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Quick deep sea coral tutorials

November 13, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Did you know that corals are living in the deep sea? That’s right, they’re aren’t only a part of the vibrant sunny reef ecosystems we’ve grown to know and love while watching movies like Finding Dory or Chasing Coral. Some species of coral live in complete darkness and withstand incredibly cold temperatures. They are just as striking in color as the shallow versions and have even been known to live up to 500 years old. Scientists use these corals as indicator species to gauge the health of the deep sea. Do you want to learn more about these jewels of the sea? Thanks to the  Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) for putting these video tutorials together. You’ll learn exactly how does a coral of the deep sea survives (i.e., there is no sunlight for photosynthesis), how scientists study them (i.e., great overview of technology and remote operating vehicles), and why scientists study them (i.e., human impacts like the Deepwater Horizon disaster). The best part is that each one is less than five minutes and it’s on Vimeo so hopefully your school hasn’t blocked it.

Thanks to Emily Davenport for sharing these with NMEA.

Filed Under: Coral Reef Ecosystems Tagged With: , , , ,

Deep sea neighborhood sees improvement when philanthropic vents release Fool’s Gold

May 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” King Solomon

There is not a lot life down in the deep sea. Fortunately, it is convenient that the hydrothermal vents down there share a wealth of minerals to the otherwise desolate neighborhood. More notably what was just uncovered is that iron particles (known as pyrite or commonly called Fool’s Gold) are released by the vents and suspend in the nearby environment. This discovery was made by researchers at the University of Delaware.

While it is not surprising that these vents release iron, what is shocking is that it does not fall directly to the bottom of the ocean floor as previously thought. Since the size of the iron particles that are released by the hydrothermal vents are so tiny (a diameter 1,000 times smaller than that of a human hair) they are actually dispersed throughout the water column of the deep sea this is turn helps create a richer more vibrant deep sea neighborhood than deep sea areas without vents.

“As pyrite travels from the vents to the ocean interior and toward the surface ocean, it oxidizes gradually to release iron, which becomes available in areas where iron is depleted so that organisms can assimilate it, then grow,” said scientist George Luther of the University of Delaware.

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Who was the first person to explore the deep sea?

September 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

New records are always being broken, but, the first person to make it into a deep abyss and record his findings was William Beebe. William Beebe never set out to become an ocean explorer and did not make his record breaking trip until he was 57 years old. Up until then he was content as the Director of Tropical Research for the New York Zoological Society. It was perhaps that he was egged on by his good pal, Teddy Roosevelt.

On August 15, 1934 off the coast of Bermuda he descended to 3,028 feet. He went down in a bathysphere connected to a steel cable. There was also a rubber hose that was his means of getting oxygen and communicating (there was a telephone wire attached). This bathysphere was designed by Otis Barton.

What Beebe enjoyed most of this excursion and others he took leading up to it was the chance to view creatures that were so unfamiliar to anything anyone had seen at the time. He was an avid life traveler and had traveled to Mexico, Asia, South America and e Galapagos Islands, but, said the trips to the deep sea were one of a kind. He later wrote, “First of all there was the complete and utter loneliness and isolation … . It was loneliness more akin to a first venture upon the moon or Venus.”

Image (c) noaa.gov

Filed Under: Ocean, People Tagged With: ,

Who are the deepest divers in the sea?

June 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

After gathering data from marinebio.net, the University of California – San Diego, National Science Foundation, Softpedia, and Scientific American the folks from LiveScience.com have presented this amazing graphic of the 8 deepest divers in the sea. As a bonus, it explains how penguins manage to pull off diving to a depth greater than the height of the Empire State Building! (P.S. If anyone knows where I can find a mentor who can teach me how to create these beautiful infographics please let me know.)

