Pic o’ the Week: Pyrosomes on the Oregon Coast

Pyrosomes on the beach, sea foam in the background. Photo © Seaside Aquarium They look like beautifully glowing loofah sponges dropped on the sandy beach but they're actually living, multicelled animals, or "zooids." These particular loofah-shaped zooids are pyrosomes and they sometimes wash up out of the ocean's salty waters and onto its shores. These … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Pyrosomes on the Oregon Coast

Spotlight: Ocean Meditation for a Tense Moment

Our remarkable ocean planet has endured for countless millennia, and some of the oldest creatures - horseshoe crabs - have been living on this earth for hundreds of millions of years. Our eternal ocean, Humboldt, California, USA. Absolutely stunning photo © Jeffrey Schwartz People in the United States, and indeed much of the world, are … Continue reading Spotlight: Ocean Meditation for a Tense Moment

Pic o’ the Week: Jelly Shields Jack Fish

Jack fish uses jelly as protection. Image © Katherine Lu OPOTY 2024 We all need help at times from our fellow inhabitants on this earth. This jack fish found the perfect shelter needed in this moment, a neighboring jelly. Katherine Lu was lucky to be there at the right moment and skillfully snapped this freeze-frame … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Jelly Shields Jack Fish

Pic o’ the Week: Giant Wave Clouds Over the Pacific Ocean

"Wave" clouds, or Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, seen from Whidbey Island looking toward Possession Point on Sept. 3. Photo © Cathy O'Keefe A stunning sight appeared in the sky off Whidbey Island, Washington in September -- waves of clouds! No this isn't photoshopped or Hollywood special effects. This is a rare cloud formation called Kelvin-Helmholtz or fluctus … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Giant Wave Clouds Over the Pacific Ocean

Spotlight: A Flat Flounder’s Gaze

Flounder, Blue Heron Bridge, Riviera Beach, Florida. © Tamara Christian It's not quite a cloak of invisibility but it can be pretty close. The ability of flounders to lie on the ocean floor and nearly completely blend into the sand while their eyes remain ever-watchful above the seafloor is one of the best camouflages in … Continue reading Spotlight: A Flat Flounder’s Gaze

Pic o’ the Week: Luminescent Caribbean Coral

Just off the coast of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea, photographer Nicolas Marin snapped this glowing, jade-coloured coral. The striking luminescence was captured under ultraviolet light during a night dive. "This photo is important because it showcases the wonder and fragility of marine life and the need to protect it,” said Marin in a statement. … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Luminescent Caribbean Coral

Pic o’ the Week: Earthrise – Our Remarkable Ocean Planet

The first time humans saw our remarkable ocean planet from space they were astonished. Earthrise, seen from Apollo 8 by Astronaut Bill Anders, December 24, 1968. Photographer Galen Rowell declared this photo “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken” This beautiful blue marble is our unique ocean planet -- the only planet we know of with consistent, … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Earthrise – Our Remarkable Ocean Planet

Spotlight: Parrotfish Pearly Whites

photo © @ollieclarkphotos The pearly whites of a parrotfish almost look harmless in this close-up, but parrotfish constantly chomp on coral with these incredibly strong teeth. How can they do that without wearing down? A 2018 study astonished researchers, revealing that parrotfish teeth are a woven microstructure that "researchers had never seen before, with the … Continue reading Spotlight: Parrotfish Pearly Whites

Spotlight: The Miraculous Corals We Could Lose to the Climate Emergency

Coral reefs are among the miracles in our planet's remarkable ocean. They're symbiotic communities of living organisms, a true marvel of biological processes. But their survival is severely threatened by climate change. Here's what we're losing, from whip corals to fan corals to stony corals to lophelia corals to coral species that haven't even been … Continue reading Spotlight: The Miraculous Corals We Could Lose to the Climate Emergency

Pic o’ the Week: Rockfish in Coccolithophore Bloom

Image © Andrew McCurdy It looks like a watercolor painting but it's a real underwater pic! Here's how the photographer describes getting the shot:  " I spent a while in the shallows with these shy but curious Black Rockfish. I had to sit on the bottom and hold my breath for them to come closer … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Rockfish in Coccolithophore Bloom

