Filter-Feeding "Giant Lobster"

Paleontologists have discovered a previously unknown giant fossil (Aegirocassis benmoulae) of the anomalocaridids group living about 480 million years ago that used tiny spines on appendages to filter-feed much like modern-day whales, providing insight into that early marine environment.

New Seadragon Species Found

Scientists have identified a previously unknown third distinct species of the exotic seadragon, named the ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea) after its unusual bright red coloration, while analyzing DNA from tissue samples believed to be from the two known species, the leafy and common seadragons.

Octopus with Longest Gestation

Scientists have observed a deep-sea octopus (Graneledone boreopacifica) brooding a clutch of eggs at a site in the Pacific Ocean for roughly 53 months, longer by far than any other known species.

New Dolphin Species Discovered

Scientists have discovered a species of river dolphin previously unknown to science in the Araguaia River of Brazil, only the fifth such freshwater species known and the first discovered since 1918.

New Antarctic Sea Anemone

A research team has discovered a species of tiny sea anemone previously unknown to science living in the Ross Ice Shelf off Antarctica, the first such species living in pure ice instead of soil and the first to live upside down, hanging from the underside of the ice shelf.

Dolphins Identify by "Names"

New research shows that bottlenose dolphins have a unique signature whistle that they respond to by repeating that whistle back to the originator, ignoring other similar vocalizations and supporting evidence of a concept of identity with a distinct "name" for each individual animal.

Blue Blood Survives Freezing

Researchers have found a specialized blue pigment called hemocyanin in the blood of the Antarctic octopus (Pareledone charcoti) that is copper-based instead of the more common iron-based hemoglobin, allowing the ions to bind with oxygen and the animals to survive in sub-freezing waters of -1.9 degrees Celsius.

Starfish Lose Arms to Heat

Scientists have found that cold-blooded (ectotherm) starfish can regulate their internal body temperatures to a degree, diverting heat away from their vital organs at the center core and into their arms to dissipate heat more efficiently even at the cost of losing that appendage to tissue damage.

Seals as Filter Feeders

Although normally preying on penguins and smaller seals, researchers have found the leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) can feed on tiny krill like a whale by filtering them through specialized teeth, allowing this species to feed from both the top and the bottom of the Antarctic food web.

New Estimate for Microbial Life

New data from studies of single-celled organisms living in marine sediment on the sea floor at the extremes of nutrient starvation downsize previous estimates by as much as 92%, reducing the overall estimated population of microbial life and biomass on Earth by about half.

EPB Virtually Impassable

First hypothesized by Charles Darwin in 1880, a comprehensive study focusing on robust coral species has confirmed the deep, 4000-mile uninterrupted stretch of water known as the Eastern Pacific Barrier (EPB) separating the eastern from the central Pacific Ocean is virtually impassable by most marine species, with implications for climate research and species-preservation efforts.

Shrews Warm Up Before Dive

Scientists have found the American water shrew rapidly elevates its body temperature moments before diving into icy waters for its prey, an unexpected attribute and contrary to other aquatic animals whose body temperature drops to slow oxygen consumption while underwater.

Crustacean Inspires Body Armor

Analysis of the club-like arm of the mantis shrimp, a specialized claw that survives impact as it closes faster than a .22-caliber bullet, reveals a highly complex three-tiered structure that could be adapted for new designs of personal body armor and vehicle shielding.

New Purple Crab Species

A new colorful purple crab (Insulamon palawanense) is one of four new crab species recently discovered on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, with its brilliant coloration possibly evolving by chance and not associated with a specific function or adaptation.

Ovaries on the Outside

Researchers have discovered a new species of acorn worm (Allapasus aurantiacus) living on the deep ocean floor that is unique in that it has its ovaries attached to the outside of its body, a design that possibly facilitates fertilization from the male.

Shipping Noise Stresses Whales

Using data from the two days following the 9/11 attacks in which shipping traffic all but ceased in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, marine biologists found stress-hormone levels taken from North Atlantic right whale feces to be lower than the following four years, providing the first evidence that human underwater noise stresses whale populations.

New Species around Sea Vents

A rich "lost world" of dozens of species new to science has been discovered living around hydrothermal vents on the sea floor near Antarctica, where marine life thrive without sunlight and in waters reaching temperatures up to 382°C.

Crab Grows Its Own Food

The newly discovered yeti crab (Kiwa puravida) that lives in the deep sea off the shores of Costa Rica cultivates "gardens" of symbiotic bacteria in its bristled claws that it periodically harvests and eats as its primary food source.

Fossil Zombie Worms

Traces of the bone-eating "zombie" worms of the genus Osedax have been found among Mediterranean whale fossils, suggesting this soft-bodied worm was widespread across the oceans 6 million years ago and may be responsible for erasing parts of the fossil record by destroying bones before they fossilized.

Extreme Life at Sea Bottom

Exploring the deep Mariana Trench at depths of more than 10,000 meters, researchers have documented extreme life forms called xenophyophores abundant on the sea floor, single-celled animals that can reach 10 cm in length and play host to dozens of other extreme species.