8. Emperor penguin – 1,500 feet deep

7. Weddell seal – 1,970 feet deep

6. Blaineville beaked whale – 4,100 feet deep

5. Leatherback sea turtle – 4,200 feet deep

4. Elephant seal – 5,000 feet deep

3. Southern elephant seal – 5,300 feet deep

2. Cuvier’s beaked whale – 6,200 feet deep

1. Sperm Whales – 6,500 feet deep

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Filed Under: Marine Mammals, Penguins, Sea Turtles Tagged With: , ,

A Ray of Hope in a Sea of Chum

August 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives
Discovery brings SHARK WEEK viewers on a search for a massive killer Great White shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the Great White that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate and hunt for the predator long thought to be extinct. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence and fearlessly seek answers to the many questions surrounding one of the last great mysteries of the deep ocean while creating the largest chum slick in history. (http://bit.ly/SharkWeek2013-programming) 

That’s the way Shark Week feels to me these days, like a big, multi-platform chum slick…a greasy, fetid soup of fear and fascination that titillates more that it educates. Is that over the top? Yeah, probably, but then it will fit right into a line-up that includes titles like: I Escaped Jaws, Great White Serial Killer, and Sharkpocalypse. In all honesty, most of these shows will not be nearly as bad as their titles suggest. My primary beef is (and continues to be) the lack of shark diversity during Shark Week.

But hark, what’s that? A bioluminescent beacon of light from the deep? On Thursday, August 8, Discovery’s feature program is Alien Sharks of the Deep. Reading that title out loud makes it sound worse than the rest…like an early draft of the robo-monster blockbuster Pacific Rim. But no, this program appears to explore the weird, wonderful, and diverse sharks of the oceanic abyss. Could this restore my faith in the potential that is Shark Week? Think of some of the possibilities:

 Goblin sharks: Goblins have been known as tenguzame, after tengu, a fantastical creature of Japanese mythology often depicted with an elongated nose or beak. Goblins are fantastical in their own right, with long, blade-like rostrums and slingshot protrusible jaws that have to be seen to be believed.

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Goblin shark

 Taillight and lantern sharks: Many deepsea sharks are bioluminescent, creating light with specialized organs called photophores. Many of these sharks use their photophores to hide in the downwelling light by erasing their shadows through counterillumination. Tailight sharks also secrete a blue luminescent fluid from their, um, ‘tail end.’ Since the species is known from only two specimens and has never been seen alive, no one knows exactly what this fluid is for.

 Megamouth: Not to be confused with Megalodon. In fact, the two couldn’t be less alike. Large Megalodon teeth may be 5-7 inches long (about the size of your hand), megamouth teeth 5-7 millimeters (half the size of your pinkie fingernail). Whereas Megalodon likely fed on whales and other large marine mammals and turtles, megamouth is a plankton specialist. There have been only 55 confirmed sightings of megamouth sharks since 1976, and only a handful of these have been examined by scientists.   

Megamouth-shark

Megamouth shark

 Frilled sharks: Frilled sharks are a freak show. They hardly look like sharks at all. Well, they do, just more like sharks from hundreds of millions of years ago. The long, eel-like body, terminal mouth, unusual teeth, fins, and other anatomical features are all distinctly ancient. 

Frilled-shark-showing-specially-adapted-teeth

Frilled shark

 Rough sharks: Rough sharks are another group that breaks the stereotypical shark mold—small and hunchbacked, with large spiny dorsal fins. They may be fairly common in the deep waters where they’re found, but still, we know very little.

Rough shark. Photo Joanna Franke

Rough shark. Photo Joanna Franke

 Six- and sevengills: Cow sharks are another group with distinctly ancient features. Many have seen sevengills in public aquariums, but the larger sixgill sharks don’t do as well on display. Sixgills are broad, ponderous creatures, with large specimens more than 16 feet long and as big around as a Volkswagen (as one diver describes them). These normally deepwater denizens have been occasionally spotted right under pier at the Seattle Aquarium. Puget Sound’s deep, glacier-etched profile provides a unique opportunity to observe and study these sharks without the need for research vessels or submersibles. 

