MARINE BIOLOGY TALES OF THE DAY:
ARCHIVES
DIRECTORY
1. INTRA-UTERINE CANNIBALISM
2. WORLD’S TALLEST MAN SAVES TWO DOLPHINS
3. SHAMU’S BAD DAY
4. CONSERVATION
5. HIPPOPOTAMUS DISRESPECT
6. OCTOPUS DEFENSES
7. WORLD’S LARGEST MARINE PRESERVE
8. HOT & BUBBLY ITALIAN DELIGHT
9. SEAFOOD EXTINCTION
10. GLOBAL WARNING: 2040
11. NOW THAT’S FAST
12. POLAR BEARS
13. CLUB SANDWICHES – NOT SEALS
14. MORE GLOBAL WARMING EVIDENCE
15. WORLD’S ONLY SEAGOING LIZARD
16. NOW THAT’S HEAVY
17. THAT’S RUBBISH
18. MELTING ICE
19. DECAPITATION REGENERATION
20. PREVIOUS MASS EXTINCTIONS LINKED TO GLOBAL WARMING
21. ICE ICE BABY
22. THAT’S PHAT!
23. ICE ICE MAYBE……NOT
24. PORPOISE WITH A PURPOSE
25. NO INSURANCE
26. MORE SENSELESS KILLING
27. THE ―RIGHT‖ WHALES
28. THE MOLA MOLA
29. UNEQUIVOCAL EVIDENCE
30. KIWA HIRSUTA
31. THE EARS TELL THE YEARS
32. NOW THAT’S A BLOOD CLOT
33. LACTATION IN BRIEF
34. DRINKING SEA WATER
35. WHALE SHARKS
36. LOUD MOUTH
37. GLOW SHARKS
38. WATER ON MARS
39. MANITEYE
40. BAHAMA MAMA
41. THE WEASEL SHARK
42. BEARDED FIREWORM
43. 1000 POUNDS OF CALAMARI – THEY FOUND THE GIANT SQUID !!!
44. FASTEST ANIMAL
45. GOOD DAD
46. LITTLE GUY
47. THAT TAKES SOME SERIOUS GUTS
48. MARINE NAVY DOLPHIN PROGRAM
49. LIVE POLAR BEAR FEED
50. NOW THAT REALLY DOES SUCK
51. GLOBAL WARMING LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES
52. THE MUDSKIPPER
53. WHALE OF A TAIL – WHACK !!
54. IS AQUACULTURE SHELLFISH?
55. ONE MILLION DEAD FISH
56. DEEP SEA BACTERIA STUDY HAS GREAT IMPLICATIONS
57. BOW YOUR HEAD FOR THE OARFISH
58. THE SPIDER CRAB
59. SPITTING FISH
60. SUSHI LOVERS BEWARE
61. WIND SHIFTS DEVASTATE OCEAN LIFE
62. SUPER FERTILITY
63. FEMALES RULE !!!!
64. BIOLUMINESCENT COPEPODS
65. POSSIBLE CANCER CURE FOUND IN ANTARCTICA
66. THE AGE OF THE DOLPHIN
67. THE RAYS DESTRUCTION OF SHELLFISH
68. SCHOOLS OF FISH ESCAPE LIKE A FIRE DRILL
69. DOLPHIN FEARED EXTINCT
70. NOW THAT’S HAVING A BIG HEART
71. MANATEES OFF THE LIST
72. LONGEST MAMMAL MIGRATION
73. RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR YOUR CRAB DINNER
74. 15 MILLION YEAR OLD FOSSIL
75. HOW TO TELL A SHARK’S AGE
76. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PROGRAM
77. AN ASH SCATTERED HO
78. CONSEQUENCES OF OUR NEED FOR SEAFOOD
79. MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING CENTER
80. WHALE VISITS THE BIG APPLE
81. KURT VONNEGUT’S VIEW ON THE ENVIRONMENT
82. ATTEMPT TO BREAK SAILING RECORD
83. THE LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN
84. ALGAE BLOOM KILLING SEA LIFE
85. ANTI-CANCER DRUG FOUND IN SEA SLUGS
86. FACT: BANANAS & FISHING DON’T MIX
87. A GREAT DEAL OF GORE TRASH
88. THE HONEYBEE STINGER OF THE DAY #1
89. THE AUSTRALIAN SNUBFIN DOLPHIN
90. YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER AS A REEF
91. BLUE RINGED OCTOPUS
92. THE SONG OF THE WHALE
93. THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
94. WYLAND
95. ALVIN !!!
96. THE BALLOONFISH
97. POACHING OF ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES
98. FISH FARMING DEBATE
99. THE AQUANAUT
100. LOST WHALES DON’T RESPOND TO MUSICAL LURE
101. RICHEST SUNKEN TREASURE FOUND
102. LOST WHALES – AN UPDATE
103. FEMALE SHARKS DON’T NEED MALES
104. LOST WHALES – ANOTHER UPDATE
105. LOST WHALES STILL NOT HOME
106. STRONG JAWS
107. GOOD NEWS FOR THE TWO LOST WHALES
108. UNUSUAL PREHISTORIC SHARK CAPTURED IN JAPAN
109. NEW LOCH NESS MONSTER VIDEO!!
110. THE DUMBO OCTOPUS
111. DEFEND THE WHALES
112. I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS ABOUT THE BELUGA WHALE
113. FINAL THOUGHTS
1. INTRA-UTERINE CANNIBALISM
Grey nurse shark embryos eat each other in the womb. The female grey nurse starts her
pregnancy with more than 40 embryos in her two uteruses, but by the time they are ready
to be born up to a year later, there are only two left - one in each uterus. All the others
have been eaten through "intra-uterine cannibalism". By the time the embryos get to
about 10 centimeters long at around four months, they have a fully developed, functional
set of jaws and they begin to cannibalize their siblings. Besides the Grey Nurse Shark,
there are at least 12 other species of Shark that perform intra-uterine cannibalism,
including Sandtiger Sharks, Thresher Sharks and Mako Sharks.
2. WORLD’S TALLEST MAN SAVES TWO DOLPHINS
The world's tallest man, Bao Xishun from Inner Mongolia, saved two dolphins by
reaching into their stomachs and removing pieces of plastic that veterinarians couldn't
reach with their surgical instruments, according to reports from China. "Chen Lujun, the
manager of the Royal Jidi Ocean World aquarium, told The Associated Press that the
shape of the dolphins' stomachs made it difficult to push an instrument very far in without
hurting the animals. People with shorter arms could not reach the plastic, he said."
Officials told BBC News that the dolphins "had lost their appetite and were suffering
depression." Chen told AP. "The two dolphins are in very good condition now."
