JulesceltRE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116658506929589230
Ok, just when I thought #seacucumbers could not be any weirder...
CBC British ColumbiaIllegal sea cucumber fishing leads to $11,600 fine for Vancouver Island fishers
Fisheries and Oceans Canada said the three men were found in possession of 43 sea cucumbers after officers spotted the fishers at a beach in Campbell River, B.C., last spring. The daily limit is 12 per person.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-island-sea-cucumbers-9.7123185?cmp=rss
Fisheries and Oceans Canada said the three men were found in possession of 43 sea cucumbers after officers spotted the fishers at a beach in Campbell River, B.C., last spring. The daily limit is 12 per person.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-island-sea-cucumbers-9.7123185?cmp=rss
Deborah Makarios"Almost 1,000 Japanese holothuroid haiku translated into English appear in the book Rise, Ye Sea Slugs! by Robin D. Gill."
(from the Wikipedia article on sea cucumbers)
If I am ever compelled to sail the briny blue as a pirate queen, my battle cry shall most assuredly be RISE, YE SEA SLUGS!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_cucumber
#SeaSlugs #SeaCucumbers #haiku #poetry #RiseYeSeaSlugs
Brian G Weber PhotographyDive number: 696 & 697
Date / time: Sat Jul 19, 2025
Dive site: Folly Cove, Massachusetts
Bottom Time: 2h9 (1h5 + 1h4)
Water Temperature: 48F @ 45 feet at the point, 54F elsewhere
My buddy brought his underwater scooters for some powered exploration, so we zipped straight out to the left point to work our way back on the swim. Once we got out there, I spent some time looking around for scarlet psolus, which seem to magically appear around 40-50 feet of depth. I found one that was totally closed up and then one that was open and feeding. We started our swim back in because it was 48F at depth, visited the northern red, and swam along the top to warm up a bit. I had my 60mm macro lens and +12.5 diopter - my best shot was definitely a tiny Eubranchus exiguus on some kelp. Looking forward to playing with this lens some more!
We swapped over to extra batteries for the scooters and planned to jet over to the wall by the Lobster Pool. Neither of us had been over there, so the plan was to head north until we could turn east and then head over to the wall. It took longer to make the turn than we expected, so we kept popping up to see if we were in the right spot. My buddy's scooter was running low on battery, so we went on low power to conserve. Once we got there, we started exploring the wall and it's a really cool spot. We were there around low tide, so the corner of the wall dropped to around 30 feet. The wall itself has all sort of crevices for critters to hide in and then off the wall are some large chunks of granite providing more shelter. I didn't take many pictures, but this was a fun exploration dive. The scooters were a blast!
Here's a map of the dives: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1bZpsyh945MP8DuQ4m5JB9nlBDZpy6wA&usp=sharing
#underwaterphotography #dpv #macro #fish #nudibranchs #seacucumbers #anemones #NewEngland #scubadiving #scuba
Date / time: Sat Jul 19, 2025
Dive site: Folly Cove, Massachusetts
Bottom Time: 2h9 (1h5 + 1h4)
Water Temperature: 48F @ 45 feet at the point, 54F elsewhere
My buddy brought his underwater scooters for some powered exploration, so we zipped straight out to the left point to work our way back on the swim. Once we got out there, I spent some time looking around for scarlet psolus, which seem to magically appear around 40-50 feet of depth. I found one that was totally closed up and then one that was open and feeding. We started our swim back in because it was 48F at depth, visited the northern red, and swam along the top to warm up a bit. I had my 60mm macro lens and +12.5 diopter - my best shot was definitely a tiny Eubranchus exiguus on some kelp. Looking forward to playing with this lens some more!
We swapped over to extra batteries for the scooters and planned to jet over to the wall by the Lobster Pool. Neither of us had been over there, so the plan was to head north until we could turn east and then head over to the wall. It took longer to make the turn than we expected, so we kept popping up to see if we were in the right spot. My buddy's scooter was running low on battery, so we went on low power to conserve. Once we got there, we started exploring the wall and it's a really cool spot. We were there around low tide, so the corner of the wall dropped to around 30 feet. The wall itself has all sort of crevices for critters to hide in and then off the wall are some large chunks of granite providing more shelter. I didn't take many pictures, but this was a fun exploration dive. The scooters were a blast!
Here's a map of the dives: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1bZpsyh945MP8DuQ4m5JB9nlBDZpy6wA&usp=sharing
#underwaterphotography #dpv #macro #fish #nudibranchs #seacucumbers #anemones #NewEngland #scubadiving #scuba
RDNAn unusual sugar compound produced by sea cucumbers (fucosylated chondroitin sulfate) inhibits the action of the Sulf-2 enzyme that promotes the growth of liver, lung, breast, and gastric cancer.
Original paper (not open access): https://academic.oup.com/glycob/article-abstract/35/6/cwaf025/8122264?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
FlipboardAnd finally, to the sea cucumber. @KnowableMag deep dives into these diverse, spiny, slimy creatures, the threats they face, and how to protect them.
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2025/weird-wondrous-sea-cucumbers
#Nature #Biology #Ecology #SeaCucumbers #Conservation #Newstodon #NewstodonFriday #FollowFriday
Lukas VFN 🇪🇺Scientists film marine creatures under sea ice in East Antarctica
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-14/scientists-film-sealife-under-bunger-hills-east-antarctica/104811258
"Plunging to depths of up to 50m, the drone captures an array of colour and life. Red #SeaUrchins can be seen clinging to boulders covered in pink #algae. Orange #SeaCucumbers with small white tentacles are lying on the floor. #Jellyfish are floating above large yellow #sponges far below. Every now and again, schools of splotchy grey-and-white #fish surround the drone and try to nibble its camera."
Charring Auh#Seacucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (/ˌhɒləˌθjʊəˈrɔɪdiə, ˌhoʊlə-/ HOL-ə-thyuu-ROY-dee-ə, HOH-lə-). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. They are found on the sea floor worldwide. The
Want to Suppress #Coral Disease? Bring Back Sea Cucumbers
https://blog.nature.org/science-brief/want-to-suppress-coral-disease-bring-back-sea-cucumbers/
Removal of detritivore #SeaCucumbers from reefs increases coral disease https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45730-0
"by feeding on microbial pathogens in marine sediment, the weird and wonderful sea cucumber can enhance reef resilience by suppressing coral diseases."
The world’s fourth mass #CoralBleaching is underway, but well-connected #reefs may have a better chance to recover https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-fourth-mass-coral-bleaching-is-underway-but-well-connected-reefs-may-have-a-better-chance-to-recover-230755
"#Corals remain healthier and recover faster if they are surrounded by #fish that eat different types of #seaweed, such as #parrotfish, #surgeonfish and #rabbitfish. #SeaCucumbers also are important reef partners. They feed on #bacteria and other organic materials in ocean sediments, cleaning up the area around #CoralReefs."
The world’s fourth mass coral bleaching is underway, but well-connected reefs may have a better chance to recover
Coral reefs share genetic material across wide areas, with help from ocean currents. This ability is especially important during episodes like the mass bleaching currently occurring.