Today is Hagfish Day! Who knew?
What is a hagfish?
Hagfish are primitive eel-like chordates make famous for their relative unattractiveness*, profuse production of slime, and charismatic ability to tie themselves in knots. They are perhaps the only ‘fish’ that possesses a skull, but no vertebral column. But the question “What is a hagfish?” goes much deeper than that and it’s answer is fundamental to the evolution of vertebrates and, ultimately, us.
Read More “Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle” »
Can you tell I’m getting a little bored?
We are now a little more than a week into the Donors Choose science blogger challenge. Ocean and geology bloggers have united to raise money for worthy science-related projects in public schools throughout the country.
Every few days, we’ll be highlighting a specific project from The Gam Classroom Initiative, though you can donate to any of our favorites from our Donors Choose Page.
Read More “Support science in the classroom: expose students to sharks!” »
Two of the strongest environmental laws in the world are the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Among many other statutes, these laws make it a Federal crime for anyone to harass endangered marine mammal species such as the West Indian manatee. By the accepted definitions of the word “harass”, this means that people cannot swim with and certainly cannot touch a manatee. However, at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, visitors can do both of these things- and it’s totally legal!
Read More “Ethical debate: Can an endangered species be a business partner?” »
Chapter 22 of Herman Melville’s classic – Moby Dick. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. Visit this page for the complete collection to date: Finding Melville’s Whale. Merry Christmas Starbuck, the chief mate, and Stubb, the second mate, rush to fill the threefold captain’s … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 22 – Merry Christmas” »
Charlie hangs out.
In the latest edition of Shark Science Monday, Woods Hole/Boston University researcher Julia Spät discusses how ocean acidification is likely to affect sharks. As always, feel free to ask questions for Julia in the comments. ~WhySharksMatter
Baked Charlie.
Charlie chills out.