All articles tagged with #marine biology
Thousands of starfish washed up on Wardie Bay in Edinburgh, likely due to stormy weather and rapid temperature changes, with marine biologists noting such events are natural but require further investigation.
The opah, or moonfish, is the world's only fully warm-blooded fish, maintaining body heat 5°C higher than its environment through a unique counter-current heat exchange system in its gills, which allows it to be a faster, more active predator in cold deep-sea environments.
Scientists from the University of Hawaii have identified the elusive cookiecutter shark as the predator responsible for the circular wounds on marine mammals and fish, using a decade of data to analyze its behavior, feeding patterns, and environmental influences, revealing its nocturnal, stealthy hunting tactics and traditional Polynesian knowledge supporting scientific findings.
Greenland sharks are among the longest-living vertebrates, with an estimated lifespan of at least 272 years and some reaching up to 400 years, based on radiocarbon dating of their eye lenses, making them the oldest known vertebrate animals.
A 15-year-old marine biology student recounts a terrifying night scuba dive where a bull shark quickly took a fish he accidentally illuminated, highlighting the power and misunderstood nature of sharks, and emphasizing the importance of respecting these creatures.
A PhD candidate at Scripps Oceanography in San Diego discovered a rare purple Janthina snail on the beach, a species usually found in tropical waters, possibly due to changing ocean temperatures, marking a rare sighting after a decade.
Scientists exploring off Vancouver Island discovered a live, active underwater volcano teeming with up to a million egg cases of the deep-sea Pacific white skate, revealing how volcanic heat creates a unique nursery environment that accelerates embryo development and supports marine life in the abyss.
Ming the clam was once the oldest known individual animal, living over 507 years before being accidentally killed by humans in 2006 when it was dredged from the ocean floor, highlighting both the remarkable longevity of certain marine species and the impact of human activity.
Scientists discovered a new tiny, glowing shark species called the American pocket shark in the Gulf of Mexico, notable for its bioluminescent pockets and rarity, highlighting the vast unknown diversity of deep-sea life.
Scientists have traced the origins of bioluminescence to at least 540 million years ago in octocorals, making it one of the earliest known instances of this ability, which evolved during the Cambrian period and may have played a role in interspecies interactions in ancient oceans.
Scientists captured rare footage of remora fish riding on humpback whales off Queensland, Australia, showcasing their high-speed, synchronized hitchhiking behavior during whale migrations, which may serve mutual benefits or annoyance for the whales.
Scientists captured rare footage of remoras hitching a ride on humpback whales during their migration off Australia, showcasing the fish's high-speed, precise jumping and landing behavior as they feed on dead skin and sea lice, in a mutually beneficial relationship, though the full extent of their journey remains a mystery.
Scientists in Norway captured the first-ever images of a wild orca giving birth, observing the calf's initial struggles and the pod's protective behavior, marking a significant milestone in marine biology research.
Scientists in Mexico documented orcas hunting and eating the livers of young great white sharks, a behavior previously observed in other regions but now confirmed in Mexico, indicating a possible shift in orca predation patterns that could impact shark populations.
A pod of orcas in the Gulf of California has been observed hunting and devouring the livers of young great white sharks, indicating that orca predation on these sharks may be more common than previously thought, showcasing their advanced hunting strategies and social learning.