Charlotte, a stingray at the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville, North Carolina, made headlines when she got pregnant. What made this news surprising was the fact that she hadn’t shared a tank with a male stingray for at least eight years! This rare event caught the attention of people worldwide. An Aquarium Announcement In ...
Our expert-vetted content is grounded in current scientific publications, yet we acknowledge science’s ever-evolving nature. Read our full editorial and disclosure policy. Introduction The air-water interface signifies a major barrier for most organisms. However, despite the difficulty, some creatures manage to temporarily breach this interface for a number of reasons including hunting, escaping predators, regulating body temperatures, and parasite ...
Imagine a world where the sun never shines, where temperatures plummet and crushing pressures would flatten most creatures in seconds. Yet, in the shadowy depths of Earth’s oceans, bizarre life flourishes in ways that seem almost impossible. Perhaps the most astonishing among these are deep-sea tubeworms—creatures that thrive without a mouth, a gut, or even ...
Imagine biting into a juicy almond or savoring a sweet strawberry, only to realize that each mouthful comes at a hidden cost. In the sun-drenched valleys of California, fields of green stretch as far as the eye can see, feeding millions across the world. But underneath this abundance, there’s a silent crisis unfolding—a crisis fueled ...
Imagine swimming in the deep blue, shadows gliding effortlessly beneath you—sleek, powerful, and mysterious. The ocean’s most iconic predators, sharks and rays, captivate our imagination with their otherworldly shapes and silent grace. But what if the real surprise lies not in their ferocity, but in their secret family ties? While many might lump all fish ...
Imagine an underwater world where tiny creatures hold the fate of the planet’s carbon cycles in their delicate fins. Beneath the ocean’s surface, in the shadowy twilight zone, armies of shimmering lanternfish rise and fall like silent, living elevators. These humble fish, often overlooked and unknown, are secret heroes in the grand story of Earth’s ...
Something extraordinary might be happening on a moon millions of miles from Earth. Imagine a world where sunlight never reaches the surface, where icy shells blanket hidden oceans, yet the possibility of life still flickers in the darkness. Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons, has captivated scientists for decades with the tantalizing idea that it ...
The ocean, covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, is home to an astonishing diversity of life, much of which remains mysterious and unexplored. In a groundbreaking effort to uncover the secrets of marine life, scientists have conducted the largest DNA study of the ocean to date. This monumental research effort has expanded our ...
The world’s oceans are on the edge of a mysterious and dangerous tipping point. A new report reveals that rising acidity levels, driven by human activity, are pushing marine life and the climate to the brink. As our oceans transform, creatures like corals and shellfish face an uncertain future, and the impact on global food ...
Imagine gazing into the glittering water of a home aquarium, watching goldfish dart and swirl, their orange scales catching the light. For years, people have chuckled at the idea that these captivating creatures forget everything in just three seconds. But what if this widespread belief was shockingly wrong? What if, hidden behind those curious eyes, ...
Nelleke van Niekerk, BSc Food Science (Biochemistry)
Linnea H, BSc Sociology