3. SHAMU’S BAD DAY
A killer whale was back performing before crowds at SeaWorld Adventure Park only a
day after dragging her trainer to the bottom of the pool. Kasatka, a 5,000-pound-plus
female, grabbed Ken Peters by the foot and tugged him underwater for less than a minute,
surfaced, then took him down for another minute before he managed to coax her into
releasing him. Kasatka was back in the water for a lunchtime performance that went off
without a hitch. Some experts said the 30-year-old orca simply may have been having a
bad day. Kasatka may have been put out by a spat with another whale, grumpy because
of the weather or even just irritable from a stomachache. "Some mornings they just wake
up not as willing to do the show as others…If the trainer doesn't recognize it's not a good
day, this will happen."
4. CONSERVATION
More than 350 new species - including insects, fish, frogs and lizards - have been
discovered in Borneo, according to a report by WWF. The report, Borneo's Lost World,
highlights the need to conserve the forests of Borneo, not just for well-known endangered
species such as orangutans and rhinos, but because they also provide habitats for possibly
thousands of plant and animal species still to be discovered. Amongst the 361 new
species discovered were a catfish in 2003 and a giant cockroach, believed to be the
largest in the world, in 2004. Other species discovered in Borneo between 1994 and 2004
include 260 insects, 50 plants, 30 freshwater fish, 7 frogs, 6 lizards, 5 crabs, 2 snakes and
a toad. But large areas of Borneo's forest are being increasingly cleared for timber,
rubber, oil palm, pulp and paper production. The new report suggests that thousands more
undiscovered species may exist on Borneo, in particular in the largest and most pristine
remaining forests in the 'heart' of the island, which is relatively inaccessible. In a last
ditch attempt to save these forests, WWF is working to conserve the area known as the
'Heart of Borneo'.
5. HIPPOPOTAMUS DISRESPECT
When Male Nile hippopotamuses square off at territory boundaries, they perform a messy
ritual. They turn backside to backside and shower each other in urine and feces
broadcasted with the help of their paddling tails before walking away from each other.
6. OCTOPUS DEFENSES
Whenever possible, the octopus will escape from its predators by shooting a jet of water
through its body to create a burst of speed. Often, however, the octopus avoids detection
completely. It can change its body color and texture so perfectly that it can virtually
disappear. The colored pigment in its skin can be concentrated or diluted, forming stripes
and patterns that blend into the environment. The octopus's ink sac also helps it avoid
attack. It releases a disorienting black cloud that is accompanied by another secretion to
dull the attacker's sense of smell. Finally, if an octopus damages one of its vital arms, it
can grow a new one. Also, the octopus is capable of learning. In an experiment, octopi
were trained to distinguish between shapes and also to recognize objects by touch.
7. WORLD’S LARGEST MARINE PRESERVE
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument, recently established, spans
140,000 square miles of oceans, island and reef. This area is bigger than the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park and larger than all U. S. national parks combined. The region
harbors more than 7,000 species, including critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
The national monument designation eventually will ban all commercial and recreational
fishing within its borders. ―It’s the best underwater piece of real estate in this country.‖
8. HOT & BUBBLY ITALIAN DELIGHT
Stromboli, an island volcano off the coast of Sicily has been in a state of perpetual
eruption for around 2500 years.
9. SEAFOOD EXTINCTION
According to a study by marine biologists, at current rates of overfishing and pollution,
the ocean seafood we eat will be virtually extinct in 50 years.
10. GLOBAL WARNING: 2040
In the year 2040, the effects of global warming could cause the Arctic Ocean to be mostly
water, instead of icebergs, during the summer.
11. NOW THAT’S FAST
The speed of sound in water is 1,435 m/sec - nearly five times faster than the speed of
sound in air.
12. POLAR BEARS
December 27, 2006: The US fish and wildlife service has decided to list the polar bear as
threatened, based on a large volume of compelling information about significant changes
in the polar bear’s habitat: the Arctic sea ice. Polar bears hunt, feed, mate and frequently
den on the sea ice. Yet, this ocean habitat is vanishing as a result of warming air and sea
temperatures over the last decades.
13. CLUB SANDWICHES – NOT SEALS
Hundreds of thousands of baby seals will be clubbed or shot without mercy this year
alone. 95% of the harp seals killed are less than 3 months old. Many will be left to die
under the ice…some baby seals may even be skinned alive. The products of the hunt are
an unnecessary luxury. This isn’t killing for food or survival, it’s killing for fashion.
14. MORE GLOBAL WARMING EVIDENCE
January 2, 2007: Researchers announced that an ice shelf covering 41 square miles,
loosened by warm Arctic temperatures, had broken free of land on the coast of Canada’s
Ellesmere Island and drifted 30 miles out to sea. To give a comparison, this ice shelf has
an area over 8 times the size of Pottstown.
15. WORLD’S ONLY SEAGOING LIZARD
The marine iguana is the world's only seagoing lizard. Like other marine reptiles it still
must return to land to breed. Their main diet is low-growing algae. During the course of
their feeding, marine iguanas ingest large amounts of salt water. They possess salt glands,
which concentrate and remove salt. The salt is deposited in the nostril where it is
subsequently ejected by a "sneezing" action. This ejection occurs periodically, and is also
used to warn of intruders, especially over-inquisitive tourists. The spray often shoots up
into the air and then falls back on the head, where it forms the white "wig" often seen on
marine iguanas.
16. NOW THAT’S HEAVY
The pressure at the deepest point in the ocean is more than 11,318 tons per square meter,
or the equivalent of one person trying to support 50 jumbo jets.
17. THAT’S RUBBISH
Each year, three times as much rubbish is dumped into the world's oceans as the weight
of fish caught.
18. MELTING ICE
All over Greenland and the Arctic, rising temperatures are not simply melting ice; they
are changing the very geography of coastlines. ―We are already in a new era of
geography,‖ said the Arctic explorer Will Steger. ―This phenomenon — of an island all
of a sudden appearing out of nowhere and the ice melting around it — is a real common
phenomenon now.‖ In August, Mr. Steger discovered his own new island off the coast of
the Norwegian island of Svalbard, high in the polar basin. Glaciers that had surrounded it
when his ship passed through only two years earlier were gone this year, leaving only a
small island alone in the open ocean. The sudden appearance of the islands is a symptom
of an ice sheet going into retreat, scientists say. Greenland is covered by 630,000 cubic
miles of ice, enough water to raise global sea levels by 23 feet.
19. DECAPITATION REGENERATION
If you were to chop off the head of an Acorn Worm, native to the shallow waters of
Hawaii, it would regenerate a new one.
20. PREVIOUS MASS EXTINCTIONS LINKED TO GLOBAL WARMING
According to the November 2006 issue of Scientific American, 250 million years ago, the
Earth exterminated on its own. New fossil and geochemical evidence points to an
oxygen depleted ocean spewing poisonous gas as a result of global warming. This
resulted in the extinction of 90% of ocean dwellers and 70% of plants and animals. The
experts theorize that this may have occurred three other times during Earth’s history.
21. ICE ICE BABY
Antarctica has as much ice as the Atlantic Ocean has water. Imagine what would happen
if Antarctica melted. See An Inconvenient Truth to find out.
