cmcclain | October 10, 2007Maybe 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 officials confirmed. The assailants arrived in two different native crafts, got into the NIO boat and took away the geo-physical survey instruments after a brief scuffle, a NIO spokesman stated. The NIO officials, who were yet to confirm whether the act is a case of piracy or of loot for petty gains,…
petnoyer | October 10, 2007The Chosun Ilbo reports that Korea is joining an exclusive club of countries now bottling deep-sea water, along with U.S., Japan, Norway and Taiwan. The deep-sea water industry claims health benefits to the deep-sea water because it's "clean and bacteria free". Craig hates the idea of this stuff, but he tried deep water from Kona, and he liked it.
The first bottled deep sea water made its debut in Korea on Thursday, with the launch of CJ's Ulleung Mine-water.
The drinking water is processed from sea water that is pumped from a depth of 650 m below the surface of the East Sea off Ulleung…
petnoyer | October 8, 2007Today is Cephalopod Awareness Day. Jason at Cephalopodcast asks us to "embrace your inner octopus and let the world know what we think of our tentacled friends."
At the moment, Craig is in the running for a spot on a documentary series about the deep-sea. He is one of five finalists on the casting couch in Boston today, so I am taking the opportunity to revive an old post documenting known attacks of the Kraken. As you will see below, I don't think of squid as "friends". Quite the contrary...
These are turbulent times. Lately, an awesome sea rides in on violent storms ravaging Gulf coasts…
cmcclain | October 6, 2007Spent 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 DSN. The third is a new one inspired by one of my favorite movies. Here's the exciting news! Create a banner for DSN and if it is up to our exacting standards will include it in the banner rotation. Banners needs to be 756 by 101 pixels. Post links here or send them by email.
cmcclain | October 5, 2007This 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 bonus to apply to a fifth classroom! I am very excited we are so near our goal. As this week closes, I bask in the contentment of knowing we accomplished something great and are inspiring tomorrow's marine scientists and conservation minded citizens. So help me make this final push.
The final…
cmcclain | October 5, 2007Here 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.
petnoyer | October 4, 2007
This is one of the stamps Dr. Frederick "Ted" Bayer painted for a coral reef series from the country of Haiti. Dr. Bayer passed away earlier this week. This stamp is part of his legacy.
The image depicts the deep-sea scleractinian cup coral Stephanocyathus diadema, one of the most ornate and beautiful cup coral skeletons. The skeletons are small. Most specimens could fit easily in the palm of your hand. Stephanocyathus is known from 220-2553 m, S. diadema from 795-2553 m, so it is the deepest in its genus of 14 spp. (S. Cairns, NMNH, pers. comm.).
It's remarkable that Dr. Bayer put a…
cmcclain | October 4, 2007Why 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 the reasons. Seriously, take a moment and think of one reason why you shouldn't give a little. Go ahead...do it right now....
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I bet your two reasons are 1) I don't have enough money and 2) It is too much work. You have at least a spare $10 to give so I am not buying number 1.…
cmcclain | October 4, 2007From 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 and 3,000 archaea, a type of microorganism distinct from bacteria, according to researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. and the University of Washington. Their findings are reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science." This is sure to make Christine's weekend.
cmcclain | October 4, 2007The 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 oceanography. Hat tip to Kevin.
cmcclain | October 4, 2007Kids 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...
petnoyer | October 3, 2007
Frederick "Ted" M. Bayer, 85, a retired Smithsonian curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and one of the world's leading experts on marine invertebrates, passed away earlier today after a long illness at Washington Home in Washington, DC.
Dr. Bayer published over 130 papers and books on the taxonomy and natural history of soft corals (i.e., octocorals: sea fans and sea whips), describing over 170 new species, 40 genera, and even three new families. He was long acknowledged as the doyen of soft coral research, attracting visitors and collections to the Smithsonian from all parts…
cmcclain | October 3, 2007We 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 could we reach our goal faster but may have extra to fund other projects. I am counting on you to make this happen!
Just remember there is a negative correlation between me nagging and you giving!
cmcclain | October 2, 2007Jason 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 receive gifts. Again the list of current swag is
Monterey Bay Aquarium T-Shirt, Socks, Hat, or other such thing
A vial of mud from the ocean floor at 3500m with a framed map and certificate of authenticity.
The Bioluminescence Coloring Book (with glow-in-the-dark paint!) and the video Marine…
cmcclain | October 2, 2007...but there is more than one species of bone-eating worm! The genus Osedax (Annedida: Siboglinidae) are common features of dead whale falls and obtain their nutrition through bone-penetrating roots that host symbiotic bacteria. Whale bones don't have chance! The first species was described in 2004 and since then 3 more have been described (O. rubiplumus, O. frankpressi, O. mucofloris, and O. japonicus). A new study by Braby et al. identifies 4 more new species. The 4 tentative species are both morphologically and genetically distinct (based on mtCO1). Interestingly, they may be…
cmcclain | October 2, 2007
I am holding the two beloved Friday features, that I know you all love, for ransom. Unless $100 in donations roll in by late Thursday PM, your Friday will not be as interesting!
cmcclain | October 2, 2007So after the first day we already at 5% of our total amount in 2007 DSN Education Fundapalooza. It's a great start but we have a long way to go. For the highest donor and the random donor, there will be prizes! You will get your choice of some Monterey Bay Aquarium swag or a vial of mud from the ocean floor at 3500m with a framed map and certificate of authenticity. It is for a great cause so reach into your wallet pull out that credit card and give! Just $10 from all our visitors would put us well on our way.
Click on the thermometer to the left to head on to the Fundapalooza challenge!
petnoyer | October 2, 2007Imagine this at the Weather Channel. The announcer is sitting on a beach waiting for a wave that comes once every four hours. He sits there eight hours, at least, to notice the wave roll in twice. To formulate a testable hypothesis about the periodicity he sits in the chair for a week. To understand the effect of the wave he will sit there for a month, or design an instrument to do it for him.
This is one reason why oceanographers seem to live in another world. They occupy a different space-time continuum than we do. We can only wish we had the time to watch a large internal wave breaking…
cmcclain | October 1, 2007Last year DSN, although not a Sb'ling, participated in the Donor's Choose Campaign. Various bloggers here at Sb, with the help of our readers, raised money for classrooms across the US. DonorsChoose is an organization that helps teachers fund classroom projects and other student learning experiences. DSN raised over $500 dollars last year to send children from a southern California school on a field trip to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. You can catch read about this on today's other post.
Given the success of last year, DSN is again sponsoring a challenge to raise money. This year we…
cmcclain | September 30, 2007
Last year DSN and our readers raised money to send 53 seventh and eigth grade sciences students of Kipp Academy of Opportunity to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
KIPP Academy of Opportunity is a free public middle school of choice, which opened in the Summer of 2003 in South Los Angeles. This new charter school accepts 90 fifth graders each year, and serves approximately 360 students in grades 5 through 8. KIPP Academy of Opportunity enables students to become self-motivated, competent, and life-long learners. Armed with these skills and achievements, the students of KIPP Academy of Opportunity…