Nudibranchs, colloquially known as sea slugs, are some of the more eye-popping critters to grace the world’s oceans. Now scientists are welcoming 17 newly-named species to the carnival-colored lineage.
Sea turtle flippers might appear to be useful for swimming and... not much else. But it turns out at least some turtles them have figured out a way to use these appendages like an awkward pair of arms.
Food webs might seem clear to you—grass grows in the sun, cows eat the grass, you eat the cow, you play on the computer. But it doesn’t always work that way in the animal kingdom.
The ocean is full of mystery. It is also full of penises. And biologists have taken note. Some marine animals look especially phallic—to the point that no one’s even trying to hide the truth behind a veil of innuendo. By that I mean there are literally sea creatures whose scientific names have the word “penis” in them.
The wealth gap is growing. The predators continue to improve their craft, amassing wealth as they evolve to prey on the silent lower class. But the lowly workers continue to be exploited for the fruits of their labor. It’s a situation that’s only gotten worse over time. And scientists are only starting to truly…
Researchers working in the South Pacific have captured stunning footage of a deep-sea jellyfish that looks like a flying saucer with tentacles.
Marine biologists have discovered six new animal species in undersea hot springs nearly two miles deep in the southwest Indian Ocean—an area already slated for future seafloor mining.
Most of us, when we picture life beneath the sea, tend to focus our imaginations on the sights—shimmering schools of fish, predatory sharks, luminous reefs. We seem far less concerned with what it sounds like beneath the waves—which is why you may be surprised to learn that marine life has a lot to say.
Earlier this month, a three-crew submarine dove to Cook seamount, a 13,000-foot-tall extinct volcano off the coast of Hawaii that had never been visited by humans. They discovered dazzling geologic features and a rich array of marine life—including a rare and adorably dopey octopus, and some beautiful purple corals…
While freediving in their home of Byron Bay, Australia, photographer Tim Samuel and videographer Franny Plumridge stumbled on a rare sight: a fish stuck inside a jellyfish. The fish was apparently somewhat able to steer its new and permanent hat.
This sponge could fill a room in your home. The world’s largest, it was found in the depths of the seas near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
As a civilization we are blanketing our planet with plastic. One of the most frightening illustrations of this fact is a prediction that by 2050, our oceans will contain more plastic than fish. Amazingly, a smart solution for reducing our reliance on plastic, and protecting marine life, could come from those very…
Two reports out this week paint an alarming future for Earth’s oceans. The first one, published by the Wold Economic Forum, finds that by 2050, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight. The second, which appears in Nature Communications, reveals that our nets have raked in far more fish over the past…
Most of us have a vague, abstract concept of life beneath the sea. But a few men and women are dedicated to brining the secrets of the deep into the light of day. And as the 2015 Ocean Art photography contest shows, they’re doing a spectacular job of it.
One of the largest remaining chunks of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge is coming down tomorrow, as engineers continue to dismantle the aging piece of infrastructure. But how to protect the fish and other wildlife in the area as it gets taken down? By blowing bubbles.
In the Internet age, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ve seen it all. But while you’ve probably consumed a lifetime’s worth of cat videos, explosion gifs, and Hitler-vs-dinosaur action sequences at this point, the natural world’s still got plenty of surprises in store.
This very small (and adorable) shark is only the second of its kind ever discovered, and he’s showing scientists how much we still have to learn about life under the sea.
International whaling bans have been in effect since the early 1980s, but many populations have been slow to recover. Using the current International Whaling Commission database and other sources, a new study helps explain why. Basically, we killed a lot more whales than we realized.
Cruise ships are not the most environmentally friendly vacation destinations on the planet. In fact, according to the latest Cruise Ship Report Card by Friends of the Earth, they might be about the worst. These floating resorts dump over a billion gallons of sewage into the open ocean every year. In a sense, every…
Things may be better down where it's wetter, but when you plunge in the ocean depths, the marine life can get downright terrifying. In this video, The Little Mermaid's Sebastian the crab sings all about the often hideous and gargantuan creatures "Under the Deep Sea."
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