Marc Hughes
@maczooid
I spend more time at depth than on the surface
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Just as sharks have their own individual markings they also have unique personalities. These three Tiger sharks are from this mornings dive. The last one, the largest, has been around Kona, Hawaii for over 20 years. Laverne also has moods and is somewhat of a legend around here!
Usually this time of year Humpback whales start to appear in Hawaii. A special treat appeared today. A pod of Sperm whales!
Like an ornament laden Christmas tree this siphonophores “branches” are dotted with crustaceans instead of decorations. With a belly full of amphipods it seems someone is eating good for the holidays!
Think of the remora and the trevally and their complex relationship with this Tiger shark. To kill a majestic animal like this destroys the symbiotic ties that took a while to establish. Killing a shark has negative repercussions that reverberate throughout the animal kingdom.
Last nights Blackwater dive had a few of these give us quite a show. They were about 20 meters deep at about 10:00 p.m. Big Island Kailua Kona, Hawaii.
Cephalopod chromatophoric communication is often enhanced by using arm sign language. Interpretation of brief exchanges like these during a dive leaves me in fervored pursuit of a concise tome of armspeak.
In Hawaii we don’t have falling leaves or snow to signal change in seasons. Our environmental cues are closely associated with the arrival of certain animals. In general Humpback whales show up in the winter time and Tiger sharks in the summertime. It’s officially summertime!
A presettlement planktonic 𝘌𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘺𝘮𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 is a much more complex cephalopod than its size implies. A “firewall” allows only one species of bacteria to inhabit its special light organs. Biomimicry applications using this selection process will be avant-garde.
The seemingly choreographed display of elegant pulses facilitated by the mesoglea of 𝘊𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘢 seems to defy the concept of plankton motility.
Camoflauge, patience and speed are some of the traits required to be successful as ambush predators. The ability to swallow large meals allows longer periods between feedings. It doesn’t hurt to have poisonous dorsal spines and aposematic coloration for defense too. Kona, Hawaii
A little late for Mother’s Day, I’m on Hawaiian time. Her name is Laverne. This is the matriarch of Tiger sharks in Kona. All other sharks nearby yield to her. A little tattered and dorsal fin torn she still commands respect. Even with her baby bump and radiant glow .
My Saturday night out involved searching for Hawaiian Long Armed Sand octopus and recording their hunting behavior. This juvenile was alternating mimicry of Ophiuroid (Brittlestar) and Bothoid (Flounder) maneuvering to conceal its identity. What a tiny den aperture!
This bill to protect sharks in Hawaii was literally passed all the way through to the Govenors desk to be signed. At the last minute sharks were taken off the list because a few shark researchers were upset that they wouldn’t be able to tag them! westhawaiitoday.com/2019/05/07/haw…
westhawaiitoday.com
No love for the mano: Sharks removed from marine protection bill - West Hawaii Today
No love for the mano: Sharks removed from marine protection bill – Hawaii News | West Hawaii Today
Cephalopods often collide with me on Blackwater dives. On this dive as I checked my air gauge I felt a gooey gummy bear size octopus was attached. This soon turned into a hide n seek game on my gear. Apparently I resemble suitable substrate for plankters.
I'm working on another Plankton Predator presentation for some students. These are just a few of the animals I will be highlighting. Yes I will have plenty of siphonophores in there too @antropoteuthis ! It is imperative to teach younger generations about plankton conservation!
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