Brian Skerry's Description of Right Whale Encounter:
2012 Tribute to Jacques Cousteau:
2012 Joe Romeiro White Shark:
BBC's Earth Flight New Series:
Randy Jordan of Emerald Charters found an airplane in 180 feet of water off Palm Beach Florida:
Experts there told Jordan that the submerged aircraft could be a Curtiss Helldiver SBC2. Some of those airplanes flew in the early 1940s during World War II.
So here we are. At the finish line. 10 month in the making. 7 minutes long. It has taken hundred of dives and thousands of takes. It has cost us a small fortune and most of our sanity. But it is done. We hope you enjoy it. We hope you get behind us. There is much yet to do. Please share it and please buy it. Sing it far and wide. This is our chance to sing for our oceans. The proceeds from the sale of the song will be given to the organisations shown @ 5:40.
From Blue Tube TV:
The ocean makes life on Earth possible, and it needs our help. Most people don't realize the long list of benefits the ocean provides us, nor how much we are connected and dependent on it. Just to name a few things; the ocean produces 70 to 80% of the oxygen we breath, generates $21 trillion in ecosystem services each year, and provides the main source of protein for 1/4 of the world's population. And these are just a few of the amazing functions it offers this planet's 6+billion people. In the past 50 years the health of the ocean has declined dramatically due to the major 5. That's right, the major 5, There are five serious threats that are causing this havoc; over fishing, pollution, invasive species, habitat destruction, and climate change. Actions must be taken to address these problems in order for the ocean to recover and become healthy once again. Come explore the ocean with us and find out how you can help.
Blue Tube TV Promo Trailer:
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Plastic Shores Trailer
Plastic Shores Trailer
A non-profit educational film about the effects of plastic debris on our marine ecosystem.
In the year 2010 global plastic production reached 300 million tonnes. A third of this was used in disposable packaging. In the United Kingdom, 3 million tonnes of plastic are thrown away every year, 1% of the total amount of all plastic manufactured on the planet.
But what happens to this plastic when it is thrown away? Most of it makes its way to landfill. Some goes to recycling or incineration. The rest escapes into our environment, and to the world's oceans…and nobody knows how long it will stay there. Estimates range from decades to hundreds of thousands of years.
'Plastic Shores' is a documentary that explores how plastic affects the marine environment. Travelling from the International Marine Debris Conference in Hawai'i to the polluted Blue Flag beaches of Cornwall, the film reveals just how bad the problem of plastic debris is and how it harms aquatic life. There is now not a single beach or sea in the world that is not affected by plastic pollution and the problem is only increasing.
Plastic Shores will be released mid-2012.
A non-profit educational film about the effects of plastic debris on our marine ecosystem.
In the year 2010 global plastic production reached 300 million tonnes. A third of this was used in disposable packaging. In the United Kingdom, 3 million tonnes of plastic are thrown away every year, 1% of the total amount of all plastic manufactured on the planet.
But what happens to this plastic when it is thrown away? Most of it makes its way to landfill. Some goes to recycling or incineration. The rest escapes into our environment, and to the world's oceans…and nobody knows how long it will stay there. Estimates range from decades to hundreds of thousands of years.
'Plastic Shores' is a documentary that explores how plastic affects the marine environment. Travelling from the International Marine Debris Conference in Hawai'i to the polluted Blue Flag beaches of Cornwall, the film reveals just how bad the problem of plastic debris is and how it harms aquatic life. There is now not a single beach or sea in the world that is not affected by plastic pollution and the problem is only increasing.
Plastic Shores will be released mid-2012.
