Feature Articles

Scientists discover a new sensory organ in the chin of baleen whales which helps them to be the world's largest hunters. Lunge feeding in rorqual whales (a group that includes blue, humpback and fin whales) is unique among mammals, but details of how it works have remained elusive. Now, scientists from the Smithsonian Institution and University of British Columbia have solved the mystery. They discovered a sensory organ in the chin of... Read more

For decades, scientists believed that a spine with multiple segments was an exclusive feature of land-dwelling animals. But the discovery of the same anatomical feature in a 345-million-year-old eel suggests that this complex anatomy arose separately from -- and perhaps before -- the first species to walk on land. The surprising find argues against a common assumption paleontologists use to determine from fossils whether an ancient species... Read more

Collectors for the aquarium trade function as a peculiar and unprecedented type of generalist predator that targets both abundant and rare species. Until now a detailed study which quantifies the aquarium trade of marine animals had not been performed. The international trade in colorful marine organisms from coral reefs has become big business over the past 15 years. New lighting and filtration technology enabled hobbyists to set up... Read more

The Great Barrier Reef is on the brink of another outbreak of the coral-devouring crown of thorns starfish. The crone of thorns starfish is one of the greatest threats to the Great Barrier Reef because they eat their size in coral cover every day -- and some weigh as much as 80kg. Executive director, Col McKenzie, of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators in Cairns, Australia, is urging Environment Minister Tony Burke to invest in... Read more

On Friday, May 18, Maris, one of Georgia Aquarium's resident beluga whales, successfully gave birth to her first calf. The female calf weighs only 82 pounds, which is well below normal, and aquarium experts have listed her in critical condition and are caring for her around the clock. First pregnancies in beluga whales are often unsuccessful in the wild and in captivity. Shortly after birth, the calf took its first breath with the... Read more

Robot "fish" developed by European scientists to improve pollution monitoring moved from the lab to the sea in a test at the northern Spanish port of Gijon on Tuesday. The developers hope the new technology, which reduces the time it takes to detect a pollutant from weeks to seconds, will sell to port authorities, water companies, aquariums and anyone with an interest in monitoring water quality. It could also have spin-offs for cleaning... Read more

Evidence from fossil coral reefs in Mexico underlines the potential for a sudden jump in sea levels because of global warming, scientists report in a new study. The potential for future rapid sea-level rise is perhaps the greatest threat from global warming. But the question of whether recent ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica is the first indication of such a rise is difficult to answer given the limited duration of the instrumental... Read more

Preuss Pets, one of CaptiveReefs' sponsors, recently celebrated their 30th year in business. Preuss Pets is a family oriented pet store, operated by Rick Preuss, his wife Debbie and daughter, Kirbay. When Preuss opened in Haslett, Michigan 30-years ago he had enthusiasm and dedication but no financial resources, it was with endless dire conviction to being successful at what we do, being helpful to the community. The single most... Read more

Reticulated dragonet have been discovered in Vaderoarna -- "Weather Islands" -- off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden. Lars-Ove Loo is the underwater photographer who has captured the fish on film. He saw it while making an inventory ahead of the creation of a new nature reserve in the islands. This was in August 2010, 19 meters below the surface of the sea south of Lyngo in the... Read more

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary released an app called "SeaPhoto App", which features more than 1,300 images of animals that call the sanctuary home. From the abalone jingle (a bivalve, Pododesmus cepio) to yellowtail rock fish (Sebastes flavidus), 550 species populate the app along with an ecological profile of the animal. The right combination of apps can turn a smart phone into a... Read more

Cone snails are predatory snails. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, called conopeptides, are already known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential. Scientists recently discovered that one of the cone snails conopeptides could be useful to treat Type 2 diabetes. Patients with Type 2 diabetes suffer... Read more

A strange creature filmed by underwater drillers in the deep ocean on April 25 has sparked intrigue and controversy on the Internet. Theories about the mysterious animal range from a jellyfish to an unknown marine version of the Loch Ness monster to a whale placenta. There are a few clues to this creature's identity. First, it should be noted that (contrary to some sensational news headlines) the object isn't really a "blob" at all, but... Read more