A newly published article documenting the discovery of a tiny fossil from Southern China is helping to expand our understanding of the very earliest stages of the evolution of multicellular animal life. (image above is Eocyathispongia. Image from Yin et al…
Science
Fossil of strange man-sized, swimming centipede discovered
Score another win for the arthropods, the group of animals that include insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans. Scientists have uncovered the remains of one of the first arthropods ever that could be described as a “man-sized, swimming centipede” or a…
Steinhart’s trick to decompress fish showcased on PBS
You might recall the hyperbaric chamber designed by scientists at the California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium. A recent story done by KQED-TV, the local PBS station in San Francisco, showcases the engineering needed to bring fish to the surface…
What are phytoplankton and zooplankton, really?
In the saltwater aquarium and reef tank hobby, we talk about feeding our corals and small fish with phytoplankton and zooplankton quite often. However, we discuss these various types of creatures as little more than food items, but the phytoplankton…
Coelacanth at risk of extinction
Of all the species that deserve to protected by all the Endangered Species Acts of the world, the Coelacanth is definitely high on the list. While the so-called “Center for Biological Diversity” is busy litigating to get stony coral species…
Aquarium surface art will turn you on your head
We’ve all been staring at our aquariums glass walls, surfaces, and bottoms for probably more time than any of us would care to admit. Most of the time is spent looking at what is inside the aquarium, but one creative…
SciShow explains the different ways that fresh and saltwater fish get water
Aquarists spend a lot of effort trying to get the salinity levels in their marine aquariums just right. And if they don’t they really should since fish have evolved special mechanisms to regulate the content of water inside their body in…
Ocean waves converted to energy in new power station in Australia
The energy of the ocean’s waves has been the target of scientists and researchers looking to harness this power to use as a form of electricity on the land. While there has been a few different projects we’ve seen over…
Nassau grouper caught on video stalking and devouring a lionfish
Lionfish in the waters of tropical atlantic and Caribbean habitats are a well documented and growing problem of an invasive species. The classic story about invasive species is that when they entire an exotic environment, predators are often not adapted…
Scientific-based approach to coral conservation will use “Assisted Evolution”
A new report was recently shared about two prominent coral reef ecologist’s plan to help out wild reefs with a hands-on approach to reef management that sounds eerily close to what we have been doing in our aquariums for decades.…