60 Minutes
Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes:
Anderson Cooper takes viewers on an underwater adventure to one of the world's most vibrant coral reefs, an anomaly at a time when many of the world's reefs are in danger - or already dead.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392092n#ixzz1hlUCIdpG
Anderson Cooper takes viewers on an underwater adventure to one of the world's most vibrant coral reefs, an anomaly at a time when many of the world's reefs are in danger - or already dead.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392092n#ixzz1hlUCIdpG
Thursday, November 17, 2011
North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
BlueFin Tuna Bait Ball: National Geo.:
Catching GinatTuna National Geographjic:
Wall Street Journal Reports:
Paul Watson on NABFT:
Record Sale: $396,000:
All-Time Record:
CBS News: NOAA:
Catching GinatTuna National Geographjic:
Wall Street Journal Reports:
Paul Watson on NABFT:
Record Sale: $396,000:
All-Time Record:
CBS News: NOAA:
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Neptune Canada's Channel
Grotto Hydrothermal Vent in 2 Minutes:
March of the Sea Pigs:
Water Column Creatures:
School of Sunfish:
Deep Sea Octopus:
Batman of the Deep:
Brittle Star Food Fight:
Videos from the sea-floor: underwater life, technology, exploration and research in the northeast Pacific Ocean near Canada's Vancouver Island.
ABOUT US
As part of Ocean Networks Canada, we are building the worlds first regional-scale underwater cabled ocean network that plugs directly into the Internet. People everywherecan surf the seafloor, while ocean scientists run deep-water experiments from labs and universities anywhere around the world.
March of the Sea Pigs:
Water Column Creatures:
School of Sunfish:
Deep Sea Octopus:
Batman of the Deep:
Brittle Star Food Fight:
Videos from the sea-floor: underwater life, technology, exploration and research in the northeast Pacific Ocean near Canada's Vancouver Island.
ABOUT US
As part of Ocean Networks Canada, we are building the worlds first regional-scale underwater cabled ocean network that plugs directly into the Internet. People everywherecan surf the seafloor, while ocean scientists run deep-water experiments from labs and universities anywhere around the world.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Deep Sea News' Dr. M & Miriam Swim the Largest Tank!
Marine biologists and Deep Sea News bloggers Miriam Goldstein and Dr. Craig McClain SCUBA diving in the Ocean Voyager exhibit at Georgia Aquarium:
Starlings in Amazing Flight
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive:
From Wired Science:
Video of a massive starling flock turning and twisting over a river in Ireland has gone viral, and with good reason. Flocking starlings are one of nature’s most extraordinary sights: Just a few hundred birds moving as one is enough to convey a sense of suspended reality, and the flock filmed above the River Shannon contained thousands.
What makes possible the uncanny coordination of these murmurations, as starling flocks are so beautifully known? Until recently, it was hard to say. Scientists had to wait for the tools of high-powered video analysis and computational modeling. And when these were finally applied to starlings, they revealed patterns known less from biology than cutting-edge physics.
Starling flocks, it turns out, are best described with equations of “critical transitions” — systems that are poised to tip, to be almost instantly and completely transformed, like metals becoming magnetized or liquid turning to gas. Each starling in a flock is connected to every other. When a flock turns in unison, it’s a phase transition.
At the individual level, the rules guiding this are relatively simple. When a neighbor moves, so do you. Depending on the flock’s size and speed and its members’ flight physiologies, the large-scale pattern changes. What’s complicated, or at least unknown, is how criticality is created and maintained.
It’s easy for a starling to turn when its neighbor turns — but what physiological mechanisms allow it to happen almost simultaneously in two birds separated by hundreds of feet and hundreds of other birds? That remains to be discovered, and the implications extend beyond birds. Starlings may simply be the most visible and beautiful example of a biological criticality that also seems to operate in proteins and neurons, hinting at universal principles yet to be understood.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
From Wired Science:
Video of a massive starling flock turning and twisting over a river in Ireland has gone viral, and with good reason. Flocking starlings are one of nature’s most extraordinary sights: Just a few hundred birds moving as one is enough to convey a sense of suspended reality, and the flock filmed above the River Shannon contained thousands.
