Cephalopodcast

Students in Florida must now selected a career path in the 8th grade, choosing from a list of 440 occupations. Oceanographer does not appear to be one of them nor does marine biologist. (Granted that some argue that there is no such thing.) But if there were a listing perhaps the selection could include some of the images recently posted by Dr. Steve O’Shea over at TONMO.com (WARNING: bloody whale carcass vs. backhoe). It might also include this quote to describe the day-in-the-life of such a researcher:

We flew down, rented a car, got covered in blood, rented a motel unit to wash up, and then had to fly back up again that evening….

Scientist can learn a lot from a dead whale. Some of what we know of giant squid has come from the stomachs of their predators, the sperm whale. The sucker scars on the whales have also given us clues. But disposing of 60+ tons of animal is no small task. Officials in Scotland are currently faced with a such quandry. Some have infamously tried to blow them up. Others have towed them out to see and sunk them in an effort to better understand the recently discovered whale fall communities:

Scientists studying a whale carcass in Monterey Canyon recently announced the discovery of two new species of unique worms that feed on the bones of dead whales. In the July 30 issue of Science, the researchers describe these worms, whose bodies and feeding strategies differ from those of any other known animal. The worms have no eyes, legs, mouths, or stomachs, but they do have colorful feathery plumes and green “roots.” They use the roots to infiltrate the bones of dead whales, digesting the fats and oils inside with the help of symbiotic bacteria.

In the U.S., if you come across a dead marine mammal of any kind, it’s probably best to contact your local wildlife officials. Or you can try the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has ultimate jurisdiction over protected marine mammal species.