Amazing Argonaut Octopuses, How Coral Bleaching Happens, Swimming with Dolphins and Other Trending Reads

This female argonaut octopus’s broken shell provides a view of the animal inside, with her egg mass hanging out at the lower left.

“THE LEGEND OF THE ARGONAUT”  New Zealand Geographic  Rare, open-ocean octopuses who make their own paper-thin shells, lay their eggs in them and use them for propulsion. Unlike other octopuses, they never touch the sea bottom. And, they’re absolutely amazing.

“INSIDE CORAL BLEACHING”  bioGraphic  This nonprofit magazine, “powered” by the California Academy of Sciences, shows what happens when corals experience bleaching. While coral bleaching has been happening for thousands of years as natural, localized occurrences, mass bleaching events have been phenomena of recent decades. They’re associated with El Nino, but accelerated by man-made global warming.

“CLIMATE CHANGE WILL FORCE HUNDREDS OF MARINE SPECIES TO MOVE”  The Scientist  A study of nearly 700 species of fish and invertebrates predicts that as the oceans warm, marine life will be have to shift their ranges some 600 miles/1,000 kilometers northwards to survive.

“TWO EXOTIC FISH SPECIES REMOVED FROM SOUTH FLORIDA WATERS”  R.E.E.F  Two species of fishes native to the Indo-Pacific – an Orangespine Unicornfish and a Lagoon Triggerfish – were removed from waters in the Florida Keys and off Ft. Lauderdale waters earlier this, year part of the “Early Detection/Rapid Response” plan created by REEF and the U.S. Coast Guard to remove invasive fishes before they can develop a self-sustaining population.

“IS SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS A GOOD IDEA?”  Science Magazine Newsfeed  It’s a popular tourist activity, but a dolphin specialist points out that We’re interrupting their sleep. Dolphins move offshore at night to hunt and return to lagoons to rest during the day.

“THE AMERICAN OPIOID CRISIS HAS REACHED THE MUSSEL BEDS OF SEATTLE”  Inverse.com  Washington State’s Department of Fish and Wildlife monitors filter-feeding mussels they place in urbanized regions of Puget Sound to test for contaminants. Most recently, they found a new substance in the waters – opiates, in the form of oxycodone. It’s a significant warning sign about people’s use of painkillers.

FOR A HEALTHY BEACH, LEAVE THE SEAWEED ALONE  Hakai Magazine  Tourists generally hate the sight and smell of rotting seaweed on their beaches, leading many beach managers to remove it will large, tractor-drawn rakes. But the stuff is both food and habitat for much coastal wildlife, and removing it affects the entire food web, from bacteria to shorebirds.