The sea is full of creatures that look like they’ve swum straight from the ninth circle of hell: Vampire squid. Goblin sharks. But few ocean animals are scarier than the smallest ones: parasites. From castration barnacles to infectious jellyfish, these three parasites prove that evolution is far freakier than any midnight double-feature. 1. Anelasma squalicola: The … Read more
In 2014, when Mariah Pfleger volunteered to sift through water samples from Alabama’s Mobile River Basin, she wasn’t expecting to solve one of biology’s most frustrating missing fishes cases. Pfleger, a graduate student at the time and now a scientist at Oceana, agreed to help a friend track down proof of a living Alabama sturgeon … Read more
Perhaps nothing binds the land to the sea as deeply as salmon. In the ocean-going phase of their lives, salmon along the west coast the United States and Canada feed sea lions, sharks, humans and an endangered family of killer whales. In rivers and streams, they nourish bears, birds — and forests. Up to 80 … Read more
The Salish Sea’s resident killer whales are as central to the Pacific Northwest’s culture as salmon are to its cuisine. For thousands of years, the salmon have filled our bellies while the whales —10-ton torpedoes piloted by playful, cunning, compassionate minds — have fueled our dreams. But with wild salmon at a fraction of their … Read more
The marbled electric ray, also known as the marbled torpedo ray, is one of many ray species that will literally leave prey in shock. Equipped with electric organs, this ray is an advanced ambush predator whose mottled skin color renders it nearly invisible to unsuspecting eyes Marbled electric rays are commonly found in the eastern … Read more
In spa-like “seeps” hundreds of meters beneath the ocean, methane bubbles rise from the seafloor in streams, screens and torrents. These bubbles, burped from pockets in the earth’s crust, fuel a weird world of saucer-eyed fish, furry crabs and sponges like ruffled lace collars. We’ve only known about the existence of methane seeps for a … Read more
Megan Jordan joined Oceana in 2016 with several years of diverse marketing and communications experience in corporate, start-up and non-profit environments. She has managed international public relations campaigns, product launches, creative marketing strategy, crisis communications as well as strategic internal/external communications. Megan earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in Corporate Communications and Public Relations. … Read more
Even the most dedicated shark fans might get tripped up by our tricky trivia. Learn something new or show your friends just how smart you are with our quizzes below! Myth or Fact: Sharks Edition Can You Guess That Shark Want to lend a fin for sharks around the world? Add your name … Read more
Off the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula lies Cabo Pulmo, a small national park that holds a big distinction. In just 10 years, the park’s biomass of fish — the combined weight of all fish species — increased by 463 percent, the largest increase ever recorded for a marine reserve. Now thriving, only a … Read more
The gray seal lives in North Atlantic waters and is divided into three distinct stocks — the North Atlantic stock, the Baltic Sea stock and the eastern North Atlantic stock. In these waters, gray seals experience cold temperatures and sub-arctic environments. Males will come ashore, including onto ice, to mate, often competing with each other … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.