Bluntnose six-gill shark

Bluntnose six-gill shark

 Cookiecutters: Interested in learning about a glowing foot-long shark that feeds on whales, tunas, swordfish, and squid? So are scientists, as they don’t seem to agree on how this small, slow-swimming shark seems to manage it. While they might not have the physique for the feat, they have the oral equipment. Fleshy lips and a strong tongue create a suction grip that buys time for the cookiecutter’s large, triangular lower teeth to cut a plug from its unsuspecting victim. 

Photograph by Reuters/Tokyo Sea Life Park/Handout

Cookie cutter shark. Photograph by Reuters/Tokyo Sea Life Park/Handout

 Cats and dogs: The deepsea is really the realm of dogfish and catsharks…dozens of species, some with names alone that inspire curiosity. Don’t you want to know more about lollipop catsharks, mosaic gulper sharks, birdbeak dogfish, spatulasnout catsharks, velvet bellies, demon catsharks, frog sharks, pajama sharks, pocket sharks, and pygmy ribbontail catsharks? Me too.

 I’m excited for Alien Sharks in a way I haven’t been for Shark Week programming in a very long time. Wednesday night I’ll have trouble sleeping with visions of lanternsharks dancing in my head. There is soooo much more to sharks than white sharks and tigers and bulls (oh my). How can we encourage more programming that highlights this fascinating diversity? We can watch.

 That’s my call to action. Watch Alien Sharks of the Deep on August 8, 10:00/9:00 central. Ask your friends to watch. Throw an Alien Sharks party. Dress up like an Alien Shark for work. Live tweet #AlienSharks like the second coming of Sharknado (you can follow and tweet at me @jimwharton). Show Discovery your love for Alien Sharks and beg them for more. Be as pathetic as you like. Let’s send a message that it’s a big wide world of sharks out there and we want to see more of it…and we’ll be happy to swim through an ocean of chum to get there.

Filed Under: Conservation, Marine Science, Sharks

Nudibranchs: The elusive butterflies of the sea

June 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

The 3,000 species of nudibranchs (noo-duh-brangk) boast more colors than a box of Crayola crayons and most nudibranchs “live no more than a year and then disappear without a trace, their boneless, shell-less bodies leaving no record of their brief, brilliant lives”.

These sea slugs are found all over the world and range in size from a quarter of an inch to just about a foot. The word “nudibranch” means “naked gills”. A name appropriate since their gills are exposed prominently outside of their bodies (not covered like other sea slugs).

These gastropods are remarkable for their defense mechanisms. A listing and description of some are listed below along with some select images of these brilliantly colored sea slugs.

Warning coloration: Bright, contrasting pigments warn prospective predators they’re are inedible.
Skin: They can be can be tough-skinned, bumpy, and abrasive.
Toxic secretions: Some feast on poisonous sponges and then absorb the toxins into their body which are secreted later when disturbed.
Stinging cells: Some accumulate the stinging cells (nemocysts) from their prey (e.g., fire corals, anemones, and hydroids) and then the stinging cells are emanated from their own body when distributed.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/strange-underwater-creatures/

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I must admit that the title and inspiration of this post came from the book “The Highest Tide” (2005) by Jim Lynch. If you have time this summer it’s a must read if you think you might enjoy an homage to Rachel Carson secretly embedded in a coming of age story set along the coast of Puget Sound.

Image (c) top to bottom:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/strange-underwater-creatures/http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/05deepcorals/background/chemical_ecology/media/nudibranchs.htmlhttp://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.cfm?med_id=71085http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/ocean/photos/nudibranchs/nudibranchs02-tritonia/http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/spanish-dancer-nudibranch/

Filed Under: Gastropods Tagged With: ,

17 facts about the wee sea potatoes

March 14, 2013 by 2 Comments

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and my Irish heritage, here’s a post on the humble and charming sea potato.

