Mastodawn

Open Ocean Exploration Feb 18, 2023

SEA SAPPHIRES ARE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS ON EARTH.
Their bodies contain microscopic crystals that reflect blue light. They use this shine in courtship displays, & in Japan, fishers call this tama-mizu: jeweled water.
📽️ http://bit.ly/2T0fcgG

Octopod? Copepod?

Vimeo

Open Ocean Exploration Feb 16, 2023

WE NEED JELLYFISH!
Jellyfish are often the subject of disdain. But we KNOW jellyfish matter. They are nursery grounds, transportation, HABITAT! These young fish are using this jelly as protection. Healthy oceans NEED jellies.
📸Eric S. Javier https://bit.ly/3Kip2bD

Facebook

Open Ocean Exploration Feb 15, 2023

Ummm...baby snails look like butterflies?!

Some marine snails have wings when young & float through the ocean before finding a permanent home. They also use their wings, called velar lobes, to catch food. Stylish AND functional! Go baby go!
📸Alicia Choo http://bit.ly/3IrK46g

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Open Ocean Exploration Feb 15, 2023

Marine biologists when someone sees 'something weird' at the beach

Open Ocean Exploration Feb 14, 2023

Happy Valentines Day from our whole Global Ocean Surface Ecosystem Alliance (GOSEA) team!

Open Ocean Exploration Feb 10, 2023

These are soft crystalline seashells.

These beautiful shells come from the mysterious open-ocean Corolla snails, which sail through the water using butterfly-like wings.

Because Corolla snails live far from shore, these shells are extremely hard to find.
📷 on iNaturalist

Open Ocean Exploration Jan 18, 2023

Blue button jellies float on the ocean’s surface, and are members of the mysterious ocean surface ecosystem. Even though these animals live right at the air-sea boundary, because they drift with the waves and currents they are hard to find and even harder to study.

Open Ocean Exploration Jan 17, 2023

Blue sea dragons float on the ocean's surface, a habitat that covers over 70% of our planet. Animals like this are the 'average' Earthling, we humans, living on the hard dry Earth, are the exception. If aliens had to describe life on our planet, this is what they'd see.

Open Ocean Exploration Jan 16, 2023

This fish isn't being eaten by a jellyfish. Travally fish HIDE INSIDE jellyfish on purpose. These fish travel with jellyfish for protection, and when they feel unsafe they wiggle underneath. A jellyfish security blanket.
📸 Songda Cai http://bit.ly/2MkUNPm

Open Ocean Exploration Jan 10, 2023

A friendly reminder that when you’re swimming in the open ocean and it LOOKS empty, you’re actually totally surrounded. Brought to you by the giant open-ocean amphipod Cystisoma. Video by Alejandro Damian-Serrano.
#OpenOceans