Posts

January 02, 2013

+

12:01 PM | Moltings

Venn diagram showing what I imagine are the intersections of imphibious.com.Hello. You came upon me in an awkward moment of ecdysis as I swell into this new skin. So far I am finding this Squarespace shell to be surprisingly uncomfortable. I hope it will eventually serve as a surface for my new media exegeses about science, education, technology and the oceans. You might even see the reemergence of the fabled Cephalopodcast here. In the mean time, please pardon my ungainliness, don't […]

+

1:01 AM | These Are a Few of My Favorite Posts

I hate the barrage of the annual “best of” posts recapping everything from the last year that always besets us in late December and early January. Yet here I am on the first day of year, all nostalgic, reading through the archives of DSN. Below are my DSN favorites from last year My top five . . . → Read More: These Are a Few of My Favorite Posts

January 01, 2013

+

9:26 PM | Mystery Sheen Near Deep Water Horizon Site

Oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico, as seen on Sept. 21, 2012. (NOAA photo) In September an oil sheen about four miles long had appeared in the Gulf of Mexico near the Deep Water Horizon well site. The sheen was originally spotted on a satellite image from BP. That oil from the sheen matches . . . → Read More: Mystery Sheen Near Deep Water Horizon Site

+

9:03 PM | Grumpy Octopus Coffee Cup Cozy

Who wants to crochet these for us in DSN giant squid red? Grumpy Octopus Coffee Cup Cozy via Neatorama.

+

9:01 PM | True Facts and a Haiku About the Angler Fish

Love this video about angler fish. Just the right amount of laughter and science this new ear needs! Of course our favorite at DSN is the Black Devil or Humpback Anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii, Class Actinopterygii, Order Lophiiformes, Family Melanocetidae) the vertebrate poster child for deep-sea science. And what’s not to love? The size of a . . . → Read More: True Facts and a Haiku About the Angler Fish

+

12:01 PM | Augreal

2010-09-19The near future. Bivens walks into a coffee shop. The barista almost has his order ready for him before he makes it to the counter. He preselected the usual drink in his coffeeapp preferences. He doesn't need cash or a card, his purchase is wirelessly deducted before he even gets near the thing. All he has to do is approve the purchase on his mobile device and then it’s waiting for him. However, his balance is running low, something he will need to correct manually soon. The […]

+

6:57 AM | 2012 in review, thanks for making it a great year!

Thanks for helping make 2012 a fantastic year, by reading, commenting and generally being involved! I used to wonder sometimes, as a journalist at small community newspapers, whether anyone really cared or read what I wrote. Blogging seems to take more of the guesswork out of it: if they like it, then they’ll ‘like’ it! [...]

December 31, 2012

+

4:08 PM | How Seals are Affected By Climate Change

Ah, polar bears get all the attention because of the ice caps melting due to global warming, but there wouldn’t be any polar bears if us ice seals weren’t around to feed them! Not that I want to be polar bear lunch anytime soon, but I hope us ringed seals will get more attention soon. [...]

December 29, 2012

+

11:18 PM | Perfect weather for lobster and abalone fishing – another reason I love south-west Victoria

Over the Christmas/New Years break, crowds of Melbourne, interstate and overseas visitors have been flocking to the small towns along the Great Ocean Road to get some (hopefully) sun, sand and surf and relaxation time. While the sun hasn’t been playing fair that much and surfers will have been disappointed, snorkeling and scuba dive conditions [...]

December 27, 2012

+

4:35 PM | Undersea jewelry (and sparkling diamonds) from Tiffany & Co.

If any readers out there want to spoil the ladies of DSN with some diamonds, we will gladly accept any of these lovely pieces from Tiffany & Co. (my favourite shop, of course). I just stumbled upon this fabulous collection designed by Jean Schlumberger, who presents a delicious array of jeweled ocean creatures. For a . . . → Read More: Undersea jewelry (and sparkling diamonds) from Tiffany & Co.

