Like most deep-sea biologists, I have a large collection of decorated Styrofoam cups. A couple dozen line the bookshelf of my office, each displaying a…
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Category: Biology
A Journey to the Hottest Place on Earth: Hydrothermal Vents and the Resilient Pompeii Worm
I have only seen a hydrothermal vent once, during Dive 73 aboard the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s Doc Ricketts. Unlike many deep-sea biologists, I…
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Surviving Toxic Havens
The ROV Global Explorer reaches bottom at around 9:01 am, nearly 3.5 kilometers deep in the Gulf of Mexico. The 1.5-ton machine flies nimbly through…
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The Carpet Dragon Takes Flight
Guest post by Dr. Melissa Betters “They got it!” echoed shouts down the hallways of the Research Vessel Atlantis in Fall 2018. The whole science…
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Introducing a New Species: My Namesake, a New Bone-Eating Worm
Osedax worms, or the ‘bone eating’ worms are little soft sacks resembling snotty little flowers. The “bone devourer” is not quite accurate as the worms…
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Hump Day Happiness: Dive into Deep-Sea Delights
You know what your hump day needs? Some absolute stunning photos of deep-sea animals. Look at this one. Look at that one. You gotta get…
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New Deep-Sea Cucumber Has 100 Feet
A new species of deep-sea cucumber has over 100 feet in alternating two or three rows. This means of course that when it plays the…
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Ancient Origins of the Vampire Squid
Delving into the evolutionary past of the enigmatic deep-sea vampire squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, has long been a pursuit shrouded in mystery. However, recent discoveries, such…
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The Many Clawed, Blind Lobsters of the Deep
In the profound darkness of the ocean’s depths, organisms face a choice concerning their visual capabilities. Some species evolve specialized eyes that grow to astonishing…
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Flatworm cocoons in the abyss
Flatworms, also known as Platyhelminthes, constitute a phylum of about 20,000 species of rather uncomplicated invertebrates characterized by their soft bodies and lack of segmentation.…
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