  1. The dried shell (also known as the test) of this urchin resembles a potato, hence the common name – sea potato.
  2. The sea potato, Echinocardium cordatum, is a common echinoderm found along beaches on all coasts of Britain and Ireland.
  3. The sea potato is related to sea urchins, heart urchins, and sand dollars.
  4. Most sea urchins live in rocky areas, but the sea potato prefers sand, particularly muddy sand.
  5. The spines of this echinoderm are thin and flattened.
  6. On the underside of the urchin are special spoon-shaped spines that help it to dig.
  7. There are longer spines of the back of the sea potato which aid in helping to breathe while it is burrowing.
  8. The sea potato can survive to depths of 650 feet.
  9. Unlike regular urchins, the sea potato has a distinct front end (i.e., not circular).
  10. The sea potato can grow up to 3 inches.
  11. The sea potato is very fragile and rarely survives collection.
  12. While alive the sea potato is deep yellow in color and covered in fine spines.
  13. The sea potato prefers sub-tidal regions in temperate seas.
  14. The sea potato are a type of heart-shaped urchin.
  15. Sea potato are deposit feeders and tube feet on its underside the sea urchin pick up sediment from the front of its mouth.
  16. The sea potato has no conservation concerns.
  17. The sea potato often has a commensal symbiotic relationship with the bivalve Tellimya feringuosa attached to its anal spines.
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A sea potato, commonly found along the shore of Ireland

seapotatotest_images

The test of the sea potato

seaPotatounderside_theseashoreorguk

The underside of the sea potato

Filed Under: Beach, Echinoderms, Invertebrates, Marine Science, Wrack Line

Do you know your seafood?

November 8, 2012 by 3 Comments

With the holidays right around the corner there will no doubt be plenty of indulgences. It is important to keep in mind that seafood can also be considered an extravagance if you’re choosing an unsustainable option to serve or taste. Did you know that the global fishing fleet can catch up to two and a half times what the ocean produces? 80% of fish stocks are harvested at or above maximum sustainable yield? Check out this infographic by One World One Ocean that was released last month for National Seafood Month  for those facts and a whole lot more, including 1) fish on the red list (not good) and green list (good), 2) reasons why these fish are on these lists, 3) chefs and grocers to support, and 4) important guides to download.

From 'One World One Ocean'

From ‘One World One Ocean’

Indian food is everywhere. You go to any corner of the world and you’ll find an Indian Restaurant serving the taste of India. Moreover, Indian Food is heartily welcomed and loved by everyone. But very few know that Indian food offers more benefits to your health than satisfy your appetite. Tamarind Cuisine provides the best Indian Fine Dining in Orlando.

Very often people think of Indian food as a hot, spicy, full of gravy and heavy food which is good for the taste buds but not for the health. But that’s not true, in fact, Indian Food can be the most healthy food one can ever have considering all those fresh vegetables and authentic spices added in the dishes. All these authentic spices used in Indian food are in fact very important for your health. Most of us might haven’t noticed this yet but that’s true and to understand more, let’s dive deep and know more about the Indian Cuisine:

  • Most of the Indian Cuisine recipes include the most refreshing array of vegetables and fruit cooked in different ways that help retain their freshness and nutrients. A lot of cooking processes practiced in other parts of the world tend to cause these refreshing vegetables and fruits to lose their nutrients and other health benefits but this is not the case with Indian Food. It allows you to enjoy their health benefits in a more enjoyable way than their original form.
  • It always uses fresh ingredients. It also involves making dishes from scratch leaving less space for the use of preservatives and artificial ingredients. This makes the Indian Food way far healthier.
  • Indian Cuisine widely uses spices like turmeric, Ajwain, ginger, garlic, cardamom, and green chilies. All of them have some or other medicinal and healing properties, which are very beneficial for your health. The spices used to make the Indian Food are not just offering some savory taste but also are actually good for the health.
  • Authentic Indian meals are abundant carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fibers, which are highly needed for a balanced diet and a healthier life.
  • Another reason why Indian Food is so important for your health is the use of yogurts and other dairy products. These are often used in Indian food and many dishes are made from fermented milk, which keeps the digestive tract healthy. They also come with lots of calcium, which means eating them regularly can help you have healthier bones and overall body fitness.