22. THAT’S PHAT!
There are 275,000 species of organisms that live in the ocean. The largest animal and
marine mammal in the world is the blue whale. It grows up to 33 meters long and weighs
as much as 40 rhinoceroses.
23. ICE ICE MAYBE……NOT
Glaciers are the planets largest source of fresh water after polar ice. They have been
shrinking about 3 percent a year. If the glaciers keep melting at this rate, most glaciers
could vanish by 2037.
24. PORPOISE WITH A PURPOSE
Because of the ability of dolphins to learn and perform complex tasks in captivity, their
continuous communications with one another, and their ability, through training, to
approximate the sounds of a few human words, some investigators have suggested that
the animals might be capable of learning a true language and communicating with
humans.
25. NO INSURANCE
Many insurance companies on or near coastlines are canceling policies and claiming
global warming is the culprit. Weather-related catastrophe losses have increased from
about $1 billion a year in the 1970s to an average of $17 billion a year over the past
decade. In 2005, the year of Katrina, that figure reached $71 billion.
26. MORE SENSELESS KILLING
Fishermen in Japan kill some 20-thousand dolphins a year. Reports of these dreadful
events have shocked the world. The public has responded with an avalanche of protest.
27. THE ―RIGHT‖ WHALES
Right whales (genus Eubalaena) are baleen whales that were named by whalers
who considered them the "right" whales to hunt, since they were rich in
blubber, they were easy to catch (they are relatively slow swimmers), and they
floated after being killed.
28. THE MOLA MOLA
The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the largest bony fish in the world weighing up to 5,100
pounds. In Germany, the fish is known as schwimmender kopf, or "swimming head".
The popularity of the mola in Japanese culture is evident in the number of products that
are in the form of or that feature an image of the fish.
29. UNEQUIVOCAL EVIDENCE
Today in Paris, France the top scientists stated: ―Changes in the atmosphere, the oceans,
glaciers and ice caps show unequivocally that the Earth’s warming. The report confirms
that the observed increase in atmosphere concentrations of greenhouse gases cabon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide is the result of human activities.
30. KIWA HIRSUTA
Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean. It was found
1,500 km (900 miles) south of Easter Island in the South Pacific, at a depth of 2,200 m
(7,200 feet), living on hydrothermal vents along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge.
31. THE EARS TELL THE YEARS
Zoologists can tell how old a manatee is by counting the number of growth rings on its
ear bones. Each ring equals one year. Manatees may live as long as 60 years.
32. NOW THAT’S A BLOOD CLOT
The arteries of a humpback whale are large enough for a human toddler to crawl through.
33. LACTATION IN BRIEF
The hooded seal (or crested seal) pup nurses, on average, only 6 days. This is the shortest
lactation period of any mammal. This adaptation has helped with their survival and,
during this time, the seal pup will double in size. The adult male has a peculiar inflatable
appendage on its nose that they will blow up to make their head double in size to detract
predators or to attract a mate.
34. DRINKING SEA WATER
An important adaptation of seabirds is their ability to drink sea water. Seabirds have
developed specialized salt secreting glands above their eyes to cope with high salt
intakes.
35. WHALE SHARKS
Whale sharks are not ready to mate until they are 30 years of age. Scientists believe that
they live to about 150 years old.
36. LOUD MOUTH
Mother and calf blue whales keep in touch with sounds that can travel for many miles
underwater. They are probably the loudest animales alive, louder than a jet engine.
37. GLOW SHARKS
Some small sharks that live in deep water give off a glowing light from their bodies.
Scientists believe that this may attract prey or help the sharks see each other.
38. WATER ON MARS
On Febuary 15, 2007, an orbiting spacecraft has sent back new evidence for the presence
of water on Mars. Scientists have long debated whether water flowed on the red planet,
with evidence increasing in recent years. The presence of water would raise the
possibility of at least primitive life forms existing there.
39. MANITEYE
Manatees do not have eyelashes. They do have a transparent eyelid that slides across
each eye. It works like goggles to protect the eyeball from salt water.
40. BAHAMA MAMA
The coast of the Bahamas has become a safe haven for sharks because commercial
fishing is now illegal and shark parts can not be exported from the country. The blue
waters of the Bahamas are home to more than 40 shark species.
41. THE WEASEL SHARK
The Atlantic weasel shark has a moderately long snout, large eyes and a short, small
mouth with small, serrated upper teeth and erect, cusped lower teeth. They are light grey
or bronze in color with vertical yellow stripes.
42. BEARDED FIREWORM
The Bearded Fireworm has groups of white bristles along each side. The bristles are
hollow, venom-filled setae which easily penetrate the flesh and break off if this worm is
handled. They produce an intense irritation in the area of contact, hence the common
name of the species. When disturbed the worm flares out the bristles so they are more
exposed. Fireworms are voracious predators that feed on soft and hard corals, anemones,
and small crustaceans. When the Bearded fireworms come to the surface to mate, the
females start to emit a greenish phosphorescent glow. This attracts the males, which dart
towards the females, emitting flashing lights at the same time.
43. 1000 POUNDS OF CALAMARI – THEY FOUND THE GIANT SQUID !!!
On February 22, 2007, it was announced by authorities
in New Zealand that a Giant Squid, an estimated 35
feet long and 1000lbs in weight had been captured.
Fishermen caught the animal in the freezing Antarctic
waters of the Ross Sea. It was brought to the surface as
it fed on a Patagonian toothfish that had been caught
off a long line. It is, by far, the largest live squid ever
captured.
44. FASTEST ANIMAL
Marlins are very fast swimmers. They have extremely powerful muscles and they’re
faster than a cheetah can run.
45. GOOD DAD
A king penguin chick takes 60 days to hatch out of its egg. During this time, the male
penguin stands on the Antarctic ice, cradling the egg on its feet and keeping it warm
under a flap of soft feathers.
46. LITTLE GUY
The smallest-known fish is the Marshall Island goby, measuring 0.5 inches, which is
smaller than your thumbnail.
47. THAT TAKES SOME SERIOUS GUTS
Sea Cucumbers use a disgusting trick when they are under attack. When a creature is
trying to eat them they squirt their guts out and swim away. The predator eats the guts,
and the sea cucumber grows replacements.
48. MARINE NAVY DOLPHIN PROGRAM
Navy Dolphin Program: MK 8 MMS is a human/dolphin team that allows troops to
quickly identify safe corridors for the initial landing of troops ashore. MK 8 MMS
operates with a low profile in very shallow water.
49. LIVE POLAR BEAR FEED
The polar bear, the largest land carnivore weighing up to 1,600 pounds can lose half of its
body weight while living off body fat during summer migration. Check out a live feed of
polar bears, sponsored by National Geographic.
http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/polarbearcam/index.html
50. NOW THAT REALLY DOES SUCK
When leeches bite, they inject a pain killer into the wound. Unless the victim sees the
leech, they won’t know they’ve been bitten. This enables the wormlike creature to drink
as much blood as it wants.