What makes possible the uncanny coordination of these murmurations, as starling flocks are so beautifully known? Until recently, it was hard to say. Scientists had to wait for the tools of high-powered video analysis and computational modeling. And when these were finally applied to starlings, they revealed patterns known less from biology than cutting-edge physics.
Starling flocks, it turns out, are best described with equations of “critical transitions” — systems that are poised to tip, to be almost instantly and completely transformed, like metals becoming magnetized or liquid turning to gas. Each starling in a flock is connected to every other. When a flock turns in unison, it’s a phase transition.
At the individual level, the rules guiding this are relatively simple. When a neighbor moves, so do you. Depending on the flock’s size and speed and its members’ flight physiologies, the large-scale pattern changes. What’s complicated, or at least unknown, is how criticality is created and maintained.
It’s easy for a starling to turn when its neighbor turns — but what physiological mechanisms allow it to happen almost simultaneously in two birds separated by hundreds of feet and hundreds of other birds? That remains to be discovered, and the implications extend beyond birds. Starlings may simply be the most visible and beautiful example of a biological criticality that also seems to operate in proteins and neurons, hinting at universal principles yet to be understood.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
National Geographic Capturing Bioluminescence & MBARI's Selections!
MBARI's Locomotion in the Deep:
MBARI's California Hydrothermal Vents:
MBARI's Eerie Critters of the Deep
MBARI'sAnthology of Deep Sea Squids:
MBARI's Vampire Squid:
Macropinna:
MBARI's Humboldt Squid:
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Art of the Depths: Bioluminescent Jellyfish
Great art is inspired by great things. And the Museum of Fine Arts obtains only great art (hence the "Fine"). The latest exhibit at the MFA is a collection of works by the glassblower Dale Chihuly, whose multicolored renderings are nothing short of psychedelic. Some of his most beautiful art is inspired by the bioluminescent jellyfish that light up the otherwise dark and murky lower seas
So we've established that these jellyfish are beautiful. (For more amazing pictures, check out the articleby Environmental Graffiti).
But what is this amazing display all about?
Environmental Graffiti offers four reasons for the bioluminescense of deep sea jellyfish. Firstly, small creatures-- little fish-- see the light and are amazed. Enthralled, as was Mr. Chihuly. So they approach the gently undulating jellyfish and before they know it they are stung and eaten.
Secondly, creating one's own light can prevent one from being seen. If a jellyfish (probably in the mesopelagic region where some sunlight indeed penetrates) is seen from below and is giving off its own light, this light can easily be confused as simple natural light...the jellyfish's invisibility cloak.
Third, bioluminescence can be a scare tactic. Jellyfishfacts.net affirms this in their article on bioluminescent jellyfish. When touched, a jellyfish immediately lights up, to create confusion (not unlike a squid's inking)--this is the result of an instantaneous chemical reaction that occurs with direct stimulation. Furthermore, the potentially dangerous critter who encounters a lit jellyfish will become, as it were, self conscious, and will try, as it were, to step out of the spotlight--for such predators are themselves prey. They'd rather slink around in the dark than be seen. So they flee the scene.
Finally, bioluminescent jellyfish utilize their lighting up to communicate with other jellyfish. It is interesting to note that jellyfish are eyeless. Thus, the light is entirely functional--not recreational. But I take that's a given.
Now for the process of biolumination: luciferinase oxidizes luciferin, with a bluish photoprotein being the result. In 1961, however, the GFP, or green florescent protein was discovered in the jellyfish aequorea victoria, native to the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America. According to an article published by the University of Washington, this GFP has been cloned and extensively studied in labs since its discovery fifty years ago.
In fact, we forgot to mention the fifth function of bioluminescense in jellyfish: beauty for human consumption. Enjoy the video:
So we've established that these jellyfish are beautiful. (For more amazing pictures, check out the articleby Environmental Graffiti).
But what is this amazing display all about?
Environmental Graffiti offers four reasons for the bioluminescense of deep sea jellyfish. Firstly, small creatures-- little fish-- see the light and are amazed. Enthralled, as was Mr. Chihuly. So they approach the gently undulating jellyfish and before they know it they are stung and eaten.
