Washington Post staff writer Marc Kaufman will be online Monday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss a Navy project to learn how sonar and other loud ocean noises affect the deep-diving beaked whale.
The Pacific Science Center has a variation on a popular numbers game.
Do you Sudoku? Well, here’s a twist we think you’ll love. We call it PacSci-Doku…Instead of filling in the blanks with numbers, use letters. Hidden in one of the columns or rows is the answer to a science question. The question in this edition is:
What ancient sea reptile lived during the age of the dinosaurs in what is now Europe?
To find the answer, complete this PacSci-Doku using the following nine letters:
A O U S D L R P C
![Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure Poster [PDF]](http://cephalopodcast.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pic-natgeo-seamonster.jpg)
This might be a fun supplement for educators following along when National Geographic premieres its new giant screen film Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure on October 5th.
Stunning photo-realistic computer-generated animated transports audiences back to the Late Cretaceous, when a great inland sea divided North America in two. The film follows a curious and adventurous dolichorhynchops – familiarly known as a ‘dolly’ – as she travels through the most dangerous oceans in history. Along the way, she encounters long-necked plesiosaurs, giant turtles, enormous fish, fierce sharks, and the most dangerous sea monster of all, the mosasaur.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be playing anywhere close to me. 
However, it’s not only a movie, it’s also a multimedia marketing blitzvideogame for the Wii
I have to think that combining these games with the standards-based lesson plans would make for a pretty interesting classroom assignment.
[via Practical Fishkeeping]
The way that taxonomy normally works, the person that describes a new species also gets to give it a new name. This bit of binomial classification is often a staid affair, although sometimes it can get a little silly. However, some researchers have cottoned on to the idea of selling off the privilege of naming rights to raise funds for more research. And this scheme recently gained a little more chic with the addition of Chrisite’s as the auctioneer and the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The Blue Auction is an historical event offering individuals, companies and organizations the opportunity to bid for the privilege of having their name (or a name of their choice) forever attributed to new marine life species recently discovered off the coasts of the Bird’s Head Seascape in Indonesia by Conservation International.
A total of 12 lots shall be auctioned by Christie’s, and the proceeds will benefit marine conservation programs associated with the long-term preservation of such species as well as other environment and biodiversity-related programs. Participation to the gala event is for qualified bidders and by invitation only. Donations from interested parties and unsuccesful bidders are welcome.
Auction lots include:
To see the habitat that these funds will be used to protect, check out the interactive photo essay over at National Geo.
So how much would you pay to name a new species? Which of these organisms do you think will get the highest bid? I reckon the shark will be the most sought after. And what about this whole notion about selling off naming rights? Is nothing sacred? Or is the whole notion of binomial classification fundamentally flawed anyway?
[via Plankton Forums]
Reports of an albino dolphin photographed near Lake Charles, LA.
[S]potted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake….
It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama.
Compare this to reports of a white humpback whale near Australia.
LiveScience reports on new research by Dr Roger Hanlon which suggests that squid are oblivious to the ultrasonics of whales. It was theorized that whales might use ultrasonic blasts to stun their prey. Instead, it may be that whales capture thier prey by creating a super suction by flexing their bodies.
The researchers played recorded ultrasound whale clicks to several long-finned squid (Loligo pealeii) swimming in a water tank.
The ultrasound clicks were broadcast at up to 226 decibels, which is about the most intense whale echolocation click a squid would be exposed to in the wild. If the clicks were at a frequency humans could hear, they would be as loud as a rifle shot heard from three feet in front of the muzzle.
But not only were the squid not knocked senseless, they did not react at all to the ultrasound bursts, and actually swam in front of the speaker as if nothing were happening.
Hanlon is also the scientist who filmed the disappearing octopus video.
There is a new inky link for cephalopod enthusiasts: The Cephalopod Centerfold. It is a blog by Jessica from Massachusetts.
I live in Massachusetts. I like squids, octopus, nautiluses, cuttlefish-anything with at least eight underwater arms. Uh, drowning spiders don’t count.
Guess the last bit means that ear spiders are out of the consideration. But highlights so far include: baconopod, sink cephalopods and octopus papercraft.
Backside of a fossil sharks tooth, one of the largest ever excavated in Florida. On display at the Paleo Preserve (www.paleopreserve.org).
The Florida Museum of Natural History will soon open a new exhibit called Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived
At about 60 feet long, Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived. The dominant marine predator vanished 2 million years ago, but its story inspires lessons for ocean conservation today.
Visitors enter a full-size sculpture of Megalodon through massive jaws. Once inside, they will discover this shark’s history and the world it inhabited.
The exhibit opens June 16 and runs through January 6, 2008.
[via FMSEA]
[via SHARK-L]
Here is some more video of a live goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni). It is a WMV file hosted at Tokai University’s School of Marine Science and Technology. Think this is the same specimen from a couple months ago? It’s in Japanese, so I can’t be sure. Here’s a nice, gnarly picture too.
Also, there’s a Flash movie featuring pics of a captured megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios), which is another rarely seen species.
WHOI has a marine science image of the day that you can subscribe to. It is part of their Digital Image Catalog. In additon to the WHOI IoD, you can find:
Need a secchi disk or zooplankton net? How about a rubber squid or manual on building your own ROV? We’ve mentioned the catalog company from MarineLab before. They supply a variety of materials of interest to marine science educators.
