Tag: deep sea
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Sixteen Places that Honor our Connections to the Universe: the Earth, Moon, Mars Challenge
Ventures into the depths of our oceans and space portray our rapidly changing future. And as we probe the unknowns, we should pause and bask in the glory of our universe and the beauty of our unspoiled places. Herein, I present 16 challenges across the planet and our solar neighbors.
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Ocean Movies you Love to Hate: Endless Descent (aka The Rift) (1989)
Most science fiction movies are based loosely on science. Usually, this means they make a few technical or impossible leaps to move the plot forward but generally adhere to the basic laws of science. But in most cases, filmmakers are forgiven for their science-defying sins as long as the story makes up for it. In…
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Find the Kraken! The Search for Giant Squid
The idea of the Kraken appears in Melville’s Moby Dick in 1851; played a major role in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in 1870; and appeared as the Watcher in the Water in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, lurking in a lake beneath the western walls of Moria. The truth is…
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Living Mr. Holland’s Opus: My Life as a College Professor
When I reflect back on my life as a marine biologist, as a college professor, I’ve had a wonderful life. I have always loved the ocean and as a marine biologist I couldn’t have a better job. But something was missing. Something important. What is the bigger story of my life?
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Protecting the Deep-Sea: Conservation in Action
Last week I joined hundreds of scientists across the country and globe calling for greater protection of our deep sea habitats. The effort to protect the deep sea (depths > 3500m) has been ongoing for many years with groups such as Pew and Oceana joining forces with other organizations and scientists. Why protect the deep sea? It…
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Curious Creatures of the California Coast: Corals
I remember my first dive clearly, gradually sinking to the bottom in three hundred feet of water. As the bottom approached, the water cleared and in the dim light I could make out white objects covering the seafloor. Suddenly, we landed and the submersible’s pilot turned on the outside lights. Wow! We were surrounded by…