Secondly, creating one's own light can prevent one from being seen. If a jellyfish (probably in the mesopelagic region where some sunlight indeed penetrates) is seen from below and is giving off its own light, this light can easily be confused as simple natural light...the jellyfish's invisibility cloak.
Third, bioluminescence can be a scare tactic. Jellyfishfacts.net affirms this in their article on bioluminescent jellyfish. When touched, a jellyfish immediately lights up, to create confusion (not unlike a squid's inking)--this is the result of an instantaneous chemical reaction that occurs with direct stimulation. Furthermore, the potentially dangerous critter who encounters a lit jellyfish will become, as it were, self conscious, and will try, as it were, to step out of the spotlight--for such predators are themselves prey. They'd rather slink around in the dark than be seen. So they flee the scene.
Finally, bioluminescent jellyfish utilize their lighting up to communicate with other jellyfish. It is interesting to note that jellyfish are eyeless. Thus, the light is entirely functional--not recreational. But I take that's a given.
Now for the process of biolumination: luciferinase oxidizes luciferin, with a bluish photoprotein being the result. In 1961, however, the GFP, or green florescent protein was discovered in the jellyfish aequorea victoria, native to the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America. According to an article published by the University of Washington, this GFP has been cloned and extensively studied in labs since its discovery fifty years ago.
In fact, we forgot to mention the fifth function of bioluminescense in jellyfish: beauty for human consumption. Enjoy the video:
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Cookie Cutter Sharks of the "Deep Sea"
The Cookiecutter has huge eyes, which it uses to spot unsuspecting prey. It then gets sneaky, slowly closing in on the luscious meal. When nearby, the Cookiecutter turns on the fire. Photophores abound on the shark’s body, particularly on its underside. This creates for counter-shading, making our dude more or less invisible to fish below. However, the Cookiemonster takes it one step further. On a special favor from Dios, he has no photophores in between his gills on his throat. This dark spot baffles “upward-looking pelagic predators” (www.elasmo-research.org), making them think the Cookiecutter is a small fish aka brunch. Boom---before you know it, the Cookiemonster busts out his “short, broad caudal fin that is ideal for rapid bursts of acceleration over short distances” (www.elasmo-research.org) and the diner has become dinner!
So what do these guys eat? Mad stuff---squid, mesopelagic teleost fish, crustaceans, pelagic teleosts, cetaceans, other sharks (a bit cannibalistic), and even humans on the rare occasion (he is not picky at all). The Cookiecutter is defined as a parasite because it eats its prey one small bite at a time---and it has pretty much dabbled in every available food the ocean has to offer. Now, how do they eat? Funny you should ask, because it’s pretty strange. Using its “unique suctorial lips that glom onto and help create a good seal against the body surface of its prey,” he chomps on “neatly sliced out circular plugs of flesh” (www.elasmo-research.org). Good day!
Sea Flight
Graham Hawkes is and underwater engineer/inventor who has been responsible for a significant amount of deep water vehicles, including more than three hundred remote ones. Hawkes currently holds the deepest solo dive (3000 ft) which he achieved while test driving his deep rover submersible. He has successfully founded and managed six technology companies. Hawkes Ocean Technology (HOT) is responsible for building deep flight winged submersibles and other vehicles for deep exploration. In 1987, Hawkes was named an Associate Laureate for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and in 1996 and 1997, and he was nominated for Engineer of the Year by Design News. He is also the founder of the Deep Sea Discovery program (DSD), a marine company responsible for discovering over 350 shipwrecks. Deep sea is not the only thing he is responsible for. He also creates remote control vehicles for the army. Hawkes is considered to be the leader in his field. (http://www.deepflight.com/team/gshbio-autodesk.pdf)
On April 5th, 2011, Hawkes Ocean Technologies announced that their prototype DeepFlight Challenger is being prepped for a monumental dive: 36,000 feet down into the Mariana trench. To attempt a dive to such novel depths will further test the effectiveness of HOT’s positive buoyancy/underwater “flight” model. The prototype was made in collaboration with the late explorer Steve Fossett, under his determination to push the absolute limits of deep sea exploration. The DeepFlight Super Falcon, which is the submersible that will be manned in expeditions happening concurrently to the Mariana Trench dive, was a further advance after Fossett’s death. The Super Falcon is positively buoyant, allowing a foolproof return to the surface, and is commended for its green operation—besides its lowest light and fuel emissions, it requires no environmentally costly lead ballast.