51. GLOBAL WARMING LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES
(March 7, 2007) Scientists have discovered a multitude of new species inhabiting
Antarctica’s icy waters. The collapse of the Larsen icecaps – once in 1995 and then again
in 2002 – allowed an international scientific team access to the previously ice-covered
seabed 850 meters off the Antarctic Peninsula. The team’s star find was a 10- centimeter-
long shrimp, but their search revealed worrying changes caused by global warming. The
team recorded the presence of species previously unknown to the area, such as the fast-
growing gelatinous sea squirts. Alongside the giant shrimp, were 14 other new amphipod
species. There were also four new species of cnidarians (simple animals, such as jelly
fish, sea anemones and coral). Over the coming months scientists will examine these
specimens in labs to confirm whether they are indeed new discoveries.
52. THE MUDSKIPPER
Mudskippers are uniquely adapted to a completely
amphibious lifestyle. Mudskippers are quite active
when out of water, feeding and interacting with one
another, for example to defend their territories.
They have the ability to breathe through their skin
and the lining of their mouth (the mucosa) and throat
(the pharynx). This is only possible when the
mudskipper is wet, limiting mudskippers to humid
habitats and requiring that they keep themselves
moist.
53. WHALE OF A TAIL – WHACK !!
March 9, 2007: Randall and Gwen Thornton are recovering in Utah after a close
encounter with a humpback whale. The Thortons and a group of their friends had
traveled to the Dominican Republic to swim with whales in a sanctuary off the coast. On
the last day of their week-long trip, they were snorkeling near a sleeping mother and her
calf. A whip of the mother whale's tail sent Gwen Thornton flying 20 feet, knocked
another woman unconscious, and broke Randall Thornton's leg. Thornton endured a
nine-and-a-half-hour boat ride back to shore, lying on the deck with a broken femur.
54. IS AQUACULTURE SHELLFISH?
March 12, 2007: The Bush administration wants to allow ocean farming for shellfish,
salmon and saltwater species in federal waters for the first time, hoping to grab a greater
share of the $70 billion aquaculture market. Environmental concerns have arisen about
wastewater generated by such operations. However, the administration's proposal had
safeguards and would permit states to ban fish farming up to 12 miles off their coast.
Worldwide, the $70 billion industry accounts for almost half of the seafood consumed
today as wild-fish stocks decline. About 70 percent of all the seafood eaten in the United
States comes from overseas, contributing "a trade deficit of about $9 billion in fish‖.
55. ONE MILLION DEAD FISH
Bangkok, March 13, 2007: Up to one million farmed tilapia fish have been found dead in
one of Thailand's key rivers, the fisheries department said on Tuesday, prompting fears
that factories were polluting the waterway. Officials said a sudden lack of oxygen in the
water killed the fish. They are currently investigating two possible explanations: that a
sugar boat which capsized earlier this month released toxic byproducts into the river, or
that upstream factories had polluted the waterway.
56. DEEP SEA BACTERIA STUDY HAS GREAT IMPLICATIONS
Washington Post, March 15, 2007: Scientists who spent two years trawling the world's
oceans for bacteria and viruses have completed the most thorough census ever of marine
microbial life, revealing a diverse and bizarre microscopic menagerie. The study
revealed thousands of life forms that could help speed the development of antibiotics and
alternative energy sources. The project focused not on the microbes themselves but on
the DNA obtained from their cells and later decoded on shore. DNA analysis of limited
samples recorded the genetic coding of more than 6 million new proteins — doubling the
number in the world's genetic databases. Among them were more than 2000 proteins that
can convert sunlight into biological energy, giving scientists new methods to mimic for
getting energy from the sun. Some new genes seem designed to help organisms get
energy from carbon dioxide in the air, an alternative to the oil and coal most human
technologies rely on.
57. BOW YOUR HEAD FOR THE OARFISH
One of nature’s most mysterious creatures, the Oarfish, lives at depths of up to 2,000 feet
in the ocean. The Oarfish is so determined to find its main food, krill, in the deep mud
that it lives its whole life floating head-down. Oarfish can grow as long as 50 feet.
58. THE SPIDER CRAB
Spider Crabs live on islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans. They grow to about 18
inches long and have very long legs, which they use to climb trees. When a crab gets to
the top of a tree, it snips off a young coconut with its huge pincers and climbs down again
to eat it.
59. SPITTING FISH
Who would guess that a fish could shoot down insects to eat? The archerfish, which lives
in swampy mangroves of Southeast Asia, can do just this. It squirts water out of its
mouth to knock insects into the river.
60. SUSHI LOVERS BEWARE
March 20, 2007: Washington - Bluefin tuna can grow to more than 12 feet and weigh as
much as 1,500 pounds. At major Japanese fish markets, the largest bluefin catch can lure
bids of more than $100,000 per fish. Only 6 percent of the once great numbers of bluefin
tuna remain. This overfishing has hurt the Sushi market. Restaurants like Tako Grill, in
Bethesda, Md., still serve bluefin tuna, but have raised the price of an order of the fish
from $10 to $23, because markets are charging more for it.
61. WIND SHIFTS DEVASTATE OCEAN LIFE
The delicate interplay between the oceans and the atmosphere is undergoing a potentially
catastrophic change. Entire marine ecosystems have been wiped out, devastating
populations of sea birds and larger marine mammals. These "dead zones" occur where
there are disturbances to the nutrient-rich ocean currents that are driven by coastal winds.
Extreme marine suffocations have taken place off the west coast of the US every year for
the last five. The most intense of these, which left the ocean floor littered with the
carcasses of crabs, happened in 2006.
62. SUPER FERTILITY
The sunfish holds the record for producing the most eggs. The female can lay up to 300
million at one time.
63. FEMALES RULE !!!!
The deep-sea Anglerfish takes monogamy to a bizarre new level. When mating, the much
smaller male anglerfish (one tenth the size) bites into the flesh of his female mate,
attaching to her body. His mouth fuses with her skin, and their bloodstreams merge.
Once joined, the male degenerates and simply becomes a source of reproduction for the
female. A female will often have several males attached to her at once. The only role in
the life of a male Anglerfish is to be used for reproduction and then die.
64. BIOLUMINESCENT COPEPODS
Bioluminescence is a mechanism used by many organisms dwelling in the depths of the
oceans where little light penetrates. Copepods employ bioluminescence as a means of
decoying visually-sensitive predators. Copepods can trigger a bioluminescent discharge
that explodes seconds after it is released to confuse predators. In simpler terms, if a
predator is following them, they will release a ―ball‖ of light that will explode after
several seconds. The confused predator will follow the explosion allowing the copepod
to escape.
65. POSSIBLE CANCER CURE FOUND IN ANTARCTICA
March 27, 2007 (CNN): Researchers, in Antarctica, looking at how the defense
mechanisms of marine plants and animals may provide keys to cancer fighting drugs
have made a major discovery. "We do have a compound from a sea squirt -- a sponge-
like, blob-like organism that sits on the ocean bottom and doesn't move," said Professor
James McClintock, a marine invertebrate zoologist. "It turns out this compound is very
active against melanoma and it is currently being pursued by a drug company," he said.