Well, from a posting on NMEA’s Scuttlebutt listserv, it appears the business is up for sale. No word on why the change. But if you are interested, check out the website, www.leaveonlybubbles.com, and contact Art Mitchell (art [dot] mitchell [at] mrdf [dot] org) for details.
The newest issue of Sea Stories is available. Sea Stories is a quarterly online journal of international ocean writing and art, published by Blue Ocean Institute.
Sea Stories…features contributions by ocean-lovers from all backgrounds and walks of life - writers, artists, educators, students, scientists, fishers, conservationists, explorers, and just regular people. Educators are invited to use Sea Stories in the classroom or as a publishing opportunity for yourself or your students. Join us in celebrating all things oceanic!
![Image courtesy of Cayman Islands Twilight Zone 2007 Exploration, Deb Gochfeld, NOAA-OE [200x150, 16K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/pic/pic_070521_NOAAOE.jpg "A diver explores the vertical distribution of corals on a Pacific wall. Image courtesy of Cayman Islands Twilight Zone 2007 Exploration, Deb Gochfeld, NOAA-OE")
The first expedition of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2007 field season, Cayman Islands Twilight Zone, is now available on their website. The expedition runs from May 20-June 10, 2007.
During the trip, scientist will study coral reefs of the “twilight zone” in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Cuba. These reefs have been studied much less than shallow and deep-water reefs because they are beyond the safe range of conventional SCUBA equipment, yet are too shallow and close to shore to justify the use of expensive submersibles and ROVs.
This shore-based mission will employ new diving techniques that allow scientists to personally visit deep-water ecosystems without the need for expensive submersibles. Divers will utilize both open- and closed-circuit diving systems, as well as breathe special gas mixtures, including Nitrox and Trimix.
Web coverage for this mission includes Biotechnology, Technical Diving, and Biodiversity content essays written especially for this mission. Web logs, including video and images, written by scientists and other explorers at sea capture daily activities and discoveries. An “Ask an Explorer” feature is also available to submit questions to and receive answers from the explorers while they are engaged in the mission.
![Turtles in Trouble, thetravelfoundation.org.uk [150x217, 16K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/pic/pic_070508_mcsturtles.gif "Turtles in Trouble, thetravelfoundation.org.uk")
Take eight minutes out of your day and watch this clever little animated PSA about sea turtle conservation. Even though it is targeted at European travelers, its message is global.
The short film explains how UK tour operator practice can make a positive difference to the conservation of endangered loggerhead and green turtles during the summer holiday season at destinations in Greece, Crete and Turkey.
It’s not nearly as dry as it sounds. In fact, it is delightfully moist.
[via TONMO]
Toren Atkinson, lead singer for the Lovecraftian rock band, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets will soon release a new track from their forthcoming album “The Shadow Out of Tim.” The track is called “A Marine Biologist” and is all about “bathyscaphes, benthic trawlers, architeuthis, etc.” They want to create a video for this song that features marine biologists from around the world. All they need is any video, even previously produced footage, of you doing anything marine biological.
If you want to help out, contact Toren Atkinson at thickets [at] uniserve [dot] com. I believe cephalopod costumes are optional. Or if you are not a marine biologist (or only play one on TV), please spread the word to any marine biologists you know.
UPDATE: DotHT have released the mp3 of their song. Check it.
Another aquatic special from PBS, this one on sharks:
Sharkland
Airs Sunday, May 06, 2007In a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Southern Africa, a unique pattern of warm and cold currents brings together an astounding variety of sharks. Nearly 150 species of all colors, shapes and sizes gather there - including pajama sharks, leopard cat sharks, seven-gill cow sharks and the great white.
In 1975, a gigantic great white shark began to terrorize the world. But Hollywood has nothing to compare with the waters off the tip of southern Africa, one of the sharkiest coasts on Earth. Roughly 140 different shark species of all shapes, sizes and dispositions hunt here, brought together by a pattern of warm and cold ocean currents unlike anywhere else on the planet. NATURE swims with leopard cats and coppers, the speedy mako, the great white and many others when Sharkland premieres Sunday, May 6 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham narrates.
More oceanic adventures from PBS. They updated the site to include an educators guide.
VOYAGE OF THE LONELY TURTLE
Premieres Sunday, April 15th at 8 p.m.A solitary loggerhead turtle in the middle of a vast ocean may not sound like an adventure film, but stick with her. Along her 9000-mile voyage to nest, our loggerhead tour guide in VOYAGE OF THE LONELY TURTLE encounters hammerhead sharks, deep ocean tempests, and man-made death traps in the form of fishing nets and hooks. Her body of well-suited armor and specialized adaptations for deep-ocean dwelling will help the sea turtle evade many of the ocean’s menaces. But this is just one set of challenges to overcome. Here is another: she must find her way across the Pacific, from Baja to a small stretch of beach in Japan, a precise location that she has been to just once before, as a two-inch hatchling, decades ago.
![I'm a sucker for the Cephalopodcast, science edu+ocean info, cephalopodcast.com [180x150, 39K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/cephalobanner1.jpg "Cephalopodcast Fans")