Unlike conventional research submersibles, HOT’s submersibles are sold commercially—albeit expensively—to a wider circle that just the scientific community. Notably, venture capitalist Tom Perkins is the first owner of a Super Falcon, and plans to launch a multi-year exploration and sighting of large “ocean animals”.
In Jordan, where HOT plans to launch its own expedition, it already runs a VIP program for deep sea exploration, selling passes to be taken down in a Super Falcon to experience the deep sea for themselves. (http://www.deepflight.com/pressrelease4-5%202011.pdf)
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fscic6YsQDk
On April 5th, 2011, Hawkes Ocean Technologies announced that their prototype DeepFlight Challenger is being prepped for a monumental dive: 36,000 feet down into the Mariana trench. To attempt a dive to such novel depths will further test the effectiveness of HOT’s positive buoyancy/underwater “flight” model. The prototype was made in collaboration with the late explorer Steve Fossett, under his determination to push the absolute limits of deep sea exploration. The DeepFlight Super Falcon, which is the submersible that will be manned in expeditions happening concurrently to the Mariana Trench dive, was a further advance after Fossett’s death. The Super Falcon is positively buoyant, allowing a foolproof return to the surface, and is commended for its green operation—besides its lowest light and fuel emissions, it requires no environmentally costly lead ballast.
Unlike conventional research submersibles, HOT’s submersibles are sold commercially—albeit expensively—to a wider circle that just the scientific community. Notably, venture capitalist Tom Perkins is the first owner of a Super Falcon, and plans to launch a multi-year exploration and sighting of large “ocean animals”.
In Jordan, where HOT plans to launch its own expedition, it already runs a VIP program for deep sea exploration, selling passes to be taken down in a Super Falcon to experience the deep sea for themselves. (http://www.deepflight.com/pressrelease4-5%202011.pdf)
video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fscic6YsQDk
Monday, April 11, 2011
Deep-Sea Sharks
Deep Sea Sharks are sharks that thrive on the ocean floor. Deep-sea sharks are very flabby, slow moving fish that can only muster small bursts of speed. The deep sea shark that is spotted in this video is a Six Gill shark or Hexanchus Griseus. The Six Gilled Shark appears mostly in depths between 1,500 and 6,000 feet in tropical refions of the world. These sharks can appear to have a brown or gray body color and can grow to be anywhere from 12 to 18 feet. The Hexanchus Griseus is a powerful shark has only one dorsal fin unlike most sharks who have a large dorsal fin on their backs. The Six Gill Shark feed on cephalopods, crustaceans, fish, and rays. At night they migrate up to shallower waters to feed. Deep-sea sharks are very solitary creatures so the nature of the reproductive rituals are still being researched. It can be assumed, however, that deep-sea sharks suck as the Six Gilled Shark meet mates seasonally by moving to warmer and shallower waters.
Frilled Sharks are prehistoric looking sharks that can be found in waters between 165 and 4,200 feet deep, and grow to be a maximum length of just over 6 feet. Scientists that Frilled Sharks may be responsible for reported “sea serpent” sightings because of their eel like appearance. Most Frilled Sharks are found in Japanese waters. Research shows that although 61% of a Frilled Sharks diet is made up of cephalopods, about 11% of their diet is made up of a variety of fast moving teleost fish. Most of what we know about their dieting is based off of examining stomach contents and other research. Nobody is known to have witnessed a Frilled Shark actually eat. Frilled Sharks breed all year long and an average litter consists of 6 pups. (1) Little information is known about Frilled Sharks, and a lot still needs to be researched and discovered.
