There are two types of ocean observers in the world: those who gaze into the eyes of a giant deep-sea isopod and see absolute adorableness, and those who find them completely creepy. Which team are you?
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Meet the extraordinary bone-eating worms: no eyes, no legs, no mouth, no stomach—no problem! These deep-sea tube-dwellers have mastered the art of feasting on the bones of sunken whale carcasses. They secrete acid that dissolves the bone, while symbiotic bacteria aid in digesting the organic material, providing a unique food source for these fascinating creatures. Our partners @mbari_news discovered these incredible worms more than two decades ago, and with their … Continue
🌊 Dive into the world of Sea Otters with Teri Nicholson, senior research biologist at Monterey Bay Aquarium, as she uncovers the crucial role these mighty marine mammals play in kelp forest ecosystems. By eating grazers (like abalone and urchins), sea otters maintain balance, helping kelp forests—and all those who depend on them—thrive.
You don’t have to twist our arms to have us share our love of the basket star! These deep-sea denizens are echinoderms, a group that includes sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, and kin. The brilliant basket stars boast a compact body and long branching arms. This mesmerizing mass of twisting and turning limbs are expertly adept at ensnaring prey that drifts by in the currents.
The mighty Japanese Spider Crab is larger than life. They roam along the seafloor on their long limber legs, which can span up to 12 feet from claw to claw! These slow-moving scavengers spend much of their time searching for dead and decaying fish, invertebrates, and seaweed on the seafloor. Yum!
