We love hearing about people using ROVs for safer inspection of vessels and other underwater assets. In this article, the US Navy inspected the USS George H.W. Bush with an ROV:
Kelp Holdfasts
Did you know that kelp don’t have roots? They use branching, root-like, gnarled structures called holdfasts to anchor themselves to rocks. Holdfasts don’t carry nutrients or water – they are only for securing the kelp to a rock where it will grow.
Here is a photo of a (yellowish) holdfast that we saw recently on a dive with our modified BlueROV2:
Underwater Archaeology in Australia
Check out our short video about some of the rivers, gardens and gorges hidden under the waves of Batemans Bay
We continue to explore amazing Batemans Bay on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, especially as life has slowed a bit with recent lock-down restrictions. The video in the link below shows some land-based features that must have submerged as the sea level rose over the last 20,000 years, and some of the life inhabiting those areas now.
https://www.facebook.com/undersearovAUS/videos/1686125375111379
Youngest published AUS scientist
We love hearing about the next generation of scientists and explorers! Congratulations Rehan!
Rehan noticed and studied with the help of his father the interaction between brown-spotted wrasse fish and common WA octopus. The fish follows the octopus around while it is foraging – called nuclear-follower behaviour – so the fish can score an easy meal, flushed out by the octopus.
Ocean Documentaries
Life has already changed a lot over the past few years (extreme weather events, COVID pandemic, etc) and scientists are warning us to expect more extreme events in the near future. Our oceans in particular are changing rapidly.
We spotted a few different lists of recent films that might be of interest for those of us in lock-downs or unable to get out and observe these changes for ourselves: