liv in seas

Marine ecologist, big fan of fish and their various aquatic associates 🐟🦑🫍🦀 She/her

[livinseas2]

Announcement: Moving blogs!!!

Hi everyone, this is bad timing since I’ve just gained a few new followers. But this blog is a side blog, which means I can’t like posts or have mutuals on this blog, and that was bumming me out! It feels impersonal to scream into the void.

So, I created a new blog (still handle livinseas—LINKED HERE!), where I’m going to start posting. I’ll leave this one up as an archive, but that is where I’m going to be posting from now on!

Sorry for all the confusion. I want to have a bit more of an interactive platform and engage other users, which isn’t super possible from a side blog.

Thanks so much! 🦑

[livinseas]

Happy Earth Day! How are you celebrating? I just finished up my yellowfin tuna painting for this post this morning and might go out for a short bike ride to enjoy the recent warm spring weather we're having!

[livinseas2]

New blog! 😄🌲🩵

[livinseas]

Fish Doorbell! Fish Doorbell! Fish Doorbell!

I'm about six weeks late to this, but we've still got a bit of Fish Doorbell season left!

Read more about why the is such a great initiative at my blog 🐟❤️

Why Are Fish Ringing Doorbells in the Netherlands? - LivInSeas

Ding dong! Who’s there? A fish…? Pin It A fish waiting at the Weerdsluis lock in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Image sourced from the fish doorb

[livinseas2]

New blog! 😙

[livinseas]

Fun sharky fact: Researchers studied bull sharks for six years in Fiji and discovered that the sharks can have FRIENDS.

How cute is that? 😭

The researchers found that the sharks formed social networks and bonds with other sharks, actively choosing to seek out social interactions with certain individuals and avoid others.

I wrote an article covering the main points of the study. Check it out at my blog linked below!

Study by Marosi et al., 2026, image sourced from Hyder Sea Travels. 🦈

Shark Friendships? New Research Uncovers Social Dynamics of Bull Sharks - LivInSeas

New research published in Animal Behavior in April 2026 indicates that bull sharks are able to form intricate social networks and bonds with

[livinseas2]

From the new blog 😙😙

[livinseas]

Isn't it wild that organisms we can't see with the naked eye are some of the most important on our planet? As a marine biologist, one challenge that I and many others struggle with is convincing the public to care about these deeply vital microscopic plants.

Check out my deep dive on the subject below at my blog, including the crucial role they play in the food web, where they're found (and why!), and how they're extremely important to our global climate.

Phytoplankton: Earth's Unsung Heroes - LivInSeas

What if I told you that anywhere between 50-80% of the oxygen in our atmosphere came from organisms that you can’t even see? Microscopic mar

[livinseas2]

Reminder: this^ is my new blog! Set it up so I won’t be running a side blog anymore 😄

[livinseas]

In the dark of the deep sea, a pint-sized predator flaps its fins, drifting through the darkness. It points one enlarged, yellow eye upward and stares down into the abyss below with its small, blue eye. At night, it will chase its prey into shallower waters, participating in the biggest migration on earth. This is the strawberry squid.

What is the mesopelagic zone? How does diurnal vertical migration contribute to the planet's carbon cycle? How could having two wildly different eyes help this squid thrive in the darkness? Why are mid-level predators so important? Learn more about these cuties (and check out more of my art) at my blog below!

Species Spotlight: Strawberry Squid - LivInSeas

In the dark of the deep sea, a pint-sized predator flaps its fins, drifting through the darkness. It points its one, enlarged yellow eye upw

[livinseas2]

Please note the new blog 😁 switched it so I won’t be running a side blog anymore and can actually have mutuals now, yay!

[sillydinoh]

More fish!!🐟🐠

[grimjubilee]

Rainbow Trout, second painting in a long time. I have so much to learn!

[support me here]

[jagalart]

To all the people who asked for herring merch I've got ya 🐟🐟🐟

[infernofearrr]

Mango Tango! a wonderous lad

[coyotegutz]

had some extra paint left on my palette that i didn’t want to waste, so here’s a moonfish 𓆟

[livinseas2]

Edit: this is an archive blog now, the blog has moved to livinseas

Back when I worked in fisheries science, I always hoped I would get the opportunity to see an opah. While I never got the chance, at least I can paint one! These fish are incredibly quick, built for speed like swordfish and tuna. Their features minimize drag while maximizing thrust and lift. But, they also exhibit whole-body endothermy, which keeps their body and crucial organs warm and functioning in peak form during feeding dives to the deep sea. Opah are an insanely cool group of fish, but wildly under-appreciated.

Learn more about these amazing fish at my marine biology blog below!

Species Spotlight: Smalleye Pacific Opah - LivInSeas

Opah are a strikingly beautiful species of fish I always hoped to see while conducting fieldwork in fisheries science. Sadly, luck was never

[spadefish]

This month I did FIVE fish on stream!! :3 Gold Dust Lyretail Molly, Spotted Ratfish, Tiger Rockfish, Black Phantom Tetra, and Basking Shark!!

[goryfluff]

Nautilus expedition live streams (+ their commentary) | 2024

[livinseas2]

Edit: this is an archive blog now, the blog has moved to livinseas

The spotted ratfish is an adorable chimaera. It has charismatic white spots and a cute, almost cartoon-like rostrum. But, this little shark relative packs a venomous punch and can detect electricity.

How can fisheries science help us understand this cutie? Why do they have more shredded pecs than Arnold Schwarzenegger? Learn more and check out some of my art at my marine biology education blog, LivInSeas!

Species Spotlight: Spotted Ratfish - LivInSeas

The spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) is an adorable chimaera. It features charismatic white spots and a cute, almost cartoon-like rostru

[marine-gifs]

A coelacanth displays its white belly, thought to be its breeding colour. Filmed in Indonesia. From Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth (2025).

[livinseas2]

Edit: this is an archive blog now, the blog has moved to livinseas

The hummingbird bobtail squid is an adorable little cephalopod who, despite its teeny size, is a very important organism in scientific research.

Learn more about this cutie and check out some of my art at my blog, LivInSeas!

Species Spotlight: Hummingbird Bobtail Squid - LivInSeas

The tiny hummingbird bobtail squid (Euprymna berryi) is a visually-striking cephalopod. It features a bright, fluorescent coloration and dar