Phytoplankton (Coccolithophore) Bloom!

Aphid captured under a student microscope.

Migaloo is an albino humpback whale,  usually sighted along the Australian coast,  and occasionally in New Zealand waters.  Migaloo was named by the Hervey Bay local aboriginal collective,  and it means “white fella”.  While several Humpback Whales have been spotted with almost 90% white pigment coverage,  Migaloo is the only documented albino.

(source)

Annual Arctic sea ice minimum, 1979-2016

But without primary producers (phytoplankton) there would be no krill

They’re krilly small and unassuming, but krill form the backbone of many ocean ecosystems! 

These tiny crustaceans consume phytoplankton, and in turn are food for whales, fish, and other marine animals. During their peak feeding times, blue whales can eat up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day! 

(Photo: Maps For Good, taken in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary)

(Feb 6, 2016) Photos from Volcano Irazú in Costa Rica.

Lakes and rivers of Antarctica

Sharks – like this sandbar shark in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary – have several adaptations that make them excellent predators. 

Specialized organs called ampullae of Lorenzini help sharks sense electric fields in the water generated by other fish. Their eyes, too, are specially adapted: all shark eyes have a tapetum lucidum, a layer of mirrored crystals located behind the retina, allowing them to see in in low light conditions and up to ten times better than humans in clear water. 

Despite these adaptations, sandbar sharks and other sharks typically pose little threat to humans. We’re more dangerous to them than they are to us! 

(Photo: Nick Zachar/NOAA) 

[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a sandbar shark.]

Very cool. My lab group also works with Emiliania huxleyi and EhVs.

DISCOVERING THE GIANTS OF THE DEEP: BATHYNOMUS JAMESI

A newly discovered species of giant isopod, Bathynomus vaderi, has recently been described from the deep waters around Spratly Islands, off Vietnam. The species, named after the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Vader, due to the striking resemblance of its helmet-like head, adds to the growing diversity of the Bathynomus genus. Bathynomus vaderi is characterized by several unique features, including a parallel-margin clypeal region, a raised dorsal surface on its pleotelson, and upwardly curved pleotelson spines.

Giant isopods like Bathynomus vaderi have become an expensive delicacy in Vietnam. Until 2017, local fishermen only sold them as an incidental product at low prices, but in recent years the media has drawn the public's attention to this unusual seafood. Some even claim that it is more delicious than lobster, the "king of seafood." This new species is described from several individual found at seafood markets in Hanoi, Vietnam.

-Seafood market in Hanoi, Vietnam, selling the newly described Bathynomus jamesi. Large specimens exceeding 2 kg in weight command premium prices.

In Vietnam, Bathynomus species, are often referred to as "sea bugs". Their unique appearance and large size make them a delicacy, and they can command high prices, with larger individuals of B. vaderi reaching up to 2 kg. In recent years, demand for these creatures has risen, especially in urban centers like Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City, where they are displayed in restaurants and sold through online seafood markets. This growing industry highlights the continued fascination with deep-sea species and the need for ongoing research to better understand their ecology and conservation.

Main photo: Bathynomus vaderi, male, colour in life. Photo by Nguyen Thanh Son

Reference (Open Access): Ng et al., 2025. A new species of supergiant Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomy of Bathynomus jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017. ZooKeys.

At 'America First Energy Conference', solar power is dumb, climate...

Pumping carbon dioxide into the air makes the planet greener; the United Nations puts out fake science about climate change to control the global energy market; and wind and solar energy are simply "dumb".

These people not only vote, they’re the same ones paying $$$ to promote pro-fossil fuel candidates.

I honestly see it as no exaggeration to say that the fate of the planet rests on how - and if - we vote.