Rants on topics such as the environment and wildlife and nature, along with ramblings of my everyday life as an undergrad student!
(via jelly-fishes)
theseablog: Salmon Shark (Lamna ditropis)
The Salmon Sharkis interesting for two reasons. First off, Salmon Sharks are warm blooded, a feature shared with only a handful of other fish. It is thought that this is an adaption to allow it to hunt in a larger area (the salmon shark can be found in the whole of the northern pacific).
Secondly, there is a great difference in the sex ratio between populations found in the east and west north pacific. Females are most common in the east, and males in the west. No ones really sure why.
kelp crab 1634 by jrixunderwater on Flickr.
(Source: buddhabrot, via jelly-fishes)
WHIPCORAL FOREST by wildestanimal
Good news, everyone!
The Irrawaddy River Dolphin is a freshwater dolphin species. Prior to January 2012, it was thought that there were less than 100 left in the world, living in freshwater rivers and lagoons in southeast Asia. But about a month ago, 6,000 more of these dolphins were found around Bangladesh. Hope for the future!!Source- Wildlife Conservation Society
(via good-conservation-news)
Sharks ‘Scales” Create Tiny Whirl Pools for Speed
by Charles Q. Choi
Razor-sharp scales on their skin seem to make it easier for sharks to race through the water, by generating whirlpools that help pull them along, researchers say. This research eventually could lead to an artificial shark skin that enhances the swimming of underwater robots, the researchers add.
Harvard University bioroboticist George Lauder and graduate student Johannes Oeffner created a simple robot and placed real shark skin around it to study the skin’s properties.
They discovered that the toothlike scales, called denticles, generated vortexes on the front edge of the skin, eddies that essentially would help suck the shark forward. “Leading-edge vortices are well-known in insect and bird flight,” Lauder said…
(read more: Live Science) (image: George Lauder, Johannes Oeffner)
I held a study session for the class I volunteer with today. I went a lot better than I expected! It was the first time I’ve actually taught them.. usually I just answer any questions they have in lab. This made me feel more confident about ever being a TA! :)
To top it all off, I have a meeting tomorrow with a professor at my school to see if I can volunteer with her research!
Carcinus maenas
Arthropoda > Malacostraca > Decapoda > Portunidae > Carcinus
