So great to hear such excitement in the voices of the NOAA researchers!
Natural underwater slinky
We don’t use the phrase “Just when I thought I had seen it all” because stories like this one are being shared around the globe:
Divers just found a giant natural slinky on the Great Barrier Reef
This tube-like structure measures over 2.4 metres (8 feet) in length was identified byJames Cook University’s Dr Blake Spady as the egg tube of the Diamondback Squid. The squid, which itself is around 2 metres in length, can lay over 40,000 eggs in one ‘slinky’. Sadly, she dies afterwards.
Swimming anemone?
We didn’t know that some anemones can swim! Check out this anemone avoiding a predatory leather star:
Octopus Balloon?
This video was captured by the Hercules ROV at a depth of ~2000m while scientists were exploring Southwest Baker Island in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. AMAZING!
This octopus is believed to belong to the Cirroteuthidae family of cirrate octopuses (different from the Dumbo octopus), and lives in ocean depths where light does not penetrate the cold waters.
Grass-eating Shark?
Who knew – there is an omnivorous shark out there! This bonnethead shark in Florida is an example:
Read more at NYTimes 06sep18 or National Geographic 29jun17