How Life Thrives Under the Ocean’s Crushing Pressure
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…
Six Reasons to Supersize
The following post is authored by Caroline Schanche as part of the Sizing Ocean Giants project. This post originally occurred on the Story of Size. For those who…
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The weird sizes and exotic shapes of nematode worms
FACT: We study evolution in nematodes by constructing trees out of their penis size. Ok, well a “penis” in male nematodes is actually a hard copulatory…
View More The weird sizes and exotic shapes of nematode wormsGrowing Large on Jelly
The following post is authored by Caroline Schanche as part of the Sizing Ocean Giants project. This post originally occurred on the Story of Size…
View More Growing Large on JellyWhy isn’t the Giant Isopod larger?
What I want to discuss, and I use this word specifically as after 10 years contemplation I seem no closer to an answer, is why…
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Sizing Ocean Giants: The Paper!
I am elated to announce the publication of Sizing Ocean Giants, a tome on the sizes of everything from Giant Barrel Sponges and Giant Isopods to…
View More Sizing Ocean Giants: The Paper!The superhero like swimming of Manta rays
Watch the video above and you will better understand the high I am still experiencing after a week of fieldwork. I traveled to Mexico to…
View More The superhero like swimming of Manta raysSharks and lasers, not just for evil geniuses
In midsummer 2009, under the intense Mexican sun, a whale shark, MXA-182, arrived at Holbox. He is injured. A nasty cut nearly severs his right…
View More Sharks and lasers, not just for evil geniusesThe mysterious case of the missing manta bits
This spectacular picture has been doing the rounds of my Facebook network lately, of a Mr Bell at AMNH working on a manta ray specimen in…
View More The mysterious case of the missing manta bitsSleuthing the Largest Snail
Earlier this year, I spent a few days tracking down the world’s largest snail. It is my own contribution to the Sizing Ocean Giants project. The…
View More Sleuthing the Largest SnailWhale Sharks and Giant Squids: Big or Bu!!$hit?
The bubbles around me clear and as I regain my visibility my first thought is how wide is the mouth coming for me. Five feet?…
View More Whale Sharks and Giant Squids: Big or Bu!!$hit?