Welcome to this addition of the Friday Smorgasbord. We have a few fun ones lined up for you today. Ever wonder what makes fish smell, well fishy? It has to do with the natural process of decay and some physiology unique to sea creatures. In order to maintain fluid balance, ocean critters like fish must pump their cells with amino acids and amines to counter the water’s salinity. Fish use trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) for this purpose and the ‘stink’ comes from when fish are killed it is bacteria and the fish’s own enzymes that convert TMAO into trimethylamine (TMA), the source of that fishy odor.
[via App.com]
File this under ‘stupid Human Tricks’. It seems that one endurance athlete decided to use a huge, inflatable ball to run to Bermuda. Reza Baluchi, a longtime endurance runner and peace activist whose latest goal was to reach Bermuda in a homemade floating “Hydro Pod” was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday after he began suffering from fatigue.
This is just a cool project and could be a fun way to prototype your next piece of aquarium equipment (or just have fun lighting things up!). All I know is I hope this is still around in 5-6 years when my daughter can enjoy this.
We love the bright and vibrant tropical reefs, but there is just something enthralling and mysterious about the cold water reefs. Here is a great video of cold-water coral habitats from Rockall Bank taken during Heriot-Watt University’s 2012 Changing Oceans Expedition (RRS James Cook cruise 073).
Finally, here is an incredible video of 10 nudibranchs. These wonderful creatures were part of this reason I was drawn into wanting to have a reef aquarium.