Frilled Sharks are prehistoric looking sharks that can be found in waters between 165 and 4,200 feet deep, and grow to be a maximum length of just over 6 feet. Scientists that Frilled Sharks may be responsible for reported “sea serpent” sightings because of their eel like appearance. Most Frilled Sharks are found in Japanese waters. Research shows that although 61% of a Frilled Sharks diet is made up of cephalopods, about 11% of their diet is made up of a variety of fast moving teleost fish. Most of what we know about their dieting is based off of examining stomach contents and other research. Nobody is known to have witnessed a Frilled Shark actually eat. Frilled Sharks breed all year long and an average litter consists of 6 pups. (1) Little information is known about Frilled Sharks, and a lot still needs to be researched and discovered.
1. "Deep Sea: Frilled Shark." ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research Home. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. .
Bioluminescence: The magical light
Bioluminescence is the chemical process of organisms converting luciferin into light. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) Luciferin is converted into an inert compound known as oxyluciferin and light in a catalytic reaction in the presence of oxygen. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) The photophores of the marine organisms use the catalase luciferianse to convert luciferin into light. In marine animals, bioluminescence is typically expressed in blue to green light wavelengths as these wavelengths are the easiest to travel in water and most marine animals can recognize blue light. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) While bioluminescence is certainly a beautiful process to witness (as seen in the uploaded video), this procedure has practical purposes for the marine species that utilize bioluminescence. In the video taken from the National Geographic, it discusses how dinoflagellates use bioluminescence as an indirect form of defense. When dinoflagellates are threatened by their chief predator, shrimp, the plankton then illuminate and signal to the shrimp’s primary predator, the cuttlefish, the shrimp is present. The use of bioluminescence amongst the dinoflagellates is merely one facet of bioluminescence. Marine biologists have identified a variety of reasons why certain organisms have attained this adaptation. Some creatures use bioluminescence as a form of communication during mating season by flashing light in the dark ocean to alert potential mates. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100506-bioluminescence-sea-life-embed-video/) Instead of utilizing bioluminescence in quick flashes, some animals, like the anglerfish, illuminate constantly to lure prey via a recognizable blue light. While our knowledge of deep sea creatures is limited due to the many complications and technicalities of studying organisms at that depth, we are lucky to see bioluminescence occur at more shallow depths and allow us to gain insight into the deep sea.
Another video for your enjoyment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCNjXaMPZxw
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Creatures: Are they real?...
In the late 1970's, during a routine study of the Pacific Ocean floor, scientists discovered a landscape of chimneys expelling what seemed to be a strange black smoke. These alien like chimneys were in fact hydrothermal vents 8000 feet below the surface of the ocean.* In geologically active areas along the ocean floor, sea water seeps through fissures in the earth's crust to be heated by magma to astonishing temperatures as high as 360 degrees K. As the hot steam shoots up through the fissures, it strips minerals off the rocks surrounding it, feeding a special type of bacteria that processes these "noxious fumes" as nutrients using chemosynthesis.* The bacteria provide the basis for a nutrient rich ecosystem devoid of sunlight, a concept long believed to be impossible. Creatures such as giant tubeworms, deep sea Pompeii worms, hydrothermal vent crabs, hydrothermal vent squat lobsters, and even hydrothermal vent octopi thrive beside the deep sea hydrothermal vents. The hydrothermal vent ecosystem operates similarly to any other food chain, except that the bacteria do not use photosynthesis in order to produce energy. This discovery is integral as it sheds light unto the fact that life can in fact be sustained on earth without the sun.
