cmcclain
Posts by this author
October 25, 2007
From JAMSTEC: Scaly foot--a spiral gastropod clad in iron sulfide scales
Found only in an extremely limited region of hyrdothermal areas within the Indian Ocean, which is called "Kairei Field". As the name suggests, this creature is covered in rugged scales that protect it from predators. How it…
October 24, 2007
Sure Sphere is a filthy piece of literary swill but it also a vital component of any submersible. As you may remember from geometry, for any given volume, a sphere has the smallest surface area, or for any given surface area, a sphere will have the greatest volume. From a practical standpoint…
October 24, 2007
Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish caught an error in this post about Evert Fresh Produce Bags.I was reading the list of plastic alternatives in your post on Deep Sea News, and I noticed you recommended Evert Fresh produce bags as being non-petroleum based. I believe that they are in fact…
October 24, 2007
The deep ocean (deeper than 1km) is a CO2 sink. Deep water masses are cold and dense which minimizes vertical mixing with overlying ocean layers. This means what carbon travels to the deep is sequestered away from the atmosphere. Eric Galbraith, author of recent study in Nature, notes"It's like a…
October 19, 2007
Abel Pharmboy over at Terra Sigillata has a nice write up about Therapeutic Natural Products from the Sea. The ocean fauna is the potential host to several "sources of compounds that can be used as therapeutic agents." These include drugs to treat some cancers and leukemias. The better news is…
October 18, 2007
New Zealand band Fat Freddys Drop mix it up with deep sea life.
October 18, 2007
I am relaxing the 200m rule for DSN, to bring you some photographs from one of my favorites, Kawika Chetron. To say that Kawika's photos of the kelp forest are stunning would be a gross understatement. Luckily, you can view most of his portfolio online.
"Deep Shale", Monterey Bay, California…
October 18, 2007
A bill in the senate has passed that will focus research on ocean acidification. The Lutenberg Measure, crafted by Senator Frank R. Lutenberg (D-NJ) and cosponsored by Barbara Boxer (D-CA), directs funds to the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of the acidification of oceans and how…
October 18, 2007
How much would you pay to save a lobster? $160 is the amount Chris Crowell and his wife Jyll Prole paid to purchase a lobster from a Halifax grocery store. Why so much? The lobster, now named Rex, weighed in at 7kg (15.4 lbs). The couple donated Rex to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography where…
October 17, 2007
I am concerned about comments on a few websites and in the press over the last year. Most disheartening is a EU memo entitled "Questions and Answers on Destructive Fishing Practices"
When scientists talk about vulnerable marine habitats in the context of the deep sea, they are referring to…
October 16, 2007
Two major expeditions took place in the last few months. The first explored Celebes Sea south of the Philippines from the surface to a depth 2700m. "This is probably the center where many of the species evolved and spread to other parts of the ocean, so it's going back to the source in many ways…
October 16, 2007
For much of Cindy Lee Van Dover's professional life, she has been a pioneer...In 1990, she became the first woman with a license to pilot an Alvin...She was named the first woman to direct the Duke University Marine Laboratory here.
You can read the rest of the interview over at The New York Times.
October 12, 2007
If you haven't heard our Seed overlords are offering $15,000 in matching funds. Seed is also offering some sweet prizes to donors which you can enter to win:
1 fresh, new iPod nano
21 "Seed Hearts Threadless" tee shirts (design here )
21 ScienceBlogs mugs
21 subscriptions to Seed magazine
9…
October 11, 2007
Image credit: © 2003 MBARI. Stellamedusa ventana is a recently described species of jelly, the size of softball, from the deep sea. The bumps on the bell and arms are loaded with stinging cells (pneumatacysts) that can capture and hold on to prey up to 5 cm (2 inches) across.
October 11, 2007
What else can you say? More famous people here. More on Captain James Cook here!
October 11, 2007
When I am diving, I have the tendency to get a little bored. Coral reefs...yeah,yeah...brightly-colored fish...yawn...charismatic invertebrates...ho-hum...sharks, octopods, communing with nature, etc. My dives are always missing something. Maybe they would be better with a soundtrack. Songs…
October 10, 2007
Whale-fall communities are one of the most unique habitats in the deep oceans. When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, it represents a carbon-rich parcel that contrasts sharply to the food-poor desert around. Whale carcasses attract both opportunistic, and typically scavenging, species…
October 10, 2007
...that is if you forget that they are gas-guzzling uber machines spewing carbon dioxide.Aerosols produced by the exhaust from large oceanic vessels often produce a thin line of clouds trailing miles behind a ship, an aerosol indirect effect (above). This effect is usually split into two processes…
October 10, 2007
I was very excited today to see that during my absence we reached the 2007 DSN Education Fundapalooza goal of $1100. We funded 3 classroom projects and made a dent in the fourth. I cannot begin to express the importance of this to me and how grateful I am for all your donations. Those of you who…
October 10, 2007
Maybe another reason for scientist to carry Glocks in the field.
A boat carrying six scientists from Waltair-Vishkhapatnam-based regional centre attached to Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was attacked two days ago off Yermal coast in Udupi district of Karnataka, top level…
October 6, 2007
Spent some time today remodeling the website. The biggest difference you will notice is a rotating masthead. Currently there are three in random rotation. The first one is the one you are familiar with. Those of you with us since the old days will recognize the second masthead, our very fist for…
October 5, 2007
This is HUGE thank you to all of you who have pushed up to 86% of our goal. Our goal is $1100 which was more than we needed to fund three classrooms. At this point we need a mere $166, to put us over our goal and fund a fourth classroom. If we make our goal, we Donor's Choose will give us a…
October 5, 2007
Here it is, you have earned it! Still trying to figure out the salmon which doesn't really look like a salmon at all. It might pass as a subyearling Chinook from a long distance. Someone who knows salmon please feel free to comment further. Regardless, love the video and song.
October 4, 2007
Why is this boy crying? Because we are only at 25% of what we need to fund three needy classrooms. We can definitely do this! Some of you have already helped us meet our end of the week goal and we thank you. I could go on about why you should donate and how important it is, but you already know…
October 4, 2007
From USA Today...
Hot vents deep in the ocean harbor thousands of previously unknown microorganisms, scientists report. By examining the DNA of microbes taken from two hydrothermal vents [Axial Seamount] off the coast of Oregon, researchers identified as many as 37,000 different kinds of bacteria…
October 4, 2007
The National Museum of Natural History now has the station data and original cruise logs from the research vessels Albatross and Blake online. NOAA Ocean Explorer has a nice online writeup of the importance of both these vessels and the contributions expeditions aboard them made to early…
October 4, 2007
Kids pay attention! Oceanography and drugs don't mix....a third-year student at UF, was arrested during an Introduction to Oceanography class...for the charges of cocaine selling and possession, which are second and third degree felonies...
October 3, 2007
We are slowly creeping toward our $1100 goal. I know from our site stats that we have several hundred returning readers. Now if 100 of you all gave $10 then we would could reach our goal! All that for $10! You probably have $10 in loose change laying around. Of course if you gave $20 not only…
October 2, 2007
Jason over at Cephalopodcast has generously donated a copy of The Bioluminescence Coloring Book (with glow-in-the-dark paint!) and the video Marine Bioluminescence: Secret Lights in the Sea to give away for donors. This means the person who gives the largest donation and two random donors will…