Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.
Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.
Kevin Zelnio is a Graduate Student Researcher at Penn State studying the ecology of hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities. He raises awareness of the plight of the spineless through folk music.
To take our knitting challenge? Or are you waiting for us to raise the stakes a little? To refresh your memory, I challenged knitting readers to create a Bone-Devouring Zombie Worm with Dwarf Male in a previous post. Since the males are internal it would be cool to have a flap where you can open it to see the dwarf male giving up the spermie. Below is a figure from the article with the female ('D') with eggs traveling up the oviduct (white blotches). In 'E' the arrows point to 2 dwarf males, the 'fronds' (aka palps, labeled p) are topmost part of the organism.
To add to the pot, Craig said he would like a knitted Giant Isopod. Here is a post for your creative spark.
Did I mention we are offering $20 (read TWENTY US DOLLARS) for each specimen?? We'll even pay the shipping! All we ask is that post concise designs on freely on the web. We can post it here, or you can post it at your own blog should you have one.
So get knitting!
Comments
May I forward the challenge to my crafting group?
Posted by: tjewell | April 8, 2008 8:29 PM
Please go ahead. How else am I going to get a plush giant isopod?
Posted by: CR McClain | April 8, 2008 8:45 PM
Once I'm out of finals hell, I can give it a shot! ( might not be knit though, but will be plushy.)
Posted by: Nico | April 8, 2008 9:00 PM
If anyone needs more pictures of Osedax or Bathynomus, flip through our site (search toolbar on left) or email one of us for papers.
Posted by: kevin z | April 9, 2008 4:39 AM
I think I can create an Osedax using crochet, rather than knitting-it's easier for me to shape things in crochet stitches. I'll try to keep track of a pattern, but usually I crochet creatures in a free-form manner. It will undoubtedly be hideous...I've got some maroon yarn for the tube, and some sage green yarn for the "root", and some multicolored yarn for the "fronds" (whatever they're called).
Where exactly do the males go? If I crochet a tube with an opening at the base, can I just stuff the males inside? They look rather flat and nondescript from one of the photos.
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 9, 2008 6:00 AM
Alternatively, here are some felt squids (pre-digested) and patterns for a plush Yeti crab (Kiwa hirsuta). See also, the knitted Cephalopodalong.
Posted by: JasonR | April 9, 2008 9:01 AM
I modified the post so you can get a better idea of the worm and dwarf males.
Posted by: kevin z | April 9, 2008 12:46 PM
Thanks-I have a better idea now. I also downloaded the 2006 Goffredi paper at work today. I started on the tube this evening (in pink yarn)...that will be the easy part. If I manage to pull this off, I'll send the hideous thing to you (I'm more of a Cnidaria gal myself), and you can keep the $20 for your Donors Choose project. :-)
The pattern should be comprehensible to anyone familiar with basic crochet techniques.
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 9, 2008 4:45 PM
Yes, I know Barn Owl, I read your blog! I love the jelly you did recently. You can do a venus fly trap anemone for me too, if you want. I have a paper out in review describing 4 new species of anemones.
Posted by: kevin z | April 9, 2008 5:57 PM
A new species in crochet... it's kinda poetic.
Posted by: Peter | April 9, 2008 9:54 PM
maybe i should include a picture of it as a figure? slip it in with the revisions and see if the editors notice
Posted by: kevin z | April 10, 2008 7:00 AM
The Osedax yarniflorax is coming along nicely (at least the tube and the palps).
When you have a preprint of your paper on the anemones, Kevin, post an image of the venus flytrap species, and I'll see what I can do.
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 10, 2008 10:40 AM
"Your species, immortalized in yarn."
Talk about a niche market!
You may be on to something, Barn owl. I love it. lol.
Posted by: Peter | April 10, 2008 1:47 PM
Oh that was a separate thing, I'm not describing a venus flytrap anemone. But the ones I did do are very pretty too!
I'm so excited about the Osedax!!
Posted by: kevin z | April 10, 2008 3:32 PM
Yarn Osedax update:
Trunk and crown are complete, and I'm finishing the "roots" on the ovisac tonight, and I expect to have the whole thing finished by Monday. Where do I mail it?
I'll post a photo on my blog, but won't reveal the surprise. I'll leave that for the Deep-Sea News crew.
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 12, 2008 4:06 PM
Give me an email at kzelnio at gmail dot com.
Posted by: kevin z | April 13, 2008 5:56 AM
It's finished!
I posted a photo on my blog this morning...not revealing the surprise, of course. I'll fire off an e-mail to you later today.
I used leftover yarn from other projects, so it's rather hideous. I would crochet another marine polychaete in the future though-it was fun!
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 13, 2008 7:20 AM
Another fun challenge would be the eversible pharynx of a predatory polychaete!
Posted by: kevin z | April 13, 2008 11:56 AM
Finally made it to the post office today, so you should receive the Osedax in a few days.
I put it in a small box-I forgot to mention that I incorporated two silkworm cocoons within the ovisac, to serve as ovaries, and I didn't want them to get crushed.
Posted by: Barn Owl | April 17, 2008 8:21 AM
LOL, I can't wait! I'm more giddy than a 5 year old on christmas eve!
Posted by: kevin z | April 17, 2008 9:42 AM