The colorful array of organisms that thrive at hydrothermal vents prosper in an area teeming with hydrogen sulfide, a chemical that is toxic to most living creatures. While many of the organisms that inhabit hydrothermal vents filter feed, the giant tube worm (Riftia pachyptila) has developed a system unique to the harsh environment it inhabits. These worms lack mouths and digestive tracts, relying instead on an organ called a trophosome.** The trophosome is home to the bacteria that process hydrogen sulfide, and these bacteria undergo chemosynthesis within the body of the tube worm, giving a majority of the produced nutrients to the worm. However, this is not just a one way relationship. The giant tube worm also has specialized gills that exchange hydrogen sulfide (in addition to carbon dioxide and oxygen) and enable the worm to be protected from the harmful effects of the chemical, as well as pass it along to the bacteria waiting eagerly inside.** Relying on chemosynthesis as opposed to photosynthesis is what keeps this ecosystem alive, allowing hundreds of different organisms and communities to flourish in such a lethal environment.
*1. "Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents," Sea and Sky, accessed April 10, 2011, http://www.seasky.org/
deep-sea/hydrothermal-vents.html.
**2. Castro, Peter, and Michael E. Huber. "The Ocean Depths" Marine Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. Print.
Photo: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/chess/education/edu_htv.php
Friday, April 8, 2011
Deep Sea Obsessions
The deep sea is the seat of the soul-- in which many a dead sailor has expired, has breathed his last salty breath, the foam of the crusty Earth coagulated in his throat, the shadow of his last "hurrah" etched still on his flaky and peeling skin.
release the Krakken!
Davy Jones' Locker into the Abyssal Zone!
release the Krakken!
Davy Jones' Locker into the Abyssal Zone!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Dolphin Research Center News
Merina and Her Calf, November 2010:
Tursi and Her Calf, 201o:
Jax: A Survivor's Tale:
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Peter Tyack: The intriguing sound of marine mammals | Video on TED.com
Peter Tyack: The intriguing sound of marine mammals |
Peter Tyack, a senior scientist in biology at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has always been intrigued by animal behavior. A class at Woods Hole while still in college led Peter down his current path of research on acoustic communication and social behavior in marine mammals.
He has studied the songs of humpback whales, the signature whistles of dolphins and the echolocation pulses of sperm whales and dolphins. Tyack has pioneered several new methods to sample the behavior of these mammals, including the development of sound-and-orientation recording tags.
As a result of his work recording the sounds of whales, Tyack is concerned that the ubiquitous noises from human activity in the ocean -- sonar, oil rigs, motorboats, shipping traffic -- are disturbing marine mammals.
Peter Tyack, a senior scientist in biology at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has always been intrigued by animal behavior. A class at Woods Hole while still in college led Peter down his current path of research on acoustic communication and social behavior in marine mammals.
He has studied the songs of humpback whales, the signature whistles of dolphins and the echolocation pulses of sperm whales and dolphins. Tyack has pioneered several new methods to sample the behavior of these mammals, including the development of sound-and-orientation recording tags.
As a result of his work recording the sounds of whales, Tyack is concerned that the ubiquitous noises from human activity in the ocean -- sonar, oil rigs, motorboats, shipping traffic -- are disturbing marine mammals.
Dan Barber: Sustainable Fish II & Palumbi's "Mercury Trail"!
Dan Barber: How I fell in love with a fish
Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.
Stephen Palumbi: Following the Mercury Trail:
There's a tight and surprising link between the ocean's health and ours, says marine biologist Stephen Palumbi. He shows how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies, with a shocking story of toxic contamination from a Japanese fish market. His work points a way forward for saving the oceans' health -- and humanity's.
Stephen Palumbi teaches and does research in evolution and marine biology at Stanford University, and has long been fascinated by how quickly the world around us changes. His work on the genetics of marine organisms tries to focus on basic evolutionary questions but also on practical solutions to questions about how to preserve and protect the diverse life in the sea. DNA data on the genetics of marine populations like corals helps in the design and implementation of marine protected areas for conservation and fisheries enhancement. A second focus is on the use of molecular genetic techniques for the elucidation of past population sizes and dynamics of baleen whales, with the notion of recreating a better sense of the ecology of the virgin ocean.
