It’s not uterUS, it’s uterME
It’s not uterUS, it’s uterME avatar

Dear Abby, It’s just not fair. There I was, a freshly produced sand tiger shark embryo, developing nicely and making my way down the ovarian ducts to one horn of the uterus. I had blastulated like a boss, totally owned gastrulation and even did a half decent impersonation of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny. Things were looking . . . → Read More: It’s not uterUS, it’s uterME

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From coast to canvas: The art of biological illustration
From coast to canvas: The art of biological illustration avatar

plate.388_lobycrabalone

Source: A. Bachar They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” As cliche as it is, that phrase could not resonate more clearly for this visual learner than when I am flipping through a 10 lb. biology textbook full of thousands of words. I can read through pages and pages describing some ecological process . . . → Read More: From coast to canvas: The art of biological illustration

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10 Reasons Why Bone Eating Worms Are F’n Awesome
10 Reasons Why Bone Eating Worms Are F’n Awesome avatar

The deep-sea Osedax bone-devouring worms could easily have been the poster child for Deep-Sea News instead of the Giant Squid. Below is list of 10 reasons why Osedax are the shiznit. The chicas are freaky. All whalebone-eating, female worms have dwarf males, up to 114 in Osedax rubiplumus, fruiting around inside of their body. The . . . → Read More: 10 Reasons Why Bone Eating Worms Are F’n Awesome

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Wranglin’ the Mighty Mesograzer
Wranglin’ the Mighty Mesograzer avatar

Gammarus Mucronatus
Source: Matt Whalen

Underwater Rolly Pollie also known as Elasmopus levis.Source: Matt Whalen Amphipods and I, well, we have a love/hate relationship. I love them because, for all intents and purposes, they are the rolly pollies of the ocean. And come on…who doesn’t love rolly pollies!? However, when it comes to using these crusty critters in experiments, all . . . → Read More: Wranglin’ the Mighty Mesograzer

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Seasnake vs. Moray Eel…not what I was expecting
Seasnake vs. Moray Eel…not what I was expecting avatar

In the below video a seasnake catches a moray eel at Giant Clam, Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines. I believe the eel is a fimbriated moray, Gymnothorax fimbriatus which can reach lengths of of about 2.5 feet and apparently can make a fetching design for a dress. The sea snake appears to be the banded sea . . . → Read More: Seasnake vs. Moray Eel…not what I was expecting

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New field blog: Imaging the Arctic
New field blog: Imaging the Arctic avatar

Art and science. Their paths don’t always cross, but when they do the results can be absolutely stunning. And this is exactly why I am highlighting the wonderful new collaboration by scientist Kristin Laidre and artist Maria Coryell-Martin, “Imaging the Arctic. ” It is an elegant field blog based around Dr. Laidre’s fieldwork with Narwhals . . . → Read More: New field blog: Imaging the Arctic

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Not Quite the Shark that ate Esteban
Not Quite the Shark that ate Esteban avatar

We asked Dr. Douglas J. Long, Senior Curator of Natural Sciences at the Oakland Museum of California to guest post with DSN. Please welcome him in the comments below. He holds a PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of California Berkeley, where his research focused on sharks. His current fieldwork utilizes data collected through . . . → Read More: Not Quite the Shark that ate Esteban

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Extraordinary dolphin footage
Extraordinary dolphin footage avatar

In my inbox today was this video of a remarkable bit of animal behaviour captured on video. It shows the famous manta night dive in Hawai’i interrupted by a dolphin, which seems to solicit help from a diver for a case of fishing line entanglement. The dolphin holds patiently still while the diver carefully removes . . . → Read More: Extraordinary dolphin footage

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We found love in a hopeless place.
We found love in a hopeless place. avatar

I guess it has just been an Anglerfish kind of week. Found this little ditty at work today and it made me giggle. May it inspire all of your friday night escapades. Source: Alex Warneke  

Big ugly fish eats cute little seabird.
Big ugly fish eats cute little seabird. avatar

When I was about 15 or 16, I went fishing with my step-brother. We weren’t really catching anything so we decided to drop a hook down to the bottom and try our luck. And then something bit. It was big. Almost much too big for the toothpick poles we were using. After much effort, we . . . → Read More: Big ugly fish eats cute little seabird.

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