EartherConservation

Scientists Are Racing to Save These Sea Stars From Extinction

Since 2013, a disease exacerbated by overheating oceans has been decimating sea star populations, especially those of one particularly striking variety: sunflower sea stars. Over the course of three years, the illness killed off nearly 91% of the sunflower species’ global population. Now, scientists are fighting to restore the beautiful creatures before it’s too late. … Continued

EartherClimate Change

The ‘Sea Snot’ Invasion Has Begun

The climate crisis is making Earth more dangerous with increasingly severe and frequent fires, storms, and droughts. It’s also making the world grosser. Case in point: It’s responsible for a sludgy substance spreading across waters in Turkey. Ew. The stuff, unofficially and disgustingly known as “sea snot,” was first recorded on the Sea of Marmara … Continued

Earther

Colorful Photos Reveal the Secrets of Australia’s Twilight Zone Coral Gardens

In the depths of the ocean off the northwest Australian coast lie vast, mysterious ecosystems. Until recently, they were completely undocumented by scientists. A team of researchers changed that in mid-April, though, after they boarded an oceanic research vessel known as the R/V Falkor. Equipped with advanced robotic technologies, the boat and its crew set … Continued

Earther

When Scientists Found a Sponge That Looked Like E.T., They Named It ‘Magnificent Alien’

A few years ago, scientists on the Okeanos Explorer came across a peculiar landscape while examining the deep ocean about 850 miles southwest of Hawai’i. There were a wide variety of sea sponges rising up on their stalks, their bodies turned to face the main current, which carried tiny food particles. The scene inspired one … Continued

Earther

Australian Robots Are Exploring the Deep Sea to Study Marine Snow

Where I live, it’s too warm out for a white Christmas. But in the deep ocean, it’s always snowing. I’m talking about marine snow, or flakes of biological debris like dirt, dead phytoplankton and algae, and even bits of fecal matter that shower down from higher waters. So festive! As off-putting as this snow may … Continued

Earther

New Blue Whale Population Discovered After Scientists Hear Unknown Song

Do you ever hear a new song and realize it’s unlike anything you’ve heard before? I felt that a few times this year, mostly with Phoebe Bridgers and Polo G. It happened to scientists recently, too. But it wasn’t a new singer or rapper they discovered; it’s a new population of whales. In a study published … Continued

ScienceBiology

Octopuses Like to Punch Fish, New Research Suggests

Upsetting but strangely satisfying new research documents octopuses punching fish during collaborative feeding sessions. The octopuses primarily do it for practical reasons, but sometimes these underwater jabs seem to be purely spiteful. We learned so many disturbing things this year, and we regretfully have to add another item to the list: Octopuses like to punch … Continued

ScienceBiology

Deepwater Sightings of Rare Bigfin Squid Reveal Some Serious Weirdness

An extensive survey of deep waters off the coast of Australia has resulted in a trove of bigfin squid sightings. And by trove, we mean the detection of five individuals—these deep-sea creatures are exceptionally rare, so any new observations are quite valuable to scientists. “Deep-sea cephalopods are highly diverse and widespread yet often shrouded in … Continued

EartherConservation

Today Is the Day

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. It’s the day I marked on my calendar months ago, the one that prompted me to buy my favorite snacks and a six-pack and to text my boneless friends that I love them. Maybe you commemorated the day early and will spend today in nervous … Continued

ScienceBiology

Researchers Finally Figured Out How Octopuses Taste With Their Arms

Octopuses, with their eight suction-cup-covered arms, can taste objects simply by touching them. A team of researchers has finally figured out how these cephalopods are capable of pulling off this remarkable trick. The octopus is a marvel of the biological world. They’re super smart, excellent problem solvers, and even a bit mischievous. These cephalopods have … Continued