Palumbi has lectured extensively on human-induced evolutionary change, has used genetic detective work to identify whales for sale in retail markets, and is working on new methods to help design marine parks for conservation. His first book for non-scientists, The Evolution Explosion, documents the impact of humans on evolution. The next one, due out by Island Press in 2010, is an unusual environmental success story called Monterey Bay Reborn. He also helped write and research and appears in the BBC series The Future Is Wild and the History Channel's World Without People. Other recent films appearances include The End of the Line and an upcoming Canadian Broadcasting series One Ocean.
Palumbi's other passion: microdocumentaries. His Short Attention Span Science Theater site received a million hits last year. And his band Sustainable Soul has several songs out, including "Crab Love" and "The Last Fish Left."
Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.
Stephen Palumbi: Following the Mercury Trail:
There's a tight and surprising link between the ocean's health and ours, says marine biologist Stephen Palumbi. He shows how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies, with a shocking story of toxic contamination from a Japanese fish market. His work points a way forward for saving the oceans' health -- and humanity's.
Stephen Palumbi teaches and does research in evolution and marine biology at Stanford University, and has long been fascinated by how quickly the world around us changes. His work on the genetics of marine organisms tries to focus on basic evolutionary questions but also on practical solutions to questions about how to preserve and protect the diverse life in the sea. DNA data on the genetics of marine populations like corals helps in the design and implementation of marine protected areas for conservation and fisheries enhancement. A second focus is on the use of molecular genetic techniques for the elucidation of past population sizes and dynamics of baleen whales, with the notion of recreating a better sense of the ecology of the virgin ocean.
Palumbi has lectured extensively on human-induced evolutionary change, has used genetic detective work to identify whales for sale in retail markets, and is working on new methods to help design marine parks for conservation. His first book for non-scientists, The Evolution Explosion, documents the impact of humans on evolution. The next one, due out by Island Press in 2010, is an unusual environmental success story called Monterey Bay Reborn. He also helped write and research and appears in the BBC series The Future Is Wild and the History Channel's World Without People. Other recent films appearances include The End of the Line and an upcoming Canadian Broadcasting series One Ocean.
Palumbi's other passion: microdocumentaries. His Short Attention Span Science Theater site received a million hits last year. And his band Sustainable Soul has several songs out, including "Crab Love" and "The Last Fish Left."
Reviving New York's Rivers with Oysters! & Sustainable Seafood!
Reviving New York's rivers -- with oysters! Video on TED.com
Architect Kate Orff sees the oyster as an agent of urban change. Bundled into beds and sunk into city rivers, oysters slurp up pollution and make legendarily dirty waters clean -- thus driving even more innovation in "oyster-tecture." Orff shares her vision for an urban landscape that links nature and humanity for mutual benefit.
Barton Seaver: Sustainable Seafood? Let's Get Smart:
Chef Barton Seaver presents a modern dilemma: Seafood is one of our healthier protein options, but overfishing is desperately harming our oceans. He suggests a simple way to keep fish on the dinner table that includes every mom's favorite adage -- "Eat your vegetables!"
Architect Kate Orff sees the oyster as an agent of urban change. Bundled into beds and sunk into city rivers, oysters slurp up pollution and make legendarily dirty waters clean -- thus driving even more innovation in "oyster-tecture." Orff shares her vision for an urban landscape that links nature and humanity for mutual benefit.
Barton Seaver: Sustainable Seafood? Let's Get Smart:
Chef Barton Seaver presents a modern dilemma: Seafood is one of our healthier protein options, but overfishing is desperately harming our oceans. He suggests a simple way to keep fish on the dinner table that includes every mom's favorite adage -- "Eat your vegetables!"