oceanic

Yet it remained unclear whether oceanic microbes had developed similar enzymes independently.

Published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, the research marks the first time scientists have observed an animal species reducing its genome by almost 50% during the process of colonizing oceanic islands.

The resulting images revealed deep fractures where the oceanic plate is snapping apart.

The Pacific plate is oceanic, which means it has dense rocks and wants to sink beneath the less dense microplate.

The world's largest fringing reef and another of Australia's Unesco World Heritage Sites, it is home to a lush oceanic forest that spreads out along the coast for hundreds of kilometres.