Alright, so first on the agenda: an entire dock has floated 5,000 miles from Japan (as a result of the recent tsunami) to Agate beach in Oregon, U.S.A. and brought with it millions of tiny organisms.
This event actually has scientists worried, as many species are new to America. If they spread rapidly and become an invasive species, the west coast could have a problem similar to that of the Woolly adelgid in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (these little buggers came from another country, and with no natural predators they are quickly diminishing the Hemlock population).
Among the "aliens" are starfish, crabs and algae (and others) in a complex community all living on this dock as it floated across the Pacific. While this is an amazing feat of nature, these species do pose a threat, and as a result the dock was scraped clean and its inhabitants buried offshore.
The currents are another issue that has come up, what with other items floating up in distant islands and even a motorcycle in Canada. Are the sea currents changing? Muahaha! I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
http://news.yahoo.com/officials-worry-creatures-tsunami-dock-165802958.html
Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun duuuu- CHOMP.
We all know the glory that is Jaws, but not many people stop to look beyond the gore at a misunderstood and highly intelligent fish.
But more on that later.
In Australia, research has been conducted by the University of Queensland to suggest that there are two distinct breeding populations in the Oceania region: one in the eastern waters off Australia, and one in the western and southern waters. These sharks stay in their own territory (easterners don't cross the Bass straight, and both groups return to their regions after extensive travel).
A few sharks were found with DNA more similar to that of Indian ocean great whites, suggesting a foreign breeding pattern among some sharks. Ooooo. Fishy.
http://news.yahoo.com/australias-great-white-sharks-always-home-breed-164600407.html;_ylt=AhR0.p85K_EP1ou5G543pkcPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTN0ZnNlajh2BG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YEcGtnA2YwNDhhZmYxLWQxMmUtMzZjOC1hNThlLTg4YTkyN2I2ZjgzOARwb3MDMjAEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDNjkwMDhkYzEtYjE4Yi0xMWUxLWJiN2UtMjFkZTYxOTE4OGU4;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3
Now this next article is so chock full of amazing information that I'm not even going to start opinionizing on it. Let me just say, plankton (and of course phytoplankton) dominate the ocean. Seriously. They are tiny, but they are EVERYWHERE. Every marine ecosystem and community benefits from them in some way, and whales would drop like flies without them. So thank you, phytoplankton, for being so awesome.
http://news.yahoo.com/wanted-know-phytoplankton-150700216.html;_ylt=Au230_N9pPqddFkFYx72L8gPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNzZzR2ZGEyBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YEcGtnAzQyOGE0ODk5LWQyZjYtMzFkMS1iZmFiLTk4ZTM0ODUzMWQzZgRwb3MDOQRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgM1ZjNlMjk0MS1iMjJjLTExZTEtOWJmZS04ODI0N2I3NzhhZDU-;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3
As you read this, Ben Linhoff is being a wonderful genius in Greenland, and this is some interesting news from his camp. For those of you who like geology, geography, glaciers and water, knock yourselves out. :)
http://news.yahoo.com/following-ice-glacial-dam-205400929.html;_ylt=Av9xF4sR7r2toYryNPDmgN8PLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNzYXA1Zm9iBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YEcGtnA2MzOTA3MmJkLWY5MjEtMzIzYi04NzBkLTM2MjU2NjFiN2NhNwRwb3MDNQRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgNjYzAxMmJjMS1iMjQyLTExZTEtOWZmMi1kZTg1NWUzNzY2YTI-;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3
Last, but certainly not least...
It has come to the attention of scientists that certain spiders have been preying on the blood-filled abdomens of female mosquitoes (recognizable by their striped antennae).
Ladies and gentlemen, there are vampire spiders.
'Nuff said.
http://news.yahoo.com/vampire-spiders-home-female-mosquitoes-170308203.html;_ylt=Asp8CeDNYNtFFDzkbt_wyksPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNza2UzZDA5BG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YEcGtnA2UyOGJmOTlkLWY5ZDgtMzY5Zi1iYTQ5LThiYjllMGUyNTM4MARwb3MDOARzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgMyOTAyMzM5MS1iMjMwLTExZTEtYmZiZi1lOWRmMTlkNmE0NGM-;_ylg=X3oDMTFlamZvM2ZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3
Science rules.
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