Earther

Freakishly Tall Coral Reef Found Off the Coast of Australia

An isolated coral reef measuring 1,640 feet tall has been discovered off the coast of Australia. Known as a detached reef, the blade-like vertical structure could serve as habitat for a variety of undiscovered sea creatures. At 1,640 feet (500 meters), the gigantic detached reef stands taller than the 1,250-foot-tall (381-meter) Empire State Building. Researchers … Continued

ScienceBiology

Wounded Orcas Off Spanish Coast Could Be Attacking Boats in Retaliation

Scientists are struggling to explain why orcas swimming off the Iberian Peninsula have started to attack sailing vessels. New research suggests these animals were likely wounded during previous encounters with boats and may be acting vengefully. It’s 2020, so of course orcas are attacking boats. Since July, scientists have recorded 33 distinct interactions involving sailing … Continued

ScienceBiology

Record-Breaking Whale Stays Underwater for Mind-Bending 3 Hours and 42 Minutes

Marine biologists are astonished after a Cuvier’s beaked whale held its breath for nearly four hours during a deep dive. The unexpected observation shows there’s much to learn about these medium-sized whales. Scientists from Duke University and the Cascadia Research Collective recorded the unbelievable dive during field observations off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North … Continued

ScienceBiology

Several Fish Can Secretly Walk on Land, Study Suggests

A surprising number of hillstream loaches—a family of Asian fish—are capable of walking on land using all four limbs, according to a new study. It’s a discovery that could explain how some of the earliest animals managed to stroll on solid ground. South Asian hillstream loaches are a family of small fish that can often … Continued

Earther

Herbicide, Lead, and Other Poisons Found in Bodies of Stranded Dolphins and Whales

New research shows the startling degree to which stranded dolphins and whales found along the southeastern U.S. coast are contaminated with pollutants. BPA, DEP, NPE, atrazine, and triclosan—these are a few of our not-so-favorite things, and as new research published in Frontiers in Marine Sciences shows, these human-created toxins are appearing at high levels among … Continued

ScienceBiology

Whale Sharks Have Eyeballs Covered in Tiny Teeth

Marine biologists from Japan say whale sharks have eyeballs coated in tiny teeth, in a discovery unique to this hulking but gentle aquatic species. Eye teeth are typically used to describe our upper canines, but new research published in PLOS One describes eye teeth of a literal sort. Marine biologists from Japan’s Okinawa Churashima Research … Continued

ScienceBiology

Scientists Record Rarely Heard Sounds Made by Narwhals

Marine biologists, with help from Inuit whalers, have assembled an unprecedented collection of narwhal vocalizations, offering fresh insights into the behaviors of these near-mythical creatures. Narwhals, the so-called unicorns of the sea, are notoriously difficult to study owing to their skittish nature and uncongenial habitats. Normally, narwhals are found deep below the Arctic Ocean surface, … Continued

ScienceBiology

Incredible Video Shows a Humpback Whale Mother Nursing Her Calf

Nursing is a rather straightforward process for most terrestrial mammals, but the same cannot be said for humpback whales, in which a swimming mother and calf have to carefully coordinate their movements. Unprecedented video taken off the coast of Hawaii shows this delicate process in action. Marine biologists from the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) … Continued

Earther

Losing Charismatic Marine Species Could Lead to ‘Massive’ Ecosystem Collapse

A new study, published on Friday in Science, found that 18 percent of marine megafauna may go extinct within the next century if current trends continue. That includes charismatic ones like whales, sharks, sea turtles, polar bears, and emperor penguins. But it’s not just sad because many of those animals are icons. It’s also bad … Continued

ScienceBiology

Glowing Deep-Sea Squid Have a Complex Form of Communication, New Evidence Suggests

New research could finally explain how highly social deep-sea squid, with their glowing bodies and bioluminescent flashes, are able to coordinate their actions despite living in near-total blackness. Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) are top predators of the low-light pelagic zone, hunting fish and other marine animals at depths of over 450 meters (1,500 feet). Also … Continued