#Arctic Ocean

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Can-do Pelican Eel

The pelican eel, also known as the gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides), are the only known species of eel in the family Eurypharyngidae. They are found exclusively in the deeper parts of the water column, from depths of 500 up to to 3,000 m (1,600 to 9,800 ft), but are distributed throughout all the world's oceans.

The gulper eel is perhaps most famous for its unique body shape. Like many deep-sea fish, this species is highly adapted to its environment; maximum energy efficiency is the highest priority. To that end, the pelican eel has a large head, and a jaw estimated to be quarter of the total length of its body. The jaw is loosely hinged, meaning that gulper eels can open their mouths extremely wide. The rest of the eel, in contrast, is quite slender and long, about 0.75 m (2.5 ft) in length on average. Most individuals are black--so black, in fact, that they only reflect 0.5% of light; perfect for hiding from potential predators.

Although they look skinny, E. pelecanoides can expand their stomachs to hold prey much larger than themselves. Their primary prey consists of crustaceans and cephalopods, though they may feed opportunistically on other fish. Because it is so well camouflaged, it uses bioluminescent organs on the tip of its tail to attract prey. Gulper eels themselves are preyed upon by lancetfish and other larger deep-sea fish. To deter predators, they will gulp down a large amount of water; this stretches the loose skin around their head and throat, and inflates them to several times their usual size.

Because of their remote location, the breeding habits of gulper eels are relatively unknown. However, it is believed that smell plays a large part in attracting a mate, as pelican eels have highly developed olfactory organs. Like other eels, they're born as tiny, transparent larvae in a state known as the leptocephalus stage. At this stage, they do not have any red blood cells. Researchers aren't sure how long it takes gulper eels to become fully mature, or how long they live, but many believe that adults die shortly after mating.

Conservation status: The population size of E. pelecanoides has not been assessed, and thus the IUCN has not made a determination on its status. The greatest threat for this species is deep-sea trawling, which frequently brings up gulper eels as by-catch.

Photos/Video

Paul Caiger

Schmidt Ocean Institute

EV Nautilus Team (I highly recommend checking out their 2023 highlights reel!)

#pelican eel #gulper eel #Anguilliformes #Eurypharyngidae #eels #ray-finned fish #bony fish #fish #pelagic fauna #open ocean fauna #pelagic fish #deep sea #deep sea fish #Atlantic Ocean #Pacific Ocean #Indian Ocean #Arctic Ocean #Southern Ocean #animal facts #biology #zoology #ecology #marine fauna #marine fish #Youtube

[reasonsforhope]

The 1987 Montreal Protocol, which phased out the production and use of chemicals that were depleting the ozone layer, has long been considered one of the most successful environmental treaties in history. New research finds that the global pact achieved another unforeseen benefit: delaying the melting of Arctic sea ice.

In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Exeter and Columbia University found that the implementation of the Montreal Protocol is delaying the first ice-free Arctic summer by up to 15 years. That’s because the chemicals banned under the agreement are also potent greenhouse gases.

“Our results show that the climate benefits from the Montreal Protocol are not in some faraway future: the protocol is delaying the melting of Arctic sea ice at this very moment,” Lorenzo Polvani, one of the study’s authors, said in a press release. 

The study authors ran a series of climate models based on two different scenarios: one that included levels of ozone-depleting substances that would be expected if the Montreal Protocol never existed, and another accounting for the global treaty. The researchers concluded that the protocol is postponing the first ice-free Arctic summer by a decade or more, and entirely due to the phasedown of ozone-depleting chemicals. 

The Montreal Protocol was created to address a hole in the stratospheric ozone layer over the Antarctic. The ozone layer protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation that causes skin cancer and cataracts in humans. The treaty phased out almost 100 chemicals — including aerosols used in hair spray and other products, refrigerants, and solvents — that were found to be responsible for destroying stratospheric ozone.

Those banned chemicals, collectively called ozone-depleting substances, or ODS, are also potent greenhouse gases, with up to tens of thousands times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. The report authors estimate that 1 metric ton of avoided ODS emissions leads to 7,000 square meters (more than 75,000 square feet) of avoided Arctic sea loss. By way of comparison, 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions results in about 3 square meters (about 32 square feet) of sea ice loss. 

Given the potency of ODSs as a greenhouse gas, the authors are not surprised at this outsize impact on Arctic sea ice levels. “Nonetheless, such a large mitigating impact of the Montreal Protocol on Arctic sea ice loss is remarkable if one keeps in mind that the protocol was aimed at preventing ozone depletion in the Antarctic stratosphere, and little was known of its effect on Arctic sea ice when the protocol was signed,” the authors noted.

According to their projections, the Montreal Protocol has already prevented more than half a million square kilometers (about 193,000 square miles) of sea ice loss. By 2030, that amount will rise to more than 1 million square kilometers, and to 2 million square kilometers of prevented Arctic sea ice loss by 2040.