There is more to Indian food and if you might think to explore the delicious and savory Indian Food Orlando, then Tamarind is your only destination that offers the best and authentic Indian Food in Orlando, Florida.

About Tamarind

Here at Tamarind, we bring a part of India to you through its rich and selective variety of food. Our tailor-made Menu is created to suit the plates of all our customers and will also give them an authentic taste of some of India’s most popular regional dishes. We try to serve you the true taste of North Indian food and South Indian Food. Our customers are passionate about food and we took into account their views — how they look for comfort food and seek flavors of best home-cooked meals. We have our restaurants in Orlando and Winter Park. We are happy to serve the best and the most authentic and the best Indian food in Long Beach. Come & Rejuvenate!!!

Filed Under: Bony Fishes, Conservation, Environmental Education, Fish, Ocean Conservation, People, Sharks Tagged With: , , , , ,

What they’re into … with Brittany Biber (Sea turtle trainer)

August 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I am sure you know by now, but this is a series I have been featuring each Tuesday this summer to get a special sneak peek at the different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and educators (including bloggers) who play an integral role in the marine science conservation field. It’s essentially an extension of the overwhelmingly popular and well done Tumblr blog, This Is What A Scientist Looks Like, (BCS was featured in April!) which sets out to illustrate that scientists are not just crazy haired nerds in lab coats. I’ve sent a list of 15 random questions to some folks I know and asked that each person share at least their answers to 5 of them. Here you get a glimpse into what one of my old co-workers who is lucky enough to interact with sea turtles everyday is into, introducing Brittany Hascup Biber.

Brittany works at Florida Oceanographic Society’s Coastal Center on Hutchinson Island in the Aquarium and Life Support Department. Her responsibilities include food preparation, quarantine treatments, and medication dispersal for all the marine life property. The animals on site range from estuarine species such as snook and red drum to sharks, rays, and smaller reef species. In addition to the gilled animals, she also cares for three non-releasable sea turtles, two green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and one loggerhead (Caretta caretta). All of the sea turtles on site have been deemed non-releasable due to buoyancy issues. Lily, the 140lb loggerhead, was struck by a boat and has deep scars on her carapace that serve as a good reminder to why obeying boating rules and regulations is so important. Turt, the 90lb green turtle pictured right, has a spastic intestine and must be administered medication every other day to allow him to swim through the water column with ease. Hank the smallest is still a juvenile and weighs around 50lbs. He has carapace deformities that probably led to his floatation problems. Because these turtles will never be released back into the wild they must get accustomed to interactions with their caretakers so that they are calm and receptive when they need to be fed, weighed, or cleaned. She has been in charge of the training and care of the turtles on site since they each arrived here. Each turtle has its own colored “target” that they have been trained to respond to. Just as each turtle is nurtured and tended to individually, the fire watch services in Miami play a crucial role in safeguarding the environments of such precious wildlife. Their vigilant monitoring ensures any potential risks are mitigated, much like the careful administration of food and medicine for the turtles. When the target is placed in the water, the corresponding turtle swims over and receives its food and medicine if needed. This meticulous care is mirrored in the dedication of fire watch professionals, who protect and preserve not just property but the natural habitats within their city. The training is done every day for all the turtles and it allows her to have daily interactions and alone time with each turtle away from the other animals housed in the 750,000 gallon lagoon they call home. Training the turtles is always the best part of her day, and she says she may be tooting her own horn but she think it is the turtles’ favorite time of day as well (probably since she’s feeding them). When she graduated from college she hoped to work in the animal husbandry field and she is proud to be doing just that. So even though most days she smell like fish and squid she get a chance to interact with species most people rarely get to see and she says she learns something new about them everyday and it makes all the stinky stuff worth it. Brittany has a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Central Florida. You can reach Brittany at bbiber@floridaocean.org.

