Friday Smorgasbord: Summer Edition

Welcome to another edition of the Friday Smorgasbord! We’ve got a great selection of videos to share with you today including cleaner shrimp, helping a manta ray, feeding an octopus and even another tasty dessert….Bon Appétit! Take a Bite Outta……

Holiday ornament from the sea? Video of feather star is stunning

This stunning video of a feather star is a reminder of just how wonderful and majestic the creatures of the sea can be. Like a special holiday ornament, the feather star have been around for a few New Year’s celebrations…

Friday Smorgasbord: World’s largest DSB gets studied and more

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…

This sponge sure does look familiar…

We had to chuckle when we came across this image of a stovepipe sponge along side Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster in the Daily Mail. Spotted by underwater photographer Mauricio Handler, while he was diving in off the Dutch Caribbean, this Muppet-like…

Google Hangout underwater at the Great Barrier Reef to celebrate Earth Day

We love the Google Earth mapping of the Great Barrier Reef  and were pleased to discover the special event planned to celebrate Earth Day. National Geographic is putting together a special “Hangout” on Google+ that includes one participant that will…

Aquarium TV Shows reprazent at MACNA: Competition is good exposure for the hobby

Love them or leave them two popular aquarium TV shows have given the hobby some incredible exposure and this was evident at MACNA with both the crew from “Tanked!” and “Fish Tank Kings” on hand meeting with fans and having…

Caribbean reefs are nearly all dead says grim, new IUCN report

Where once there were 50 to 60 percent coverage of coral on Caribbean reefs in the 1960s and 70s, now surveys measure coral cover at a meager 10 percent marking a significant environmental statement — coral reefs in the Caribbean…

Coelacanth video from NatGeo is up close and personal

The Nat Geo channel recently shared this fantastic video of divers with a large Coelacanth. While the size was impressive, the articulation in the Coelacanth’s distinctive three-lobed caudal fin is fascinating. We could do without the faked underwater conversation (where’s…

Friday Smorgasbord: World Oceans Day, ORA toured on TV, surfing Alaska and camera diving masks

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO8l7lMOK5c[/youtube] Welcome to the latest Friday Smorgasbord with all the tasty tidbits of the cool and unusual. In honor of it being World Oceans Day today we’ve got a super ocean-themed post ahead. First and foremost, World Oceans Day not…

National Geographic showcases University of Miami underwater photography contest winners

National Geographic is showcasing the winning entries from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science underwater photography contest. The annual event brings a plethora of unique undersea images from amateur photographers who gain no more than 20%…