December 26, 2012

+

11:38 PM | Pilgrim

Some nights while still somnolent, I wake up enough to tap out a couple of words from a book I am writing in my sleep. Here is one such bit of dream-writing.He had a headache. It was a bad one. He felt it coming on an hour ago just before the engine stopped. Now the sun was pounding down on him relentlessly. It wouldn’t matter if the girl showed up now. He was too far away to make it to their rendezvous in time. He crouched down in the meager shade offered by the side of his car and […]

+

4:18 PM | Right Whale Mother Adopts Orphaned Calf in Addition to Her Own Calf

There is no sorrow greater than a mother’s when she has lost her babe. In my case, a calf. I am a Southern right whale, and I live off the Western Cape of South Africa. Recently I adopted a still nursing orphaned calf. This was in addition to my own calf, who is also still [...]

+

10:27 AM | If only fish had breasts

I’m no expert on vertebrates but I do remember somewhere in my undergraduate learning that a distinguishing feature of mammals was the mammary glands. Those o’ so important glands that provide nourishment to offspring. But what does an animal do if it doesn’t have access to milk producing glands. In snails, which I know better, . . . → Read More: If only fish had breasts

December 25, 2012

+

5:00 AM | One Fish, Two Fish: Estimating Undiscovered Species

My father once told me that the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who believe that the world is divided into two kinds of people and those who don’t. Wherever you come down on this particular issue, it’s clear that there is a common—if not always healthy—human impulse to classify objects into groups. In biology, this falls to taxonomists, whose job it is to classify living (and once-living) organisms into species, species into genera, genera into families, and so on. They […]

December 24, 2012

+

7:24 PM | By trying to look sexier you may be ruining sex for corals.

This image shows female Antillogorgia elisabethae with newly released eggs and developing planulae larvae. (Credit: Howard Lasker) You might be surprised to learn that an ingredient in some skin crèmes is coral, or more accurately coral extract. More specifically, Pseudopterosin A is a topical anti-inflammatory agent derived from the sea whip Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and often . . . → Read More: By trying to look sexier you may be ruining sex for corals.

+

5:57 PM | The Nautical Roots of Popular Tattoos

Collectors Weekly has a nice write up about origins of tattoos among sailors. Body art was particularly well-suited to the transient and dangerous nature of life at sea. “These sailors were traveling the world, and wanted to bring back souvenirs from places they had visited,” explains Eldridge. “Aboard a ship, you don’t have much . . . → Read More: The Nautical Roots of Popular Tattoos

December 22, 2012

+

12:10 AM | Twelve days of Christmas – The Physical Oceanography Edition

What can I say, I was inspired by the Marine Biology edition! Psst. Click on the photos to learn more about each phenomena. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a profile from a CTD. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 2 Niños and . . . → Read More: Twelve days of Christmas – The Physical Oceanography Edition

December 20, 2012

+

11:04 PM | New expedition: Stunning cinematography from Rutgers Antarctic Quest

I was pretty excited when I learned about Rutger’s expedition to Antarctica. But I am now STOKED after watching their teaser trailer. A beautiful video about science in Antarctica, the wide variety of tools they are using and why it is important. Seriously, can I come along too? I’ll tag penguins any day. Follow along . . . → Read More: New expedition: Stunning cinematography from Rutgers Antarctic Quest

+

4:08 PM | 10 Cool Facts About Jellyfish

1. A jellyfish is not a fish at all, it is an invertebrate (animal without a backbone). 2. Invertebrates make up 95% of all animals on earth. 3. A jelly is made up of approximately 95% water. 4. A jelly does not have a brain, eyes, bones, teeth, or blood. 5. A jelly reproduces by [...]

