Mesmerizing Sea Life

A rare sighting of a Dumbo octopus and new research published on these creatures have made headlines in recent months. The Dumbo Octopus is a rare creature that lives in the deep sea. In September 2023, a deep-sea expedition led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spotted this creature about a mile below the Pacific Ocean. The sighting is rare because usually this creature can be seen at a depth of 13000 feet. The scientists were able to film the octopus, and the footage shows the creature swimming gracefully through the water. Researchers from the Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA captured footage of a Dumbo octopus on an unnamed seamount in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, northwest of Hawaii. Dumbo octopuses get their name from their two large ear-like fins, which resemble the ears of the Disney character Dumbo.

A sperm whale that died of natural causes has become a flourishing habitat for marine life after sinking to the ocean floor off the coast of California a decade ago. The whale's decomposing body has become an abundant source of food for various marine creatures such as fish, crabs, and other invertebrates. The whale's skeletal remains have evolved into a stable ecosystem in an otherwise dynamic ocean environment. Moreover, the whale's death and decomposition have produced a distinctive ecosystem. Various bacteria and microbes residing in the whale's body have played an essential role in breaking down its tissue. As a result, these microbes have contributed to the ocean's food chain and recycled nutrients back into the water. Scientists have also found great value in studying the whale's bones, which provides insight into its life and death. This research has enabled scientists to understand better the ocean's ecosystem and whales' role in it. The dead wh

In 2001, a humpback whale was cut by a boat propeller in Sydney, Australia. The 30-centimeter-deep scars are still visible along her side today, but this whale has defied the odds and survived. She is known as Blade Runner. Blade Runner was first seen in the waters off Sydney in 2001. She was swimming with her calf when she was struck by a boat propeller. The impact was so severe that it caused her to bleed profusely. She was also left with a number of deep scars, including one that runs the entire length of her side. Despite her injuries, Blade Runner survived. She was able to swim away and rejoin her pod. In the years since, she has been seen repeatedly in the waters off Sydney and New South Wales. She has even been spotted as far away as Tasmania. Blade Runner's story has also helped to raise awareness of the dangers that whales face from boat strikes. Each year, hundreds of whales are injured or killed by boats. Blade Runner is a reminder of the importance of taking steps to pr

Hey there, I'm Mounika and I'm here to talk about the most magical and engaging place Georgia aquarium  No matter your age, everyone is a kid at Georgia Aquarium . Home to the most amazing aquatic animals, including beluga whales, whale sharks, manta rays, penguins, sea otters, dolphins and many more. Whether it may be dolphin show or sea lion presentation or entering the zone of Predators of the Deep, everything is amazing at Georgia aquarium. Filled with 11 millions gallons of water in seven permanent galleries making home to over 100,000 animals.  The Georgia Aquarium is divided into 7 sections: Coldwater Quest, Ocean Voyager, Tropical Diver, Georgia Explorer, River Scout, Predators of the Deep and Dolphin Tales. Ocean Voyager is the largest exhibit with 100-foot underwater tunnels and one of the largest viewing windows.  There's so much to see in Georgia Aquarium. I spent half a day roaming and getting mesmerized by the amazing creatures. Located in Downtown Atlanta adj

A research expedition to explore deepest-sea creatures led to the discovery of the deepest fish ever filmed. In August 2022, a two-month expedition to the deep trenches around Japan in the north Pacific Ocean undertook by the research ship DSSV Pressure Drop.  As part of a 10-year study into the deepest fish populations in the world, the mission was to explore the Japan, Ryukyu and Izu-Ogasawara trenches at 8,000m, 9,300m and 7,300m deep respectively. Founder of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre and chief scientist of the expedition, UWA Professor Alan Jamieson, worked with a team from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology to deploy baited cameras in the deepest parts of the trenches. At a depth of 8,336m in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan, the team managed to film the deepest record of a fish, the unknown snailfish species of the genus Pseudoliparis.  A few days later, the team collected two fish in traps from 8,022m deep in the Japan Trench. These sna

Did the first whales pick up where the mosasaurs left off when 66 million years ago all the large marine predators became extinct? The University of Liège's EDDyLab (Belgium) developed this research to investigate whether there were morphological and behavioral convergences between whales and mosasaurs which was published in Paleobiology. We are familiar with modern whales and dolphins, but the extinct predecessors of these modern marine animals closely resembled ancient aquatic animals, especially the mosasaurs, a group closely related to snakes and lizards. "Superficial similarities have long been noted, but the idea that these two groups might be functionally similar has never been rigorously tested," explains Rebecca Bennion, a doctoral student at ULiège's EDDyLab and first author of the study. The research, which has just been published in the journal Paleobiology and was carried out by an international team of scientists based in Europe, the USA, and New Zealan

Countless marine animals rely on noise to survive, for e.g: to detect predators, for echolocation, and as a means of communication with the co-species. In recent decades, the sounds caused by human activities are affecting marine species, especially the sounds emitted by cargo ships, loud explosions, and seismic surveys. A study by the Alfred-Wegener institute showcases that the sounds may impact the functioning of the ocean floor. Invertebrates such as mussels, crustaceans, and worms(referred to as ecosystem engineers) frequently sediment the area they live in by burrowing, feeding, aerating, and fertilizing with their excreta. These activities play a vital role in the nutrient cycle in the ocean, allowing more carbon from the dead organic material to be stored on the sea floor and nutrients to be recycled.  Sound can travel long distances underwater, sometimes hundreds and even thousands of kilometers whereas light can travel only tens of meters.  A research team from the Alfred Wege