66. THE AGE OF THE DOLPHIN
You can tell a dolphin’s age by its teeth. The teeth grow in layers year by year, so rings
in a tooth’s cross section can be counted like rings on a tree stump.
67. THE RAYS DESTRUCTION OF SHELLFISH
March 30, 2007 (Washington Post): A sharp decline in big sharks along the Eastern
Seaboard has prompted a boom in other marine species that is devastating valuable
commercial fisheries. With fewer large predators in the sea, the number of rays, skates
and small shark species has exploded, and these species are decimating shellfish
populations such as North Carolina bay scallops and Chesapeake Bay's American oysters.
As many as 73 million sharks are killed each year to supply fins for shark-fin soup, a
Chinese delicacy. The cownose rays, which spend much of the summer in Chesapeake
Bay, eat massive amounts of bay scallops, oysters and soft-shell and hard clams in
Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay and other estuaries in the area. Migrating rays are eating
nearly all adult scallops in North Carolina's sounds. Their disappearance prompted the
state to shut down its century-old bay-scallop fishery. The population of cownose rays
has risen to as much as 40 million, and scientists are worrying that the rays will now
target other species.
68. SCHOOLS OF FISH ESCAPE LIKE A FIRE DRILL
Just like school children during a fire drill, new research shows that schools of fish trying
to get away from a predator, do so by forming a line. With the unappealing prospect of
being eaten, one might imagine that during a predator attack it is a case that all fish
escape at once in the desperate hurry to escape as quickly as possible. However, new
research indicates that this is not the case, and, in fact, fish in schools escape using a
relatively fixed chronological order. There is a trend for individual fish to maintain a
given rank, indicating that the chronological order of escape responses within a school is
maintained in successive startle events.
69. DOLPHIN FEARED EXTINCT
Baiji, better known as the Yangtze River Dolphin, are feared extinct. In 1998, there were
only 7 individuals and the last confirmed sighting was in 2004. The last captive Baiji, Qi
Qi, died in 2002. The Chinese government had set up a reserve to protect any captured
Baiji, but the attempt came too late to save the species. Technically, the Baiji can't be
classified as extinct until 50 years after the last sighting according to the standards of the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature / World Conservation Union (IUCN).
When the Baiji is officially declared extinct by IUCN, it will be first large aquatic
mammal to disappear since the Caribbean monk seal in the 1950s.
70. NOW THAT’S HAVING A BIG HEART
The heart of a blue whale is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Its tongue is big enough for
a full-grown elephant to stand on it.
71. MANATEES OFF THE LIST
April 10, 2007 (Miami): The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended upgrading the
manatee’s status from endangered to threatened, a move that indicates the animal has
rebounded from the brink of extinction.
72. LONGEST MAMMAL MIGRATION
Marine scientists recently recorded that humpback whales migrate over 5,100 miles from
Central America to their feeding grounds off Antarctica; a record distance undertaken by
any mammal.
73. RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR YOUR CRAB DINNER
April 12, 2007 (Discovery Channel) Crab fishermen risk their lives in Alaska’s Bering
Sea on the Discovery Channel’s ―Deadliest Catch.‖ The next time you pay the check for
a plate of tasty crab in a seafood restaurant, you may want to take a moment to think
about the true price of that meal. Out on the icy, unforgiving Bering Sea off Alaska, that
price is often paid in sweat and pain ... and in lives. The Emmy-nominated series
―Deadliest Catch,‖ follows the captains and crews of fishing boats as they head into
Arctic waters in the late autumn and winter in search of king and opilio crab.
74. 15 MILLION YEAR OLD FOSSIL
April 7, 2007 (California): Scientists announced the discovery of a 15 million-year-old
anglerfish in land being graded for a housing development. Anglerfish, which derive
their name from an appendage that serves to lure prey, typically live under 1,000 feet of
water. When the now-fossilized anglerfish was alive, Southern California was deeply
submerged under the Pacific Ocean.
75. HOW TO TELL A SHARK’S AGE
We can determine a shark’s age by counting the growth rings of its vertebrae or
backbones. It’s like counting tree rings. Some sharks may live to be over 150 years old.
Summary of determining ages (from Tales of the Day):
Sharks: count growth rings of its vertebrae (Tale #73)
Dolphins: count rings in a tooth’s cross section (Tale #64)
Manatees: count growth rings of its ear bones (Tale #30)
76. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PROGRAM
April 8, 2007 (AP Oregon): The University of Oregon marine biology department
received a three-year grant worth nearly 1.8 million dollars from the National Science
Foundation that will allow university students to make visits to elementary school
classrooms and talk about marine biology. The project involves nine graduate and two
undergraduate students who take their own research and turn it into suitable lesson plans
for students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The students -- who are training to become
marine scientists -- are NOT planning to become teachers, but they say it is a way to
improve science education for children while they're working on research.
77. AN ASH SCATTERED HO
The life of entertainer Don Ho, the biggest name in Hawaiian music since statehood, will
be celebrated with ocean-side services and the scattering of his ashes on May 5 in
Waikiki. A flotilla of canoes will take Ho's ashes beyond the reef and they will be
scattered in the ocean.
78. CONSEQUENCES OF OUR NEED FOR SEAFOOD
April 12, 2007 (Cape Town, South Africa): More than seven million sharks are killed
every year as an unintended consequence of longline fishing off the west coasts of South
Africa, Namibia and Angola. The practice also claims about 34,000 seabirds and 4,200
sea turtles a year in the area known as the Benguela ecosystem. The creatures get caught
on baited hooks put out on long lines by fishing boats.
79. MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING CENTER
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) is a private non-profit organization
based in Brigantine, New Jersey. Since the Center’s founding in 1978, staff and
volunteers have responded to over 3170 calls for stranded whales, dolphins, seals and sea
turtles that washed ashore. These animals range from a 5 lb. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle to
a 25-ton Humpback Whale (both of which are endangered species). Whenever possible,
the animals are brought back to the MMSC for rehabilitation and eventual release. In
2006, they responded to 224 stranded animals.
www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org
Recently, 18 members of the Pottstown Marine Biology Club have visited the center. We
toured the facilities and got to experience what it would be like to work as a Marine
Biologist at MMSC.
80. WHALE VISITS THE BIG APPLE
April 19, 2007 (New York Times): A 12-foot-long minke whale surfaced and frolicked
near the mouth of the Gowanus Canal for two days, delighting and surprising Brooklyn
residents. The minke whale, the second-smallest whale species, had been thought to be
in good health because it was not surfacing erratically. Unfortunately, the whale expired
during its visit to the Big Apple. Biologists speculated that the whale might have
followed krill or another food source into the Gowanus Canal.
