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…
What is the world's largest barrel sponge?
It is probably this 2.5 meter (8.2 feet) diameter giant that was a tourist attraction for scuba divers visiting Curaçao in the Caribbean in the…
View More What is the world's largest barrel sponge?Anemone consumes a baby seabird
One afternoon, my coworker Lisa Guy and I are looking through her photo archive, when I spy something that looks like an purple butterball turkey…
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Sleuthing the Largest Snail
Reason #381 that I love my job I spent this morning doing this: In the last few days I have been tracking down the world’s…
View More Sleuthing the Largest SnailThe Ever Increasing Size of Godzilla: Implications for Sexual Selection and Urine Production
In 1954 Godzilla was a mere 50 meters (164 ft). In the newest movie, Godzilla is estimated to be 150 meters (492 ft). For comparison…
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The Playful World of the Scientific Acknowledgement
The post on carnivorous sponges, specifically the lead author naming a species after his wife, Named in honor of Eve Lundsten, beautiful wife of the…
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Velcro, romance, and consuming the flesh of crustaceans
When I describe my favorite sponge to others, yes I have a favorite sponge, I describe it like this: Imagine a mosquito lands on your…
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Stung by a box jelly? Oil and lemon may help.
There are many anecdotal remedies for jellyfish stings, from urine to meat tenderizer, but this one may be the tastiest. A case report published in the…
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This is why we can't have nice things…like the ocean
I asked Professor Chris Parsons to contribute an editorial on the recent announcement by John Kerry for federal funding of a marine conservation conference this summer…
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Beyond the Plunder: The Misunderstood Life of Pirates
Buccaneers, Charlatans, Marauders, and Swashbucklers. Throughout the centuries, our booty-hoarding friends have been branded by many rather dubious labels. Yet seldom does the average gangplank…
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This sea slug is like a cross between a dinosaur, a jellyfish, and a watermelon
I am awkward, and for that reason I’ve decided the sea slug Melibe will be my new power animal. I’m clumsy, equally bad at all sports, and…
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