybrid development in copepods stems from mismatched nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. When DNA from different populations misaligns, mitochondrial function drops, reducing fitness across generations.
Keywords: hybrid vigor, copepods, nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA, genetic incompatibility, evolution, conservation
Microplastics found in a quarter of San Diego estuary fish
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Published: 18 March 2020
A study of San Diego’s Chollas Creek found nearly 25% of fish contained microplastics, mainly fibers and hard fragments. Plastic ingestion varied by species, diet, and age, raising concerns about ecosystem and human impacts via seafood.
Keywords: microplastics, fish, Chollas Creek, San Diego Bay, pollution, food webs, marine ecosystems
Are there any aquatic beetle species?
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Published: 1 April 2020
Over 400,000 beetle species exist, with ~13,000 adapted to freshwater habitats like ponds and streams. Some live fully aquatic lives, others partly. None live in the sea, though coastal beetles forage along shores.
Keywords: beetles, aquatic insects, freshwater, coastal, biodiversity, Scripps