81. KURT VONNEGUT’S VIEW ON THE ENVIRONMENT
On April 11, 2007, Kurt Vonnegut passed away. One of America’s greatest novelists,
Kurt Vonnegut told us the truth about living in a world gone mad, and he somehow made
us laugh along the way. If you have never read ―Cat’s Cradle‖ – it’s a good place to start
your appreciation of this brilliant author. Long before all the recent talk about man’s
effect on the environment, Kurt wrote prophetically about the impending doom.
The crucified planet Earth,
should it find a voice
and a sense of irony,
might now well say
of our abuse of it,
―Forgive them, Father,
they know not what they do.‖
The irony would be
that we know what
we are doing.
And when the last living thing
has died on account of us,
how poetic it would be
if the Earth could say,
in a voice floating up
perhaps
from the floor
of the Grand Canyon,
―It is done.‖
People did not like it here.
Kurt Vonnegut, 1969
82. ATTEMPT TO BREAK SAILING RECORD
April 23, 2007 (New York): A US couple has embarked on a sea voyage that is to last
1,000 days and nights without stopping and re-supplying, and if all goes as planned they
will return to New York in 2010. After years of meticulous preparation, Reid Stowe, 55,
and his 23-year-old girlfriend Soanya Ahmad left the Shipyard Marina in New Jersey
aboard their 65-ton, two-mast schooner Anne. Should they make it, the couple would
break the sailing record of 657 days. They are carrying enough food for three years but
also plan to catch tuna and mahi-mahi along the way, which could be eaten immediately
or salted. As for drinking water, they will collect rainwater in tarps stretched over the
deck and use a de-salinator to turn seawater into drinking water.
83. THE LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN
The little blue penguin, aka fairy penguin, was first described in the late 18th century
during Captain Cook voyages. They are the smallest penguin species standing only 10
inches tall and weighing slightly over 2 pounds. Little blues have a slightly different
"tuxedo" in that they sport slate blue plumage on the back with a white belly. Breeding
colonies of little blue penguins are found throughout southern Australia and New
Zealand. They feed on small fishes, including Australian anchovies, crustaceans and
squid.
84. ALGAE BLOOM KILLING SEA LIFE
April 27, 2007 (LOS ANGELES): A bloom of ocean algae that produces a toxic acid has
sickened and killed hundreds of birds, sea lions and dolphins in California,
environmentalists said. "The concentration of the toxin is so great this year that we
haven't had a chance to react to it, normally we're able to flush out the toxin with a
treatment regimen ... this year they're just coming in dead."
85. ANTI-CANCER DRUG FOUND IN SEA SLUGS
Apr. 30, 2007 (CALIFORNIA): Sea slugs are essentially snails that have lost their shells
and have had to evolve ways to protect their soft flesh from fish, crustaceans, and other
hungry marine animals. Some have evolved glands in their skin that secrete noxious,
distasteful, and sometimes poisonous chemicals. A type of sea slug, the sea hare, which
grazes on algae in shallow waters, contains the most potent anticancer compound known
to mankind. After over 10 years of research, an anticancer agent has been isolated from
this sea hare and it’s now undergoing clinical trials in the United States.
86. FACT: BANANAS & FISHING DON’T MIX
April 28, 2007 (Oregon): For centuries, it has been common knowledge among salty
dogs that bringing a banana on board a boat can result in bad luck, and not just catching a
few undersized dinks either, but the worst kind of luck – not hooking a fish at all. That
not only applies to the person carrying the offending fruit, but for the entire crew as well.
Bananas bringing bad luck to fishermen at sea is not a superstition based on ignorance
and fear – it is a fact, rooted in knowledge and terror. To fishermen, it is an axiom; a self-
evident truth. This bad luck includes anything with bananas in it: banana chips, trail mix,
banana bread, banana cookies, banana Moon Pies, banana-flavored gum or even banana
pudding. In addition, clothing sporting pictures of bananas are extremely inappropriate
attire when venturing out to sea. Furthermore, anyone caught doing an impression of
Harry Belafonte singing "The Banana Boat Song" is to be immediately thrown
overboard.
To read this entire entertaining article, visit:
http://www.currypilot.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=15018
87. A GREAT DEAL OF GORE TRASH
April 30, 2007 (Anchorage): If you want to get an idea of how much trash is in the ocean,
a good place to go is Gore Point. It is a thin peninsula that jets into the Gulf of Alaska
and is pounded by winter storms and the beaches are littered with driftwood from around
the Pacific. "This is just a nightmare. There is so much plastic and so much debris that
this beach, instead of being a cradle of life for animals has now become a garbage dump."
Much of the debris is from Asia, drifting in the ocean for years before it winds up here.
88. Note: For today, the Tale of the Day is being replaced by:
THE HONEYBEE STINGER OF THE DAY #1
FORGET GLOBAL WARMING, SAVE THE BEES
Albert Einstein once wrote that ―if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then
man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more
plants, no more animals, no more man.‖ That is the Law of Interdependence. Forget
global warming folks. The disappearance of the honeybee could end our existence as
human beings on this planet far sooner than we think. And the honeybee is in fact now
disappearing. Why? We don’t know why. It could be genetically modified crops, it could
be pesticides or it could be that our cell phones are interfering with their ability to
navigate. All around the world bees are disappearing in a crisis called Colony Collapse
Disorder. And bees pollinate our plants. Everywhere on the planet, bees are hard at work
making it possible for you to live and enjoy life.
89. THE AUSTRALIAN SNUBFIN DOLPHIN
The Australian snubfin dolphin, is a recently recognized species of dolphin first described
in 2005. Experts say the discovery of a new mammal is extremely rare. In fact, the
Australian Snubfin is the first new dolphin species to be discovered in 56 years. The
snubfin has three colors; it's dark on the dorsal side, graduates to a light brown on the
flanks, and has a white belly. They have a rounded melon, which is very unlike other
dolphin species in Australia. They also have a small, "snubby" dorsal fin, hence the name
"snubfin." Unlike its more showy cousins, such as the bottlenose dolphin, the Australian
snubfin is a very shy dolphin that avoids boats.
90. YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER AS A REEF
May 6, 2007 (Austin): A company now offers putting your remains in an artificial reef
ball made of concrete and placing it at the bottom of the ocean. The Reef Ball
Development Group of Decatur, Ga., in 1998, started the Eternal Reefs program as a
memorial option. The program has placed roughly 250 memorials for people like
William Yoder, who loved life and the ocean. "He was a person who believed in living
life to the fullest one day at a time," Joyce Yoder said. "He always said that you know,
you come from the earth and the water and that's where he wanted to go back. So being
buried at sea was very important to him too." The Eternal Reefs program cooperates with
the family throughout the process. They let them participate in making the concrete reef
ball in the beginning and perform a site dedication on a boat at the end.
