Author: John Bruno
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Barnacle mating (x-rated!)
Warning: the following post may contain material not appropriate for children and some adults. Barnacles have sex. And as marine biologists are fond of saying, male barnacles have the largest “boy part” relative to body size in the animal kingdom. Male marine biologists frequently attempt to increase their own genetic fitness by sharing this information with…
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Jellyfish have eyes AND brains!
A great article in the NYT by Natalie Angier about the surprising complexity of jellyfish: For all their noble antiquity, jellyfish have long been ignored or misunderstood by mainstream science, dismissed as so much mindless protoplasm with a mouth. Now, in a series of new studies, researchers have found that there is far more complexity…
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Laura Bush on marine reserves
A great op-ed in the WSJ by Laura Bush on the importance of marine reserves celebrating the admirable legacy of her husband in implementing several massive marine reserves. Our ocean frontiers are disappearing, and it is up to us to conserve the most important wild areas that remain. Our first national park was named not…
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Giant predators of the ancient seas
The creatures, known as anomalocaridids, were already thought to be the largest animals of the Cambrian period. The period was known for the “Cambrian Explosion” that saw the sudden appearance of all the major animal groups and the establishment of complex ecosystems about 540 to 500 million years ago. Scientists previously thought that the animals—which…
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Coral Spawn: The Movie
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnDJvhgPn8o[/youtube]
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Coral atolls and rising sea levels
Rob Painting published a great article on coral atolls and SLR on Skeptical Science here.
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ENSO update
As a very strong La Nina winds down, we are entering an “ENSO neutral” phase that should last through the summer. I say hurray to that: I will be working in the Galapagos in July and during La Nina, it is REALLY cold there, especially mid year. In fact, I was in the Galapagos last…
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The monthly climate report: April 2011
An excellent monthly summary of regional climate trends, news and science from Michael Searcy at Fresh Air. The Scent of Pine (here).
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Plastic on the beach
I just returned from a trip to coastal Ecuador and guess what the beach was littered with? Plastic. All kinds of plastic. Plastic shoes, buckets and bottles. Especially plastic bottles. I see this everywhere I go and there seems to be more and more of it. In fact, the only beach I have ever visited…
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Solo kite boat
Crossing the eastern Pacific in a kite-powered boat! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54eDe1px8_o[/youtube]