Pic o’ the Week: Lions Mane Nudie

Lions mane nudibranch {Melibe leonina} © Bruce Sudweeks "Don’t get this guy confused with Lion's Mane mushroom, as these nudibranchs are probably far less tasty." "The lion's mane nudibranch (Melibe leonina), has an anatomy that is unique from other nudibranchs. Instead of a rasping tongue, it has an expandable oral hood that resembles a lion's … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Lions Mane Nudie

Pic o’ the Week: Nature’s Light in Dark Times

Aurora jellies in fjord outside Tromsø, northern Norway. Photo © Audun Rikardsen “Surrounded by darkness yet enfolded in light” ~ Alan Brennert It seems dark in so many ways ... quite literally in the northern hemisphere in the depths of winter, and figuratively around the globe as war and violence rage in Ukraine, Gaza and … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Nature’s Light in Dark Times

Pic o’ the Week: Whip Coral Shrimp

Whip coral shrimp, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia. Photo © David Curry Grand prize winner Through Your Lens category, Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Contest 2023 At first glance it looks like a wreath of exquisite orange and yellow spring flowers. But look closer -- notice the long light green fronds in the bottom right? That's a tiny … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Whip Coral Shrimp

Pic o’ the Week: “like a galaxy crashed with the ocean”

“This is the most amazing discovery in my lifetime! It feels like I’ve discovered a rare treasure,” Andreea Baker exclaimed about seeing these seastars in a mussel shell. Baker happened upon this wondrous ocean sight while walking along the Oregon coast near Cannon Beach. We were visiting Indian Beach Oregon on my 37th birthday. We … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: “like a galaxy crashed with the ocean”

Spotlight: The Ocean Crisis & One Thing YOU Can Do

As climate change heats up our planet's remarkable ocean and the teeming life in its waters is incredibly stressed and dies off, we must witness what we're losing. There are entire universes of life below the blue-gray surface that we see when we look out at our ocean. They are dying rapidly. Our oceans are … Continue reading Spotlight: The Ocean Crisis & One Thing YOU Can Do

Notable Ocean Quotable: Our Fate and the Oceans

Each of us can make a difference for our planet's remarkable ocean, which supports all life on earth. America's national treasure, marine biologist and explorer extraordinaire, Sylvia Earle, has been a relentless voice of inspiration, encouraging us all to do what we can where we are to learn about the wonders of our marine planet and to support ocean exploration and conservation

Pic o’ the Week: Cardigan Bay’s Dolphin Surprise

Pwllheli Harbour, Cardigan Bay, Wales. Photo © Rhys Jones Welsh photographer Rhys Jones has been snapping pictures with his drone around the Welsh shores of Cardigan Bay for two years. Recently his drone caught this view of the Pwllheli harbor and Jones was surprised: "Once seen it it cannot be unseen ... In all my … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Cardigan Bay’s Dolphin Surprise

Pic o’ the Week: Sea Angels Among Us

Clione limacina, photo ©Alexander Semenov With their winged appearance and translucent bodies, it's easy to see why these pelagic gastropods, Clione limacina, are commonly called sea angels. They're actually related to sea slugs and sea snails, and they live in ocean surface waters down into deep waters. Despite their angelic good looks, they're fierce predators … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Sea Angels Among Us

Pic o’ the Week: Jellyfish ‘Satellite of Life’ in a Zooplankton Bloom

Juvenile fish and a jellyfish amid a zooplankton bloom, off the Shetland Islands, Atlantic Ocean. Photo ©Henley Spiers, courtesy Hakai Magazine A jelly swims amid a zooplankton bloom, its tentacles providing shelter for juvenile fish. As photographer Henley Spiers said, "The bloom also attracted these fish that I observed using a jellyfish as a sort … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Jellyfish ‘Satellite of Life’ in a Zooplankton Bloom

