It has been a while since we rolled out a Friday Smorgasbord but we are cranking up the engine again! As hobbyists we’ve known about the miracles we find in sand beds that have sparked debates, trends and people hoarding bags of playground sand. But until now, there really hasn’t been too much formal research concluded on the world’s largest deep sand bed (DSB) — the ocean floor. Scientists at Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center are challenging that premise in a first-of-its-kind, two-year study in the ocean off Fort Lauderdale. We have to say, we are extremely interested in learning more about this research as it progresses.
[via Miami Herald]
Ocean acidification is still harmful to fragile ecosystems and corals, but a new study shows that corals may be more resilient and have the ability to help us battle increased acidity caused by CO2. University of Western Australia Professor Malcolm McCulloch’s team has shown many coral species are able to reduce the acidity, or pH level, of the seawater they take in. By adapting the chemistry of the seawater, they can more efficiently extract what they need from it for the skeleton-building process.
[via Brisbane Times]
Meet “El Chilito”. The fish was named through a contest sponsored by the National Geographic Society to help name a fish that experts say could be a new species. The winner of the contest, an 18-year-old young woman from Portland, Oregon, had her name chose and won a ten-day trip to the Galápagos for two.
[via National Geographic]
Day 7 of the Federal Shut down and I’m feeling fine. #Obama shuts down Atlantic Ocean! Who knew the Fed’s owned the ocean?
— 45ACP (@45ACP) October 7, 2013
We love Twitter and social media for our news but at times things get lost in translation. This tweet shows how a knee-jerk reaction can turn into an amusing, entertaining and erroneous post. We get it, the government shutdown sucks and each side is quick to point to the other. However, there are many negative side effects of the government impasse that includes shutting down National Parks including parts of the Florida Bay that are in the Everglades National Park. We point our fins at both sides of the aisle for this one.
[via PolitiFact]
