The Census of Marine Life: How Scientists Intend to Count All the Fishes in the Sea
There are things you know, things you don’t know, and things you’ll never know. That’s one of the immutable laws of science. But occasionally,…
Marine Life
Did You Hear That? The Not-So-Silent Undersea World
Want to get away from it all? Enjoy a little peace and tranquility? No ringing telephones, doorbells, ranting bosses, radios or stereos turned up…
They’ve Got Faces Only Their Mothers Could Love: Frogfishes, Toadfishes, Scorpionfishes and Stonefishes
I have heard these fishes described as being so ugly that their looks are endearing, so ugly that they are cute. Grotesque, frumpy, grumpy,...
Sea Stars: Jewels of the Seashore and the Reefs
As school-age kids, long before we even thought of becoming scuba divers, almost all of us had some awareness about the marine creatures known…
What Makes A Fish A Fish? Common Characteristics of Fishes
Here’s a question for you: In addition to living in water, whale sharks, manta rays, moray eels, groupers, gobies, rainbow trout and sea horses…
New Kids on the Block: How Scientists Identify New Species
The picture didn’t match the name. The small red sea horse didn’t look like a juvenile pygmy sea horse even if that’s what the…
Did You See That? The Art of Observing Marine Life
The fish, a spectacularly colored grouper, paused and opened its mouth. Finning only slightly to maintain its position just a foot (30 cm) or…
Do Fish Feel Pain?: A Matter of Scientific Debate
OK, “Finding Nemo” fans, you’d better sit down. I’ve got some bad news. First off, fish can’t talk. Matter of fact, fish can’t really…
Mistaken for Mermaids? A Closer Look at Manatees
Legend has it that when ancient mariners first sailed the waters off what is now Florida, they occasionally mistook manatees for mermaids. Having swum…
Flat, But Fascinating: Flatfishes Examined
My buddy Pete and I were hustling along, trying to get across the “barren” sand flat so we could explore the kelp forest. We…