+

8:16 AM | ‘Twas the night before Christmas (phytoplankton edition)

Follow @D_Aldridge A reworked (some would say ‘improved’) version of Clement Clarke Moore’s classic Christmas poem: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the ‘photic zone, Few creatures were stirring, most plankton were all alone; The water was mixed, with … Continue reading →

+

5:00 AM | One Fish, Two Fish: Estimating Undiscovered Species

My father once told me that the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who believe that the world is divided into two kinds of people and those who don’t. Wherever you come down on this particular issue, it’s clear that there is a common—if not always healthy—human impulse to classify objects into groups. In biology, this falls to taxonomists, whose job it is to classify living (and once-living) organisms into species, species into genera, genera into families, and so on. They […]

+

2:34 AM | The twelve days of Christmas – a marine biological edition

On the first day of Christmas, My true love gave to me: My own private ROV On the second day of Christmas, My true love gave to me: Two turtles love, and My own private ROV On the third day of Christmas, My true love gave to me: Three sea pens Two turtles love, . . . → Read More: The twelve days of Christmas – a marine biological edition

December 19, 2012

+

4:54 PM | Today's mission: glider data management

Three members of the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), Justin Buck, Mark Hebden and Lise Quesnel, have just returned from a scientific mission where they worked with colleagues to formalise protocols for glider data management across Europe. A Slocum glider starting its mission. © Gliders provide a relatively low cost method for acquiring data remotely. They perform missions to traverse oceanographic areas of interest collecting data as they go. In recent years, the technology […]

+

12:00 PM | Execute order 66

In the third or, um, sixth Star Wars movie, Emperor Palpatine finally reveals himself as the evil Sith lord Darth Sidious when he orders the assassination of every Jedi in the Galaxy by clone soliders (who either later or earlier become the infamous storm troopers of the first or, er, fourth episode). This edict is . . . → Read More: Execute order 66

+

12:34 AM | How krill affects fish, seal and whale populations

I wrote a while back about krill oil becoming a hotly-publicised superfood; an article that is still my most-read piece and was my entry for a New Scientist annual student writing awards program (it missed the cut, though the editor loved the headline!) This hand-drawn short film is a great view on the importance of krill, targeted [...]

December 18, 2012

+

6:51 PM | Notes from the field: Observing the ocean from dry land

The HF radar transmit tower watches over the frozen Chukchi Sea at Point Lay. We mark ‘em with bright orange reflective tape so snowmobilers don’t hit them. I apologize, as this post is a little belated. I have been back from a trip to take down a seasonal HF Radar array on the North . . . → Read More: Notes from the field: Observing the ocean from dry land

+

6:34 PM | Can Beasts of the Deep Survive the Impact of Drilling for Oil?

This is Guest Post from Dr. Daniel Jones a deep-sea biologist with the National Oceanography Centre in the United Kingdom and Project Coordinator for SERPENT (described below). Dan research focuses on how organisms in the deep sea are impacted by both natural and human disturbances. Drilling for oil is far from rare, even in deep . . . → Read More: Can Beasts of the Deep Survive the Impact of Drilling for Oil?

+

10:40 AM | The unusual diet of deep-sea fish

In January 2004, Mathew Jones was processing the bycatch from New Zealand lobster stock assessment. Six fish including a silverside, Bollons’ rattail, jock stewart, dark ghost shark, javelin fish, and a oliver’s rattail yielded a shocking surprise. The finding was all the more fascinating given that these fish were all taken from deep sea . . . → Read More: The unusual diet of deep-sea fish

December 16, 2012

+

11:14 PM | Giant Squid on Video?!

If you haven’t already heard, Discovery Channel announced that they have captured Architeuthis dux, aka the Giant Squid on video. The giant squid has been captured on video in its natural habitat for the first time ever. This long-sought after footage — considered by many to be the Holy Grail of natural history filmmaking — . . . → Read More: Giant Squid on Video?!

December 14, 2012

+

6:25 AM | In Memoriam: Devendra Lal (1929-2012)

Devendra Lal at La Jolla (source)On December 1st, 2012, Devendra Lal, a pivotal geophysicist of the 20th century, passed away after eighty three long journeys around the sun. Born in Varanasi in 1929, Lal obtained his BSc (1947) and MSc (1949) at Banaras Hindu University. In late 1949 (bear in mind, two years after India gained independence), he joined the cosmic ray research group at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), a part of Bombay University to pursue his […]