(OCEANS) Thousands of jumbo squid have beached themselves on the central California coast this week, committing what scientists are calling a “mass suicide.” Despite years of studying this phenomenon in which squid actually fling themselves onto shore, the cause has always been a mystery. However, new evidence suggests that poisonous algae may be intoxicating the Humboldt squid and causing them to swim ashore in Monterey Bay. Read on to learn more about the decades-old mystery. — Global Animal
(OCEANS/TAKE ACTION) CALIFORNIA — Animal advocates are deeply concerned for California’s central coast marine life in response to PG&E’s decision to start seismic mapping this November. The Seismic Imaging Project entails blasting 18 underwater cannons every 15-20 seconds, 24 hours a day for 33 days. The blasts send shock-waves into the earths crust which will supply data to create 3-D images of multiple earthquake faults near Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The project will test whether further precautions are necessary to prevent a nuclear meltdown in the event of an earthquake, not unlike the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. — Global Animal
(CELEBRITY NEWS) AUSTRALIA — Shark expert and marine conservationist Ron Taylor lost his battle with cancer early this week. Taylor is perhaps best known for the frightening underwater footage the world saw in the 1975 film Jaws. While the controversial film portrays great white sharks as man-eating killers, Taylor and his wife thought the opposite. They both greatly appreciated the beautiful creatures, and even pointed out that the film inspired research and interest. Read on for more about the conservation work Taylor was involved with. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL NEWS) HAWAII — Researchers are stunned by the the millions of pea-sized crabs that washed ashore on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The name and type of crab is still unknown. The crabs are in their swimming stage and cannot survive on the beach. Could this be related to the hundreds of beached dolphins and pelicans found in Peru earlier this year? Let us know what you think. — Global Animal
(MARINE ANIMALS) CANADA — The Vancouver Aquarium is currently raising over 400 paralava, teeny tiny translucent baby squid that are no bigger than a grain of rice. Just like newborns, the squid are requiring a lot of attention. The little guys have to be fed continuously while they are learning to eat in order to grow to their average size of about a foot long. In the wild they breed off the coast of California and can be found all the way from Mexico to Alaska. Look below to watch the video and get up close and personal with these baby opalescent squid. — Global Animal
(ELEPHANT SEALS) CALIFORNIA — A project monitoring female elephant seals off the coast of Northern California has become one of the most informative marine mammal traffic efforts so far. Through the tracking devices placed on female seals heads, scientists are able to learn about their health, migration, nursing and hunting patterns from one generation to the next. Read on for more on what we have learned about this amazing species. — Global Animal
(SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY) When scientists discovered the fossilized ink sacs of a cuttlefish-like creature that had been dry for over 160 million years, they were amazed to find the Jurassic ink was nearly indistinguishable from the ink found in cuttlefish today. The fact that the ink hasn’t changed over the millennia suggests the defensive weapon hasn’t evolved much either. Read on for more on this discovery and how it could aid in the further understanding of extinct species. — Global Animal
(SHARK SCIENCE) Concerned over the amount of people getting bitten by sharks, Eric Stroud, a chemist, wanted to develop a mechanism to protect people from sharks. By chance, he happened to notice that magnets have the potential to repel sharks. While Stroud was initially concerned with the safety of people, he believes magnets can also be used to prevent sharks from biting fish hooks. Read on to learn more about the science behind sharks and magnets and Stroud’s potential discovery. — Global Animal
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