Spotlight: Starfish Tracks in the Nitinat Canyon

Image by Christopher Mah, from NOAA's Okeanos research vessel in the Nitinat Canyon, Pacific Ocean Zoom in on the photo and realize that all those tiny holes and dents on the right side of the starfish are actually starfish footprints! Or podia prints, to be biologically precise.While NOAA's ocean exploration vessel Okeanos was recently plying … Continue reading Spotlight: Starfish Tracks in the Nitinat Canyon

Pic o’ the Week: Starry Veliger Larvae

Veliger larvae. Photo © Ryo Minemizu "Behold the mesmerizing beauty of veliger larvae, tiny creatures that seem to have captured the stars and created their own night sky in the depths of the ocean!  These beautiful beings are the larval stage of many marine gastropods, including conchs, sea slugs, and snails.They typically have a translucent … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Starry Veliger Larvae

Pic o’ the Week: Deepest Fish Ever Recorded

This otherworldly juvenile snailfish (genus Pseudoliparis) with a frilly fin and no scales was filmed by researchers a whopping 8,336 meters deep -- that's more than five miles down -- in the Pacific Ocean's Izu-Ogasawara Trench south of Japan.This remarkable sighting by team of researchers with the University of Western Australia's Deep Sea Research Centre … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Deepest Fish Ever Recorded

Spotlight: ‘Tis the Season … for Firefly Squid

Spring in the northern hemisphere brings an ocean marvel of bioluminescence to the shores of Japan ... masses of hotaru-ika, glowing Firefly squid! Toyama Bay, Japan Firefly squid {Watasenia scintillans}, also called Sparkling Enope Squid, are deep sea cephalopods that sometimes come to the ocean's surface to catch prey at night. And in a dazzling … Continue reading Spotlight: ‘Tis the Season … for Firefly Squid

Anemone Bouquet for the Equinox

To celebrate the vernal equinox and the start of spring in the northern hemisphere ... and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere ... here's a bouquet of beautiful, flower-like anemones from NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Ocean Agency's Ocean Image Bank, Cinzia Osele Bismarck, and Greg Piper."But don’t be fooled – you won’t find sea … Continue reading Anemone Bouquet for the Equinox

Pic o’ the Week: Salmon Hatch With ‘Lunch Bags’ Attached

King Alevin Salmon hatchlings, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah, Washington, USA. Photo by Amy Gulick Salmon are a true wonder of our remarkable ocean planet. The salmon life cycle is an intricate eight-stage marvel of growth and round-trip migration. When salmon eggs hatch, tiny alevin emerge with yolk sacs attached. Alevin stay in their gravel steambed … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Salmon Hatch With ‘Lunch Bags’ Attached

Pic o’ the Week: Gummy Squirrel in the Pacific Ocean

It's a slug, it's an alien ... it's a Gummy Squirrel! Yes -- it's a sea creature!This sea cucumber, aka gummy squirrel {Psychropotes longicauda}, was spotted by the NOAA Okeanos research vessel crew at 5,100 meters (3.2 miles) depth while exploring abyssal sediments in the western Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the central Pacific Ocean. This gummy … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Gummy Squirrel in the Pacific Ocean

Pic o’ the Week: Brrrrr! Icy Sharks Appear in Michigan

Some lucky people in the US state of Michigan were treated to a rare site -- sharks! ... in landlocked Madison Heights, a Detroit suburb. In the midst of a frozen midwinter landscape, artist Jennifer Ramirez said she "Took a break from drawing for a little while today. Got some sharks started" ... and voilà … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Brrrrr! Icy Sharks Appear in Michigan

Spotlight: Ocean Exploration Day

"A day to celebrate the wonder of & need for deep-sea research and exploration. To manage, sustainably use, and protect our ocean, we must understand it. Exploration is the first step to unlocking our ocean’s full potential. Onward and downward!" ~NOAA Ocean Exploration Rarely seen Halitrephes Jellyfish, filmed by E/V Nautilus' explorers 4,000 feet down … Continue reading Spotlight: Ocean Exploration Day

