A shark has been found to use glow in the dark spines on its back to scare away potential predators. Scientists carried out research on the Velvet Belly Lanternshark, which is a small species found in the deeper waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and apparently has a unique way to discourage any bigger fish that might attack it.
Camouflage is a well-known defensive mechanism exhibited by numerous several different organisms. However, there is one master of disguise that takes this adaption to a whole new level.
Monday, February 11, 2013 at 12:00PM | tagged camouflage, conservation, defense mechanism, marine, octopus | in Science Club 
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest known animal to have ever existed, this being very understandable with an average 30 meters in length and 180 tonnes (or more) in weight. These majestic animals pose several questions about their behaviour and biology, but they also raise questions about what happens to their bodies when they die.
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 1:14PM | tagged blue whales, conservation, ecosystem, marine, whale fall | in Science Club 
We are used to hearing stories of dolphins protecting humans when they are in peril at sea, but yesterday it was reported that a pod of dolphins were determined to save one of their own.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 11:00AM | tagged behaviour, dolphin, marine, research | in Science Club 
A large shellfish reef has been found on the west coast of the U.K and experts think it could be the biggest of its kind. The site has been found in Lock Alsh, which is a sea inlet between Skye and the Scottish mainland. It contains 100 millions rare shellfish – Flame Shells (Limaria Hians) and covers 4.6 square miles (7.5 sq km).
Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 4:12PM | tagged coral, flame shells, marine, science, scotland, shellfish | in Science Club 
An article in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography has assessed the impact of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on marine life. The team of international scientists, involving researchers from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, based the analysis on previous studies that had used natural radiation and organisms from different geographic areas as well as studies with artificial radiation and cultured organisms in laboratories worldwide.
Monday, September 10, 2012 at 5:34PM | tagged Global Ecology and Biogeography, IUCN, Madagascar, Science Club, Tanzania, conservation, coral, fiji, marine, research, science news, updates | in Science Club 
A study being published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters this week has stated that whilst each step of the marine food chain is controlled by the trophic level below it, it is the distribution of prey rather than abundance that influences the relationship.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 12:17PM | tagged environment, food chain, marine, patchiness | in Science Club 
Marine biologists from the Centre of Ocean Technology at the University of Florida have been using autonomous sea robots to record underwater sounds in order to map the distribution of different species of fish. Three unknown biological noises have been recorded, suspected to be fish farts.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 10:43AM | tagged conservation, fish farts, marine, marine conservation | in Science Club 
Previously unused shipping routes are experiencing a large increase in traffic, resulting in increased risk to marine mammal species. These routes have only recently been utilised by shipping transport due to the recent disappearance of sea ice which previously caused them to be blocked.
The ability for animals to spin silk has been marvelled at by biologists and comic book fans alike for many years. However, the phenomena may not be limited to as few creatures as previously thought. Researchers have recently discovered a species of shrimp that uses a silk-spinning technique to build its very own sand house.
Crassicorophium bonellii,a tidal dwelling crustacean, has the ability to produce a sticky fibrous material through ducts on its legs in order to generate a functional thread. This similar technique to spiders of extrusion spinning is used to produce ‘gossamer threads’, which have the added property of being salt-water resistance. The fibres are then used to combine sand, vegetation, algae and its own faeces to provide a shelter.
Although Professor Fritz Vollrath and his team from University of Oxford noted the ability of the shrimp to spin silk underwater, much of the properties of the material remain unknown. It is thought to have evolved independently to the production of silk within spiders and as such may provide further insights into convergent evolution- the development of similar characteristics in unrelated species.
Further exploration into the novel material may also provide the basis for future adhesive products or silk production. For example, the barnacle cement biology involved in fibre production may provide a breakthrough in marine glues or barnacle-resistant coatings for boat hulls. The costs of drag in the shipping industry therefore would be minimized.
Currently the silk industry worldwide has an approximate value of $200-$500 million, although much of it is now produced artificially. Genetically modified spider silk was created from worms and goats in Utah State University to produce extra strong fibres which have the ability to stop reduced speed bullets. More advances such as this may be possible as nature reveals more secrets in the form of the shrimp.
By Sophie Meyjes
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 1:18PM | tagged biology, cephalopod, deep sea, marine, research, silk spinning | in Science Club 
