Welcome to another iteration of our Friday Smorgasbord or maybe its more of a Friday Tapas — small servings of some intriguing articles, videos and items that caught our attention this week. We have a good one today featuring prehistoric-looking…
Science
Watch a Crown-of-Thorns starfish get annihilated by giant snail
The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences is exploring using biological controls to help keep outbreaks of the coral-eating Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) in check on the Great Barrier Reef. Sadly, COTS and cyclones are responsible for more than half of all…
Scientist scans fish to uncover the amazing world beneath the skin and scales
One scientist began his quest by wondering how sharks and rays are able to move like other fish despite have a skeleton make of cartilage instead of bones. Fast forward 15 years and Adam Summers has an impressive collection of…
Underwater microscope catches incredible coral images on the reef
Scientists have developed a new microscope that allows them to get up close and personal with corals in their natural environment without having to remove them from the reef. The high-powered digital microscope was developed by a team at UC…
How to Keep a Great White Shark in an Aquarium
The Great White Shark, Carcharhinus carcharodon, is the undisputed predator of the oceans, and one of the biggest fish swimming in temperate seas. Growing up to 20 feet long, but usually 15 feet in adult females, you’ll need a very…
Leopard Shark “Virgin Birth” at Reef HQ Townsville Australia
A female leopard shark in Townsville Australia has given birth to three adorable shark pups, without a male shark. Although ‘virgin birth’ has been documented before in leopard sharks it is still quite unique for eggs to hatch successfully without…
Shark census hits 100 reefs, shows existing data may be inaccurate
There is a program underway to survey shark populations and it has reached a significant milestone of reaching their first 100 reefs. They have also captured some pretty interesting video along the way. Called the Global FinPrint, the process begins…
MASNA looking for director for MACNA, Scientific Poster Session closing soon
Love MACNA and have some experience as an event planner? Then MASNA is looking for you. There is currently an opening for a Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) Director who has an event management, meeting planning, or other…
Free Book: Identification guide to common sharks and rays of the Caribbean
With avid curiosity for all things in our seas and oceans, we were intrigued to find this free book “Identification Guide to Common Sharks and Rays of the Caribbean” released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United…
Swirling nutrient-rich eddies give fish a fighting chance for survival
A new study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), confirms the importance of eddies in the growth and development of larval fish. Researchers found that young fish reared in nutrient-rich eddies in the Straits of…