91. BLUE RINGED OCTOPUS
The tiny Blue-ringed octopus, ironically for its size, is the most deadly of all
cephalopods. The common name comes from the bright blue rings that appear when the
Blue-ringed octopus is alarmed. While resting, the Blue ring octopus is a pale brown to
yellow color depending on its surroundings. But when alarmed, this octopus displays
bright blue rings all over its body and carries enough venom to kill 26 adult humans
within minutes. This poison is fatal and more potent than any poison found in land
animals. Human victims can be saved if artificial respiration begins quickly; however
there is no known antidote.
92. THE SONG OF THE WHALE
For every living thing on earth
Nature made a space
Each a living strand of a fragile plan
That can never be replaced
And not from need, but from wanton greed
Man has torn down nature's web
With greed possessed he will not rest
Till the last of the whales is dead.
In my mind's eye I can see them die
As the whaler finds his mark
Hear the muffled boom of the cruel harpoon
As it blasts their lives apart
I see the flood of their rich dark blood
As it stains the ocean red
And that bloody green will not wash clean
Till the last of the whales is dead.
The saddest sound I've ever heard
Is the song of the hump-backed whale
His moans and sighs and his eerie cries
Sing a sad familiar tale
For he sighs and blows as if he knows
His race is nearly run
And that soon with all of his kind he'll fall
Before the whaler's gun.
(Folk Song by Eric Bogle)
93. THE BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
The Blue-footed booby is famous for two reasons: its link to Charles Darwin's expedition
to the Galapagos Islands, and its name. The word "booby" comes from the Spanish
"bobo," meaning "stupid fellow," and was probably inspired by the bird's clumsiness on
land and apparently unwarranted bravery. It is extremely vulnerable to human visitors
because it does not appear to fear them. A skilled hunter in the air and on water despite
its awkward gait on land, the Blue-footed booby dines solely on fish. The bird is such an
accurate dive bomber that it has even been known to catch flying fish mid-leap.
94. WYLAND
Wyland, the world's Premier Ocean artist, has been a pioneer in the marine art movement
since 1971. This painter, sculptor, and muralist is one of the most prolific and celebrated
artists of our time. Perhaps of all time. To date, in addition to his spectacular paintings of
a wide variety of marine life, Wyland has completed more than 84 of his landmark
murals, the renowned Whaling Walls, throughout the United States as well as Canada,
Japan, Australia, Mexico, France and New Zealand. It is estimated that more than one
billion people are exposed to Wyland's art each year and more than any
other artist, he has raised the planet's environmental consciousness with regard to the
oceans and their inhabitants.
Visit his web site at: http://www.wyland.com
95. ALVIN !!!
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod operates the Deep Submergence
Vehicle - Alvin for the national oceanographic community. Built in 1964 as the world’s
first deep-ocean submersible, Alvin has made more than 4,200 dives. It can reach nearly
63 percent of the global ocean floor. The sub's most famous exploits include locating a
lost hydrogen bomb in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966, exploring the first known
hydrothermal vent sites in the 1970s, and surveying the wreck of RMS Titanic in 1986.
Alvin carries two scientists and a pilot as deep as three miles and each dive lasts six to ten
hours. Because there is no light in the deep, the submersible must carry quartz iodide and
metal halide lights to illuminate the seafloor. Alvin has two robotic arms that can
manipulate instruments, and its basket can carry up to 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds) of
tools and seafloor samples. The sub is named for Allyn Vine, a WHOI engineer and
geophysicist who helped pioneer deep submergence research and technology.
Great pictures from Alvin can be viewed at: http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=8422
96. THE BALLOONFISH
The balloonfish is known for its large eyes. The body of the balloonfish is covered in
long, sharp spines that extend when the fish inflates by taking in water, which tends to
occur when the fish is threatened. They are reef fish and nocturnal predators, generally
hiding in crevices in the reef during the day. The teeth are fused forming a strong, beak-
like mouth for consuming snails, sea urchins, and hermit crabs. These fish are relatively
poor swimmers. Balloonfish are used in "Chinese medicine".
97. POACHING OF ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES
May 10, 2007 (Indonesia): 397 Dead Sea Turtles were seized from a Chinese Fishing
Boat. Illegal poaching of endangered sea turtles is a practice that’s all too common.
When you consider that ALL seven species of sea turtles are in danger of extinction due
to illegal poaching, bycatch, and threats to their nesting grounds - stories like these are
even more sobering. None of these sea turtle species can sustain catches like these. The
397 dead turtles found on this boat were likely headed to China to be used for medicinal
purposes - purposes that have no scientifically proven efficacy. And it happens all the
time. Just in March of 2007, Chinese poachers were caught with nearly 300 sea turtles off
the coast of Malaysia.
For further information and other poaching stories visit: http://www.turtle-
foundation.org/epages/newse.html
98. FISH FARMING DEBATE
May 16, 2007 (Canada): Massive changes are needed in the way fish farms operate on the
British Columbia coast. The debate exists between those who want salmon farms moved
away from the ocean to protect wild stocks and industry proponents who say they've
made huge strides to make aquaculture safe. The compromise position - ocean-based,
closed-containment farms - doesn't yet exist. The fish farming industry states that if the
compromise goes through, ―they will start liquidating their assets and move out of the
area to a new location without restrictions.‖ Environmentalists state the compromise
"would eliminate environmental impacts caused by open net pens such as sea lice
epidemics, sea lion and seal kills, and escaped farmed fish."
99. THE AQUANAUT
For the past 12 days, marine biologist Lloyd Godson's home has been a steel box at the
bottom of a lake near Albury, on the NSW-Victoria border generating his own oxygen
and electricity. Funded by the Australian Geographical Society, the project was an
experiment in self-sufficiency and sustainability under water. Godson was able to test a
product that uses algae to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen for breathing. He
also used a pedal-powered generator to circulate the algae and generate electricity to
recharge his laptop.
100. LOST WHALES DON’T RESPOND TO MUSICAL LURE
May 17, 2007 (San Francisco): Two wounded humpback whales that swam 92 miles up
rivers and a man-made canal into California's Central Valley are not responding to
recorded whale calls aimed at luring them back to sea. The roughly 45-foot female and
her 20-foot calf had swum to California's Port of Sacramento and meandered in the same
area as rescue officials played recorded sounds from a boat aimed at luring them
downstream. "It appears that the animals are not responding." Experts say the current
incident is the longest recorded inland U.S. journey for humpback whales.
101. RICHEST SUNKEN TREASURE FOUND
May 19, 2007 (Tampa): A real life sunken treasure was discovered in the Atlantic
Ocean, something you usually only see in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. Deep sea
explorers out of Tampa, FL, say they have struck gold. Divers from a company called
Odyssey Marine Explorations found a ship with 17 tons of Colonial Era gold and silver
coins, with an estimated value of about $500 million. Each coin may be worth a
thousand dollars each, which would make it the richest sunken treasure ever found.
Details about the ship and the site have not been released for security reasons.
