All articles tagged with #marine biology
Researchers captured the first recorded birth of a sperm whale, showing a coordinated group response as multiple females surround and assist the mother and newborn, suggesting a shared social role within the pod and challenging previous notions of whale individuality; the findings, published in Science based on long-term CETI observations, imply complex intelligence and cultural transmission in whale societies.
Scientists documented one of the most detailed wild observations of a sperm whale birth, revealing cooperative female behavior as they protect the newborn calf and help it reach water safety, with observations tied to Project CETI.
Researchers captured the first documented on-camera headbutts between sperm whales, observed in the Azores and Balearic Islands, showing that young whales initiate the behavior; the study, published in Marine Mammal Science, seeks to understand its function and invites others with footage to share.
University of St Andrews researchers used drones to document headbutting among sub-adult sperm whales in the Azores and Balearic Islands, overturning the idea that this behavior is limited to large adult males. The study, published in Marine Mammal Science, notes questions about why the behavior occurs and how it affects group dynamics, and highlights drones as a powerful tool for observing near-surface whale actions, echoing historic anecdotes of whales ramming ships.
At about 6,200 meters in the Pacific, researchers retrieved jet-black, rock-attached spheres that opened to reveal developing flatworms. DNA analysis confirms a previously undescribed species, representing the deepest known record of free-living flatworms, with specimens that resemble shallow-water relatives despite the extreme environment.
National Geographic Pristine Seas deployed baited underwater cameras on a Tuvalu reef; a day octopus (Octopus cyanea) grabbed the weighted canister, tugged it toward a nearby rock, and used its arms and taste receptors to investigate and try to access the sardines inside, moving a heavy 10–15 kg rig in a display of problem‑solving.
A 37-year study in Chesapeake Bay confirms that cannibalism by adult blue crabs is the main cause of death for juveniles, accounting for about 97% of injuries with over half lethal. Fish predation was negligible. Cannibalism varies with season and crab size—warmer months and smaller juveniles are most at risk—while crabs in shallower waters survive better. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, inform a stock-assessment model for sustainable management and highlight the need to protect juvenile shelters as climate-related changes threaten shallow, mid-salinity habitats.
Researchers using baited underwater video off Rotuma captured a day octopus punching a highfin grouper during a hunt, with theories that the blows help discipline or coordinate with prey-sharing fish, a behavior also noted in similar hunts elsewhere (e.g., the Red Sea).
Divers' online photos of a tiny, panda-faced sea squirt off Kumejima, Japan, led scientists to describe a new species, Clavelina ossipandae (nicknamed the 'skeleton panda'). Measuring under 20 mm and living in shallow water, the creature is a filter feeder whose panda-like appearance comes from pigmentation and blood vessels in its gills; the species was formally described in 2024 in Species Diversity.
Researchers documented 15 comb jellies (ctenophores) in Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific waters, including six species never recorded in the country before. Because these fragile organisms dissolve when nets are used, scientists relied on underwater photography and citizen science to catalog them, highlighting the rich biodiversity of gelatinous plankton and the value of non-invasive methods in remote marine exploration.
A rare hoodwinker sunfish, Mola tecta, washed ashore at Doran Regional Park during a Northern California beach cleanup, a finding that challenges assumptions about the species’ range. Described in 2017 and distinct from the common mola, its presence off the U.S. West Coast hints at wider, less-understood migrations, while strandings provide scientists with data on movement and currents; observers are urged to document sightings from a distance and report to wildlife authorities.
An international study documents an unprecedented die-off of black sea urchins (Diadema africanum) in the Canary Islands beginning in 2022, with widespread adult mortality preventing juvenile recruitment and risking local extinction; the die-off appears connected to other regional outbreaks (Caribbean, Gulf of Oman, Réunion) and could signal a broader marine epidemic threatening reef ecosystems, though the Canary Island cause is not yet confirmed; citizen-science data aided the assessment, underscoring the need for monitoring and protection of remaining urchin populations.
A glowing tropical drifter called the blue button jelly (Porpita porpita) challenges easy classification: it’s a cnidarian that isn’t clearly a jellyfish or a true colony, likely a quasi-colonial organism with a central stomach, a blue float, and tentacles used for feeding, defense, and reproduction as it drifts at the ocean surface. Scientists note its structure and lifestyle remain debated, and its blue-dragon predators like Glaucus harvest its stinging cells for protection.
Pacific Whale Foundation retrieved a rare, nearly intact whale placenta—the second full specimen recovered in Hawai‘i—and will analyze it for measurements and biological samples to better understand whale reproductive health, a find supported by the Quicksilver crew and UH Health and Stranding Lab under proper permits with respectful bio-cultural handling.
Thousands of starfish washed up on Wardie Bay in Edinburgh, likely due to stormy weather and rapid temperature changes, with marine biologists noting such events are natural but require further investigation.