Warming trends, resilience, forecasting, and the data behind a changing climate.
Christmas tree worms look like pairs of miniature fir trees planted across tropical coral. Each colorful spiral is a living crown used to breathe and capture food. Most of the animal remains hidden in a hard tube inside the reef, ready to pull the crowns out of sight when a shadow or vibration signals danger.…
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Hurricanes affect marine life through waves, currents, pressure changes, freshwater runoff, sediment and pollution. Damage is greatest in shallow coastal habitats, where storm energy reaches the bottom. Animals that can move may leave or change depth, while corals, seagrass and shellfish beds must endure the disturbance in place. Effects are not uniformly destructive. Mixing can…
Vampire squid and vampire fish are two unrelated animals linked only by dramatic common names. The vampire squid is a deep-sea cephalopod with webbed arms and light-producing organs. The vampire fish, usually the payara of South America, is a predatory freshwater fish with long lower-jaw fangs. Neither drinks blood. The squid collects drifting organic debris,…
Sea turtles hatch by cutting through a flexible eggshell with a temporary point on the snout called a caruncle. The hatchlings do not immediately race upward one at a time. They work through the nest chamber as a group, loosening sand and gradually raising the floor until they can emerge near the surface. Incubation usually…
