Introduction to Sex Week

This is the official introduction to Sex Week at DSN.  We here at DSN never shy away from writing about sex. Through reproduction, fitness is realized as progeny populate the landscape.   Thus reproduction can be considered the backbone of evolution as traits are selected for and against, or perhaps not at all.  Reproductive methods, the ways organisms combine genetic material and send offspring into the world, reaches unfathomable levels of sophistication, complexity, and diversity.  This week, we are very excited to introduce several experts in reproduction and reproductive ecology discussing their favorite topics: sponge clouds, barnacle penises, triggers of sex at vents, mussel love, sex when you have more than 4 arms, and much more.  It will be a very entertaining week, and more importantly you will learn something.  We will be tongue-and-check (what would you expect from DSN??), but take note we take sex very seriously.  The nature of reproduction, both sexual and asexual, dictates evolutionary processes and at its core controls the biodiversity of life on earth by isolating populations.  If you want to understand life around you, you need to understand sex.

One may ask how we decided upon a Sex Theme Week.  We were bolstered by negative comments from readers, in particular grade school teachers, suggesting that the discussion of sex was inappropriate, we shouldn’t write about it or joke about it.

While reviewing [removed for anonymity] project material for K-12 educational suitability and scientific merit for classroom applicability, we came upon this site…It therefore came as quite a surprise to find this site and its owners putting forth such material as sophomoric animal “penis fight” blog posts. Ones not promulgated for scientific nor educational value, but rather it seems the publishers/researchers tied to this site have simply attempted to use the guise of scientific news in order to simply gratuitously post junior high mentality level amateurish ‘news’ of minuscule scientific merit as a lead in to post low-level sexually oriented material. Noting that the post does not focus on the bioscientific aspects, but instead the particular author Dr. M (of questionable merit) has instead chosen to drum up juvenile ‘facts’ such as counting the number of times Penis is said. And seeding the site with tags such as ‘penis’, ’sex’, ‘love’, ‘mate’, and ’sperm’. And the sum total scientific analysis from this group of individuals, such as this “Dr M” as well as one K. Zelnio, purporting to report on “News” regarding the deep sea, consists of a single comment regarding the word penis coming out “Dr. M’s” computer speakers.  This brings into question the merit of the ‘researchers’ at this location. And quality level of any scientific soundness of material being put out by project members of “Deep Sea news”….Must say, it was quite surprising to find this level of sophomoric gratuitousness and sub-standard research being put out here, by those listed as being amongst the team of “Deep Sea News”. DSN needs to be apprised. Very disappointing site, and disreputable pseudo quality work.

Well indeed!  The post contained a video of penis fencing in flatworms.  That is the actual scientific term for the act and it is an interesting behavior.  The video, from the amazing Shape of Life series that ran on PBS, was well done and I simply cautioned readers that the video may not be safe for work due the repetitive use of the word penis.  Of course, I, Dr. M, in all of my questionable merit, will be again doing a post on penis fencing this week, another on sequential hermaphrodites, and the odd sexual practices of very tiny organisms. Kevin will be sharing the anatomy of some of his limpet friends, exposing gonad form anemones and God knows what else!
Here at DSN we joke about everything, and reproduction is no exception. Of course, we are also not very likely to adhere to a prudish concept of an act that a majority of the population participates in because a few have misinterepreted a religious text.  Come on, has anybody ever read the Song of Solomon? In the Old Testament (where all the good stuff happens) is poem about a man and woman that moves from courtship to consummation, interpreted by some as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel as husband and wife.  From Chapter 7…

How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. Thy two breasts are like two young roses that are twins…How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

Good stuff indeed. And keep in mind a world without sex is a very lonely place.

Note added by “one K. Zelnio”: Are we protecting our kids by not discussing the wonderful of sex in our fascinating biological world? As craig pontificates above, reproduction is the key to understanding the diversity of the world around us. I was distraught by a comment left by Jan Whitehead on our Turtle Week posts a month back:

Sure glad I make a habit of checking out a website before using it with my students! Several of my elementary school classes have been cheering on turtles in the Great Turtle Race. I followed the link to this site to read about Cali’s success in the Ironman (Ironturtle?)competition and in bold print at the top of the page I find “SEX WEEK MAY 17TH – 23RD”. While I’m fully aware that deep sea sex does not fall within the bounds of pornography, I sure don’t want to have to explain that to the second graders !!

While, as a parent, I can deeply understand the need to protect our children from pornography. There are certainly many helpful online tools and software that can monitor the browsings of the youth of america. But does the word “sex” connotate a sense of filth in our society’s undertone? Is our collective prudishness protecting of preventing children from understanding a basic concept in the organismal world? I hope not. Children will laugh and giggle if a teacher says penis. They will also chuckle and make silly jokes if they see a barnacle penis and learn how sea stars “do it”, but they learn something too. Heaven forbid we have fun and make fun of what we learn! I challenge educators and parents this week to read our posts and use them as an opportunity to discuss how important reproduction is to the animal kingdom. Bring up the bigger questions. Every animal does it in their own way, whether sexual or asexual, with the ultimate goal to secure their lineage.

With this is mind, uncork the Champagne and welcome to Sex Week as Deep Sea News!

Sincerely Dr. Craig R. McClain, aka Dr. M., and Kevin Zelnio