Category Archives: Other Marine Animals

10 Fabulous Facts About the Sea Cucumber

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Cherilyn Chin

1. Sea cucumbers are not a vegetable, but an invertebrate (animal without a backbone). They are like a squishy leather-like terrestrial cucumber with a mouth on one end and an anus on the other. They breathe through their anus. 2. … Continue reading →

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What Is Bioluminescence and Why Do So Many Deep-Sea Animals Have It?

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Cherilyn Chin

What is bioluminescence? Bio = biological, or life, Lumen = light (unit) Bioluminescence is the biochemical emission of light by living organisms such as deep-sea fishes. It produces the “glow-in-the-dark” look of certain animals such as fireflies and the “fireworks” … Continue reading →

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Blue-Green Bacteria (Prochlorococcus) are Most Abundant Photosynthesizing Biomass on Earth

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Cherilyn Chin

That’s right, a bacterium called Prochlorococcus marinus, is the most plentiful photosynthesizing biomass on Earth. There are a billion billion billion (or trillion trillion) Prochlorococci in all the world’s oceans. It’s not a plant (though it has chlorophyll like them), … Continue reading →

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European Eel Life Cycle

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Cherilyn Chin

Hi, I’m a European eel. I was born in the Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, due east of Bermuda. I use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate, a sixth sense of sorts. When … Continue reading →

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Coral Reef Bleaching—Why the Great Barrier Reef is in Trouble

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Cherilyn Chin

Why are the corals on the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia bleaching? Why is coral bleaching important? First a little background on corals. Hi, I’m Polly, a coral polyp. The animal you think of as “coral” is actually made … Continue reading →

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Meet Cooper the Copepod & Learn About Microplastics

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Cherilyn Chin

Hi! I’m Cooper the Copepod. What is a Copepod? Well, I am a tiny animal that is part of the plankton. Plankton are the microscopic plants and animals that make up the base of the food chain in the ocean. … Continue reading →

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10 Facts About the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Cherilyn Chin

Note: Since Jellyfish aren’t really fish, I will now refer to them as Jellies instead… 1. The Lion’s Mane Jelly is the largest Jelly in the ocean. Its bell can reach up to 8 feet in diameter, and its tentacles … Continue reading →

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10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Sea Sponges

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Cherilyn Chin

1. Sea Sponges are animals, not plants. 2. Sea Sponges have been in the ocean for 500 million years. 3. Sea Sponges don’t move, but they filter lots of water for food (plankton) and oxygen. 4. Sea Sponges are among … Continue reading →

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10 Fabulous Facts About Sea Snakes

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Cherilyn Chin

Note on picture: Sea kraits are sea snakes that go onto land, true sea snakes spend their whole lives in the water. 1. Sea snakes are reptiles and need to breathe air. 2. 50 different species of true sea snakes … Continue reading →

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The Real Monsters of the Ocean: Plankton

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Cherilyn Chin

As darkness slowly creeps over the coral reef, the night dwellers begin to appear. Coral relies upon its symbiotic algae to feed themselves during the day, but after dark the coral polyps unfold their sticky tentacles. These tentacles grab food … Continue reading →

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By-the-Wind Sailors Washing Up on US West Coast Beaches

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Cherilyn Chin

By-the wind sailors, also known by their scientific name Velella velella, have been washing up by the thousands along the West Coast of the United States. They have been found from Monterey, California all the way up the coast to … Continue reading →

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Krill: The Most Abundant Animal on Earth

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Cherilyn Chin

Or specifically, the most biomass on Earth. That would be krill, the small shrimp-like creatures like large whales love to gobble down. My name is Karl, and I am a krill. I live in Antarctic waters. What is it like … Continue reading →

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10 Endangered Ocean Animals: Happy Endangered Species Day!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Cherilyn Chin

10 Endangered Marine Animals 1. Maui’s Dolphin: found off of New Zealand, only 55 individuals remain 2. Northern Right Whale: found in Atlantic Ocean, only 350 individuals remain 3. Vaquita: small dolphin found off of Baja Peninsula, Mexico, 500-600 remain … Continue reading →

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10 Cool Facts About Jellyfish

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Cherilyn Chin

1. A jellyfish is not a fish at all, it is an invertebrate (animal without a backbone). 2. Invertebrates make up 95% of all animals on earth. 3. A jelly is made up of approximately 95% water. 4. A jelly … Continue reading →

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Why Jellyfish May Become the “Cockroaches of the Sea”

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Cherilyn Chin

While jellyfish (referred to as jellies for rest of this post since they are not “fish”) have been painted by public aquariums to be moving and floating masterpieces, the ocean itself has a different viewpoint on them. If the oceans … Continue reading →

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