Notable Indigenous Quotable – The Ocean is the Ultimate Life Force

"For us the ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, it's the blood that flows in everyone's veins. It is the blood that connects all races and all peoples and all nations, so it is the ultimate life force on the planet Earth for us." ~ Chief Fred Harvey Collins, Northern Chumash Photo: Pacific Grove … Continue reading Notable Indigenous Quotable – The Ocean is the Ultimate Life Force

Thankful For This Remarkable Ocean Planet

McWay Falls, California. Photo copyright Paul Jimerson Carrying Our Words We travel carrying our words.We arrive at the ocean.With our words we are able to speakof the sounds of thunderous waves.We speak of how majestic it is,of the ocean power that gifts us songs.We sing of our respectand call it our relative. ~ Ofelia Zepeda, … Continue reading Thankful For This Remarkable Ocean Planet

Spotlight: World Jellyfish Day

This species of jelly was seen throughout the dive and during the 500 meter water column transect of Dive 15 for the Windows to the Deep 2018 expedition, NOAA Ocean Exploration O Jelly FishDancing in the nightTheir tentacles long and sheer…… Beauty in the deep ~by Molly Cooper This beautiful, big medusa, seen during Dive 15 of … Continue reading Spotlight: World Jellyfish Day

Pic o’ the Week: Punk Rocker Molly Miller … is a Fish

"The Molly Miller (Scartella cristata) or as I like to call it, the 'Punk Blenny,' is very common in shallow (1-3m depth) Caribbean reefs and rocky shores. It usually lives in small holes and stretches its head out to eat food particles that pass by." ~Luiz Rocha, Curator of Fishes at Cal Academy Photo © … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Punk Rocker Molly Miller … is a Fish

Pic o’ the Week: Sleeping Sperm Whales

Photo by Franco Banfi/Solent News & Photo Agency When it's time for a nap, sperm whales go vertical with their pod and snooze away. "Sleeping dogs lie, but sleeping whales … 'stand' on their tails? That was the scene ... glimpsed by a diver in the Caribbean, at least, when the photographer encountered a group … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Sleeping Sperm Whales

Holiday Zen: the sea’s glittering lights

A favorite sea phenomenon - bioluminescence, or the living lights of the ocean. Kick back and enjoy a moment of deep sea wonder in this holiday season: http://youtu.be/XD7thJVRKmQ It never gets old for many, including Dr. Edith Widder, who studies bioluminescence in sea creatures: "During my first open ocean dive, I went down to 800 feet and … Continue reading Holiday Zen: the sea’s glittering lights

Spotlight: Deepest-ever descent, Mariana Trench

Wired is featuring a terrific resurrection of this exciting ocean exploration story - "Fifty-one years ago this Sunday, Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and Navy oceanographer Don Walsh descended to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, seven miles below the sea’s surface. It’s the lowest point on Earth, and deeper than any human had gone before … Continue reading Spotlight: Deepest-ever descent, Mariana Trench

Spotlight: Santa Cruz battles bags – DC already did

Image by Trosmisiek Santa Cruz County supervisors voted today to ban retail establishments from giving customers plastic bags. It looks like the ordinance probably won't take effect for a year, will cost the county at least $100,000 for an environmental study, and won't apply to retailers in incorporated cities. But it's a step in the … Continue reading Spotlight: Santa Cruz battles bags – DC already did

Pic o’ the Week: Juvenile Diamond Squid

Juvenile diamond squid floating in the darkness of night. "The mantle of this juvenile is only about 4cm in length, but will grow up to about 100 cm (3.3 ft) in adulthood. Thousands of color-changing cells known as chromatophores just below their transparent skin control their remarkable color transformations, allowing them to 'shine bright like … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Juvenile Diamond Squid

Pic o’ the Week: Rocks Adorned With Magical Sealife

© Trent Olson We live on a remarkable ocean planet with magic embedded in its every inch. Notice it.Trent Olson lives in the coastal town of Tillamook, Oregon. Trent is a self-described "digital creator" who chronicles his local community on his Facebook page. I love the deep rich colors of the rock, sea anemones and … Continue reading Pic o’ the Week: Rocks Adorned With Magical Sealife