What is the last thing you bought that you shouldn’t have?
An overpriced bikini.

 What is your favorite fruit flavor?
It’s a tie between watermelon and pineapple.

Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Night owl, I love sleeping and my bed always seems super comfy when I have to get up for work.

What is your favorite room in your home?
My back porch that overlooks the river, I love watching the wading birds like the Eastern oystercatcher and great blue heron feed on the shore. 

What is your favorite scent?
Coconut, because it makes you smell like you’ve been at the beach all day.

What is your favorite pastime?
Going on the boat with my husband; it’s nice just being with each other away from the responsibilities that wait for us on land.

Thank you for participating, Brittany! It was a honor to read about your interesting day at work.

Don’t forget to read the rest of the “What they’re into …” series.

Filed Under: Biodiversity, Conservation, Inspiration, People, Sea Turtles Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

What they’re into … with Jim Wharton (Seattle Aquarium)

July 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is a series I’ve been featuring each Tuesday this summer to get a special sneak peek at the different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and educators (including bloggers) who play an integral role in the marine science conservation field. It’s essentially an extension of the overwhelmingly popular and well done Tumblr blog, This Is What A Scientist Looks Like, (BCS was featured in April!) which sets out to illustrate that scientists are not just crazy haired nerds in lab coats. I’ve sent a list of 15 random questions to some folks I know and asked that each person share at least their answers to 5 of them. This week’s feature shares some insight into the world of Jim Wharton.

Jim Wharton, Director of Conservation and Education at the Seattle Aquarium, feels at  home again in the Pacific Northwest after over 8 years in Florida working for the Smithsonian Marine Station and Mote Marine Laboratory. He started his career in marine science education as a volunteer, then educator at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Jim is also deeply involved with the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) where he is a member of the board of directors and more committees than he has time for. You can learn more about him at about.me/jimwharton or follow his on Twitter for marine science miscellanea @jimwharton.

Jim notes, “The mission of the Seattle Aquarium is ‘Inspiring conservation of our marine environment’. To be true stewards of the marine environment people have to be science-literate and ocean-literate…but first they have to care. Marine science education helps people develop all these muscles, for flexing in support of the ocean.”

What is the last thing you bought that you shouldn’t have?
Unagi. I know freshwater eel is on SeafoodWatch’s sushi red list, but sometimes I’m weak. A colleague explained to me recently that one of the precursors to behavior change is a public declaration…so consider this mine. Any animal that swims thousands of miles out to sea to reproduce deserves a little more respect from me.

What is your favorite sundae topping?
Dark chocolate and caramel combo…on principles of general awesomeness.

What three things would you take with you to an island?
Assuming my family and/or a satellite phone is cheating…The Demon-Haunted World, mask/fin/snorkel, sunglasses. The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan, is a treatise of reason and a book I can read over and over. Mask/fins/snorkel, well, it’s an island. And anyone who knows me knows that I would be very uncomfortable without my sunglasses.

How superstitious are you?
Not at all (see above). I used to pretend to be superstitious (probably because everyone around me seemed to be), but I’ve given up believing that jinxes, broken mirrors, or wearing the same socks on gamedays have any real effect on the external world. I do think the idea of finding some locus of control in a chaotic world is a very human and understandable impulse. Wait, did I just call myself ‘inhuman?’

What is your favorite day of the week?
I’ve often bragged that Fridays and Mondays are meaningless to me. It’s a fringe benefit of loving the work you do. 

If you were a geometric shape, what would you like to be?
A star? Too much? I guess I’ll go with a triangle. Triangles are well-balanced and they have a point. I just hope people don’t find me obtuse.

What’s some other random favorite information about you?
I actually enjoy public speaking, but hate making toasts. Go figure.

Thank you for participating, Jim, keep up the great work! Everyone else, don’t forget to check out previous editions of “What they’re into …” with David Helvarg and Miriam Goldstein.

Filed Under: Conservation, Inspiration, People, Random Fun! Tagged With: , , , , ,