“INCONSPICUOUS BATTLEGROUND” bioGraphic.com An area off South Australia may seem like a mundane stretch of coastline but beneath the waters a spectacular event takes place each year – normally solitary giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) gather to compete for mates. The event is spectacular and so is the photography by Justin Gilligan (the image above is by a different photographer).
“THIS IS THE SOUND A DOLPHIN MIGHT HEAR IF IT’S ABOUT TO BECOME DINNER” News from Science Research with short-finned pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins found that when they hear certain calls by killer whales (Orcas), they recognize them as signaling impending attack. Most orca vocalizations didn’t bother them but one did, indicating danger. The potential prey reacted very differently – the dolphins barreled away, the pilot whales circled the wagons and swam toward the sound.
“SCIENTISTS THINK DOLPHIN NAME DISCOVERY IS THE COOLEST” Inverse Magazine Scientists studying dolphins in Australia found that the marine mammals’ clicks, busses and other sounds weren’t just communication. They were calling each other by name. According to one study co-author, “This is the coolest thing ever.”
“THIS DEVICE HELPS FISH MAKE IT OUT OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE ALIVE” New York Times To protect injury to fish brought to the surface from hundreds of feet below the surface, scientists have developed a small, portable decompression chamber.
“IMAGE OF THE DAY: HIRSUTE AND HOW” The Scientist A newly discovered species of shrimp joins the list of crustaceans named whimsically – this one, because of “hairy feet,” after Bilbo Baggins.
“FUR SEALS CAN GO WEEKS WITHOUT REM SLEEP” Nature Northern fur seals have joined whales and dolphins as marine mammals that can switch off half their brains to catch up on their sleep while at sea.
“ROTTING FISH ART EXPLODES, CAUSES FIRE IN LONDON GALLERY” LIVESCIENCE Someone thought it was a good idea to decorate fish with sequins, seal them in clear plastic bags and call it art. It was supposedly “a scathing commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty for highly ornamented women.” Unfortunately, rotting fish stink. They also give off gasses that are flammable, and a chemical put into the bags to diminish the smell combined with the gasses to cause one to explode. No word as to what kind of fish were involved.