The southern elephant seal is one of two living species of elephant seals. These two species get their name from the trunk-like nose that males develop as they become sexually mature. Only the strongest, most dominant males win the right to mate with females, and ninety percent of males die before developing a harem. Harems defended by the … Read more
Adult orange roughy are predators that live on or just over the seafloor, but near areas where strong currents bring their preferred prey (other fishes and squids) to them. Deep seamounts provide the right oceanographic conditions to form these strong currents. Orange roughy grow no bigger than a few feet (less than one meter) and are eaten … Read more
Many species that live in the open ocean (or pelagic realm) truly live in an ocean universe. More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, and it is important to remember that more than 50% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean that is at least two miles (3.2 km) deep. … Read more
The North Atlantic right whale is one of three species of right whales (the North Pacific right whale and Southern right whale are the two other species). Like all the great baleen whales, this species can grow quite large. With lengths of up to 50 feet (15 m) and weighing up to 64 metric tonnes (140,000 pounds), the … Read more
Northern red snappers are active predators and eat just about anything that is smaller than them, including smaller fishes, crustaceans, octopuses, squids, etc. On hard bottoms and rocky and artificial reefs throughout their range, northern red snappers are one of the top predators, but adults are eaten by sharks, very large bony fishes, and marine mammals, … Read more
Orcas get their nickname “killer whales” from their reputation of being ferocious predators, exhibiting almost hateful behaviors when toying with their prey. Interestingly, however, killer whales are actually very large dolphins, reaching lengths of 33 feet (10 m) and weights of at least 10 metric tones (22,000 pounds). Orcas and other dolphins are thought to be some of … Read more
Kelp forests are underwater ecosystems formed in shallow water by the dense growth of several different species known as kelp. Though they look very much like plants, kelps are actually extremely large brown algae. Some species can reach heights (underwater) of 150 feet (45 m), and under ideal physical conditions, kelp can grow 18 inches … Read more
The jackass penguin is closely related to the temperate penguins of South America (the Humboldt penguin, the Galapagos penguin, and the Magellanic Penguin), and these four species are together known as the banded penguins. Jackass penguins lay clutches of two eggs in burrows that they dig out of the thick layers of guano (seabird droppings) … Read more
The flatback turtle is named for the relative flatness of its shell, one of the characteristics that distinguish it from the other sea turtles around the world. Most sea turtles migrate extremely long distances, travelling across entire ocean basins multiple times throughout their lives. The flatback turtle, however, has a much smaller range, is the … Read more
Fjords are long, narrow, deep bodies of water along the coasts of formerly glaciated areas. As glaciers historically flowed to the coast, they eroded deep, sharp canyons. Fjords were created once the glaciers melted and the canyons were flooded by rising sea levels. These marine ecosystems are typically surrounded by tall mountains with steep sides … 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.