Secrets of the Octopus Garden: Moms nest at thermal springs to give their young the best chance for survival

Thousands of pearl octopuses were discovered in 2018 lining thermal vents near a deep-sea volcano. Researchers now know why octopus moms gather there.

Jim Barry, Marine Ecologist, MBARI, San José State University • conversation
Aug. 23, 2023 ~10 min

Secrets of an octopus's garden: Moms nest at thermal springs to give their young the best chance for survival

Thousands of pearl octopuses were discovered in 2018 lining thermal vents near a deep-sea volcano. Researchers now know why octopus moms gather there.

Jim Barry, Marine Ecologist, MBARI, San José State University • conversation
Aug. 23, 2023 ~9 min


Sawfish, guitarfish and more: Meet the rhino rays, some of the world's most oddly shaped and highly endangered fishes

Rhino rays, which are close relative of sharks, are some of the most fascinating – and most threatened – fishes that you’ve never heard of.

David Shiffman, Faculty Research Associate in Marine Biology, Arizona State University • conversation
July 11, 2023 ~7 min

Is there life in the sea that hasn't been discovered?

From fluffy crabs that wear sea sponge hats to worms that glow in the dark, scientists are constantly finding amazing new life forms in the ocean.

Suzanne OConnell, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, Wesleyan University • conversation
June 5, 2023 ~7 min

Invasive lionfish have spread south from the Caribbean to Brazil, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods

One of the most damaging invasive species in the oceans has breached a major barrier – the Amazon-Orinoco river plume – and is spreading along Brazil’s coast. Scientists are trying to catch up.

Osmar J. Luiz, Senior Research Fellow in Aquatic Ecology, Charles Darwin University • conversation
June 1, 2023 ~11 min

You shed DNA everywhere you go – trace samples in the water, sand and air are enough to identify who you are, raising ethical questions about privacy

Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions.

Jessica Alice Farrell, Postdoctoral associate, University of Florida • conversation
May 15, 2023 ~8 min

El Niño is coming, and ocean temps are already at record highs – that can spell disaster for fish and corals

El Niño can trigger intense and widespread periods of extreme ocean warming known as marine heat waves. They can devastate marine life.

Dillon Amaya, Climate Research Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • conversation
April 18, 2023 ~8 min

The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere – but first we need an internet of deep ocean sensors to track the effects

The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere, but first we need a 4D monitoring system to ensure ramping up carbon storage does no harm.

Peter de Menocal, Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution • conversation
Feb. 1, 2023 ~12 min


The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere – but first we need to build a 4D system to track what's going on down there

An ocean scientist describes plans for an ‘internet of the ocean,’ with sensors and autonomous vehicles that can explore the deep sea and monitor its vital signs.

Peter de Menocal, Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution • conversation
Feb. 1, 2023 ~12 min

Deep sea reefs are spectacular and barely-explored – they must be conserved

Considered too deep for most reef biologists, and too shallow for deep-sea researchers, most deep reefs are unprotected.

Paris Stefanoudis, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford • conversation
Jan. 25, 2023 ~7 min

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