102. LOST WHALES – AN UPDATE
May 23, 2007 (San Francisco): Efforts to lure two humpback whales stranded in a
California river back to the ocean suffered a setback after they reversed course and began
heading further inland. Hopes that the whales were heading to safety grew on Sunday
after they made an about-face and traveled 25 miles downstream in the narrow freshwater
Sacramento River back towards the Pacific. However, after pausing early Monday near
Rio Vista, still some 70 miles from the ocean, the whales turned around and began
heading back upstream again. Experts are at a loss to explain why the two whales, which
had been heading north on their spring migratory route which runs from Mexico along
California into the northern Pacific, took a wrong turn.
103. FEMALE SHARKS DON’T NEED MALES
May 23, 2007 (Florida): Female sharks can reproduce without having sex, scientists
revealed today. The discovery could have solved a mystery which has baffled experts
studying the species in captivity. Researchers made the breakthrough after a
hammerhead shark gave birth without mating with a male. No traces of any paternal
DNA were detected in the offspring. "The discovery that sharks can reproduce asexually
now changes this paradigm, leaving mammals as the only major vertebrate group where
this form of reproduction has not been seen." This unusual reproductive ability, known
as parthenogenesis, is only very occasionally seen in some vertebrate groups such as
birds, reptiles and amphibians, but it has never before been seen in other major vertebrate
lines such as mammals or sharks.
104. LOST WHALES – ANOTHER UPDATE
May 25, 2007 (San Francisco): Scientists on Thursday gave two whales stranded in a
California river far from the ocean a break from audio recordings designed to coax them
back to their natural environment. But they said they would try a new plan Friday:
spraying the whales with fire hoses. Scientists have never tried the method before and
don't know how the whales would react. Scientists also are working on a plan to inject the
whales with antibiotics via dart gun to help heal wounds that are worsening the longer the
marine mammals stay in fresh water. Researchers have become increasingly concerned
because the whales are showing signs of distress, wildly slapping their tales in the water.
They have also noted with concern the worsening state of the whales' skin and gashes on
their backs.
105. LOST WHALES STILL NOT HOME
May 29, 2007 (San Francisco): Delta and Dawn, the wayward humpback whales who
have wandered through the delta for two weeks, spent Memorial Day hanging around the
Benicia Bridge but failed to make further progress toward the ocean. Spectators, state
officials and Coast Guard personnel were encouraged early in the day when the whales
passed under the bridge about 7:30 a.m. in an apparent effort to head west toward San
Francisco Bay. But they then reversed course and spent the day circling just east of the
structure. Although they would be best in open water, the whales are at least in better
surroundings now with saltier water and more plentiful food compared with the
environment farther up the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Experts say the saltier
water will help wounds believed to have been caused by a run-in with a boat.
106. STRONG JAWS
A lot of sharks can bite with the same strength as an alligator. That means a shark’s jaws
can bite down on its food about twenty times as hard as you can.
107. GOOD NEWS FOR THE TWO LOST WHALES
May 31, 2007 (San Francisco): With no sightings Wednesday of the pair that have come
to be known as Delta and Dawn, scientists think - but do not know for sure - they must
have slipped out quietly, in the dark, through the Golden Gate and back to the wilds
where they belong. "We all were hoping we could personally witness them returning to
the ocean," said Trevor Spradlin, a marine biologist with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration who has been part of the rescue team. "But we just wanted
them to be safe and sound." The dozens of rescue team members who tried to lure them
with whale songs and push them with banging pipes, who scared them with fire hoses and
nursed their wounds with giant syringes of antibiotics, spent Wednesday on the San
Francisco Bay wondering which way the mammals went. "If we have learned anything
about these two, they are going to do what they want to do, when they want to do it,"
108. UNUSUAL PREHISTORIC SHARK CAPTURED IN JAPAN
A rare frilled shark was captured live by fishermen off the coast of Japan. The toothy eel-
like creature was taken to Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka where it later died.
The 5-foot long beast was believed to be ill because it was found in shallow waters.
Generally the species, known as Chlamydoselachus anguineus, lives at a depth of 488-
4550 feet. It is considered a primitive shark, largely unchanged since prehistoric times.
109. NEW LOCH NESS MONSTER VIDEO!!
June 3, 2007 (Scotland): The Loch Ness monster is back -- and there's video. A man has
captured what Nessie watchers say is possible footage of the supposed mythical creature
beneath Scotland's most mysterious lake. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this jet
black thing, about 45 feet long, moving fairly fast in the water," said Gordon Holmes, the
55-year-old a lab technician from Shipley, Yorkshire, who took the video Saturday.
Nessie watcher and marine biologist Adrian Shine viewed the video and hoped to
properly analyze it in the coming months.
See the video:
http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=3378994&v
ersion=1&locale=EN-US
110. THE DUMBO OCTOPUS
These jelly-like octopuses only occur in the deep sea. They differ from other octopuses in
that they have a pair of fins on their body that they flap to glide through the water. It
makes them look like the cartoon character Dumbo the Flying Elephant. They have a
very soft jelly body and deep webs between the arms that can be spread out to glide
looking like a frisbee, powered by the flapping fins. These sorts of octopuses have been
found down to at least 5 miles deep. Some reach large sizes, more than three yards from
armtip to armtip. Operators of research submarines have been shocked by large ones
swimming past the portholes and blocking out the light.
111. DEFEND THE WHALES
http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/take-action
112. I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS ABOUT THE BELUGA WHALE
The Beluga Whale is a small white, toothed whale found mainly in the coastal waters of
the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas but also in rivers and deep offshore waters. It is an
extremely vocal cetacean and thus has also been referred to as the ―canary of the sea.‖
This whale can also proficiently mimic a variety of sounds. The popular and very
expensive Beluga caviar does not come from this whale, rather it comes from the
unrelated great white Beluga Sturgeon.
113. FINAL THOUGHTS
First of all thank you to Malorie Sassaman for her research, writing and advice for an
amazing 111 unique, interesting and thought-provoking Tales of the Day.
Our final thoughts: Why should we care about the environment?
Humans have explored less than 5 percent of the world's oceans, and even where we have
explored, life may have been too small to see. Thus, opportunities abound to discover
species and increase our knowledge of abundance and distribution.
More than 50 new species of animals and plants that have never been seen before have
been discovered in a 'Lost World' on the island of Borneo in just 18 months. This is just
one example of the unexplored areas on land.
The largest natural chemist store in the world, the rainforest abounds with compounds
that can be derived from plants for countless uses; cures for headaches, snakebites,
epilepsy, fever, diarrhea, muscle aches. The list goes on. Worldwide, over 120
pharmaceutical products that are commercially used have been derived from tropical
forest plants, and about 75% were discovered by examining the use of these plants in
traditional medicine.
The continued destruction of the Amazon rainforest jeopardizes not only local people’s
subsistence way of life, but also the potential of further medical breakthroughs for
humans worldwide.
―We don’t own this place, though we act as if we did. It belongs to the children of our
children’s kids. The actual owners haven’t even been born yet.‖
It’s time to take action and make a difference.
See you next year!