#topten2019

[jeffsullivan]

Every year I run across new time-light dependencies in Yosemite National Park. Fall opportunities in particular can rely on a single set of vegetation getting spotlighted with light for a few minutes, like these young cottonwood trees by the Merced River. . . . #yosemite #nationalpark #california #fallcolors #light #landscapephotography #minimalism #getoutside #goparks #topten2019 (at Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6qhAlQlsd1/?igshid=vu13hnox71e0

[mbari-blog]

Number 2: It's a whale of a fish! Not really, but it is a whalefish!⁠

Originally described as resembling baleen whales, these spectacular animals are also spectacularly shy. We have few images of fish species in the family Cetomimidae, but our researchers were lucky enough to capture some incredible footage of this individual at 1,665 meters (5,462 feet) deep.

Whalefishes lack external scales and pelvic fins and their eyes are very small and, in some species, useless!⁠ The lens is lost shortly after transformation from the larval stage and with it the ability to form images. To compensate, whalefishes have developed a highly sensitive lateral line system. This system of sensory pores runs the length of the fish's body and helps it to accurately perceive its surroundings by detecting vibrations. Whalefishes have rarely been collected alive, therefore few details of their biology are well known. ⁠

Watch the full video on YouTube!

[awesomebrenner]

Top 10 2019 • Prismacolor

[mbari-blog]

Number 5: Our favorite #girlgang

MBARI researchers recently revisited the famed Octopus Garden site on the edge of Davidson Seamount— an underwater mountain made of ancient lava. The octopuses (Muusoctopus robustus) were each tucked into crevices in the lava seafloor, carefully guarding the developing eggs underneath. ⁠This is the only place scientists have ever seen such a large aggregation of brooding octopuses anywhere in the world.⁠

Watch the full video on YouTube!

[mbari-blog]

MBARI’s Top 10 for 2019 is here!

It's that time of year! For the next 10 days, we'll be posting some of our favorite clips from this year's ROV dives. #bestof2019 #topten⁠

First up, this super-stretchy deep-sea hydroid, Branchiocerianthus imperator, and its tiny nudibranch stowaway. Hydroids are part of the same phylum as jellyfish—the Cnidaria. Although most species grow in colonies, there are also solitary benthic hydroids like this giant one that we spotted at nearly 4,000 meters (over 13,000 feet) deep off the Big Sur coast.⁠

Watch the full video on YouTube!

[mbari-blog]

Number 6: Instead of watching the ball drop at midnight, we watch the panda bear sea angels dive in the deep.⁠

There are two distinct types of pteropods – those with shells and those without. The shelled pteropods produce a net of sticky mucus to passively collect and eat marine snow. Though they may look and sound cute, the pteropods without shells (like this Notobranchaea macdonaldi) are all carnivores and as far as we know, feed solely upon the shelled pteropods.⁠

These carnivorous pteropods have sets of curved hooks and suckers or sticky tentacles that are tucked inside the animal's head when it's not actively feeding. When these feeding structures come into contact with a shelled pteropod, they grasp and pull the prey out of its shell. We don't yet know how they locate their prey, especially because they don't have eyes. They likely use something similar to a sense of smell or they may just swim around until they happen to bump into their favorite snack. ⁠

[mbari-blog]

Number 3: You see something new every day, especially in the deep sea

This deep-sea hydroid in the family Candelabridae, unlike the one we posted earlier this week, is a colony of individual polyps. The group of animals making up this colony is very delicate, making it nearly impossible for scientists to collect and positively identify the species. While working off the coast of Big Sur and exploring the seafloor nearly 4,000 meters (~13,000 feet) below the sea surface, MBARI researchers in the control room on the ship, watched in wonder when they saw this colony coil up on camera! Without deep-working vehicles like the ROV Doc Ricketts, biologists would never know about behaviors like this, which is why this video made our list of #BestofMBARI 2019. ⁠

Watch the full video on YouTube!

[mbari-blog]

MBARI Top Ten 2019

Watch the rest of our amazing clips (like this redhead larvacean, Mesochordaeus erythrocephalus) on YouTube!