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| What We’re Reading |
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Many bizarre beasts live in our oceans: some have bling and some sink ships (like the shipworm, explained beautifully in this video). Recent days saw some additions to this list: a diver off the coast of Papua New Guinea came across an unusual-looking large jellyfish, which scientists think could be a species new to science; and in Japan’s Enoshima Aquarium, DNA analysis revealed a new species of isopod—large 14-legged crustaceans found in the dark realms of the ocean—that was hiding in plain sight. (Hakai Magazine, Bizarre Beasts, The Guardian, New Scientist)
In the voids of the oceans, relationships can be bizarre, too. Recently, a scientist observed a pod of sperm whales playing with a disfigured bottlenose dolphin, showing how little we know of whale societies and their interactions with other species. (Discover)
And things that get sunk into the seabed are no less bizarre—like this miniature armchair, carved out of a limestone block by a local artist, “sitting” in Nova Scotia’s St. Margarets Bay and attracting divers and wildlife. (CBC)
As exciting as the ocean may be, deep inside, it can also be toxic and turbulent. A new investigation by the US Environmental Protection Agency found a humongous amount—much larger quantities than previously known—of DDT waste and other chemicals was poured into the ocean off the Los Angeles coast decades ago. In Tonga, a massive undersea eruption in January, which not only shook the seafloor but also filled the atmosphere with water, could potentially damage the ozone layer and warm our already warming planet, say scientists. (Los Angeles Times, Science)
Florida’s sea turtles seem to be having a gender issue: high temperatures of the beach sand have meant that every turtle born on some of the beaches was female. (Reuters)
Did you catch our story on Sable Island’s horses? While it’s been controversial to change the status quo with the “intruders” there, Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean successfully eradicated all of its invasive rabbits—over 300,000 of them—a decade ago. Now, the island is reaping great ecological benefits. (Hakai Magazine, The Guardian)
Where would you fish if you were a small-scale fisher? For a long time, the answer was thought to be coral reefs. But, in reality, seagrass meadows are where the action is. A sizable majority of small-scale fisher households in the Indo-Pacific favor the seagrass meadows as their fishing sites because they are easy to access even without a boat and cause less damage to their nets. More reasons to save these undersea pastures. (Mongabay)
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