-via Grist, 5/24/23

#arctic #arctic circle #arctic ocean #arctic ice #sea ice #climate change #global warming #sea level rise #montreal protocol #cfc #hfc #greenhouse gasses #carbon dioxide #if we hurry #we can absolutely buy ourselves the time to save ourselves #as someone constantly looking at good news developments in the environment and green tech I truly believe that #good news #hope

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields, to the Arctic Ocean

Taken June 2023

#arctic ocean #arctic gothic #red fox #tundra swan #northern pintail #ice #oceans #north slope #oil fields #prudhoe bay #pipelines #deadhorse #alaska #my photos #my places #rlwtstcwtsv

[thefirststarr]

On September 12, just south of the Arctic Circle, stones of Iceland's modern Arctic Henge point skyward. During a geomagnetic storm, the northern lights appear across the darkened sky while a stunning fireball meteor explodes. The trail was seen for minutes wafting in the upper atmosphere at altitudes of 60 to 90 kilometers along with the auroral glow.

Image Credit & Copyright: Jennifer Franklin

#astronomy #space #science #universe #meteor #comet #northern lights #northern #lights #glow #Arctic Ocean #arctic #ocean #follow #like #reblog #the first starr #thefirststarr #thefirststar #the first star #nasa #apod #tumblr #blog

[randomlonelytorment]

This Will be the End of Our Planet

[Video Credit: cancelprojectwillow0 on Tiktok]

The Willow Project has been approved by Biden but there are plans to oppose the action in court. It's our final hope and signing the petition is a way you can help. The Petition is free to sign all it takes is; your name, country and email. There is an option to donate but it is not mandatory to allow you to sign.

Please sign! The goal is to reach 4.5m+ signatures and it is currently at 3.3m

The Earth needs us. This Project will be the end of our planet.

#cancel project willow #project willow #the willow project #earth matters #no planet b #climate crisis #climate change #please sign #petition #help #important #urgent #boost #boost post #change.org #arctic ocean #the arctic #polar bear #arctic fox #arctic wolf #david attenborough #world matters #save planet earth #bidensucks #biden #president biden

[mapsontheweb]

Bathymetry of the Arctic Ocean.

by researchremora

#maps #researchremora #twsourced #bathymetry #arctic ocean

[nwr-s]

Teriberka, Murmansk region. Coast of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.

November 2021.

69,20253° С, 35,11484° В

#teriberka #arctic ocean #end of the earth #nord #Battery waterfall #murmansk #russia #6920253° С 3511484° В #waterfall #Barencevo sea

[trashland-llamas]

Fish-uary day #19; arctic ocean - sculpin gifset

Event is ran by @fish-daily

xx | xx | xx | xx | xx | xx | xx | xx | xx

#fishuary #fishuary 2024 #fishblr #sculpin #gifset #marine biology #not fandom related #arctic ocean #fishermen

[danskjavlarna]

Separated at Birth?

Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. See the original post for photo source details.

Wondering about this post? Wait for the dissertation (TBA). For now: Weblog ◆ Books ◆ Videos ◆ Music ◆ Etsy

#map #arctic ocean #white sea #blank map #red sea #vintage illustration #illustration

[oh-sturg-art]

Day 19 of Fishuary!

Prompt: Arctic Ocean

—

Ah, the humble arctic skate, amblyraja hyperborea.

So, like… what is the difference between a skate and a ray, anyways? Well, do I have the answer for you!

For one, skates have thicker, fleshier tails. Unlike rays, they do NOT have barbs, but instead have those thorny ridges on their backs that help defend them. But the most blatant difference? Stingrays give birth to live young! Skates lay eggs.

#artists on tumblr #art #my art #digital art #animals #fish #fishuary2024 #skate #arctic skate #arctic ocean

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Striking Salad of Sea Cumbers

No, they’re not a vegetable-- sea cucmbers make up the class Holothuroidea, which is a member of the echinoderm family-- invertebrates which also include star fish, sea urchins, and sand dollars. There are about 1,700 species of sea cucumber found on the ocean floor, in open water, and in coral reefs. These invertebrates are found all over the world, but the greatest variety of species can be found in the Asian Pacific, in reefs around Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and eastern Australia.

While they are invertebrates, sea cucumbers do have an internal skeleton: a structure made of tiny calcified branches called ossicles that are joined throughout the skin by connective tissue. Some species enlarge their ossicles to form hard plates, which can protect them from predators. Outside this common feature, sea cucumbers can take many forms. The stereotypical sea cucumber has a cylindrical body, often with bumps that resemble warts. These bumps have important functions ranging from locomotion to feeding, and in some species the bumps are elongated into tentacles. Most species also posses five pairs of tube-like feet. Outside the stereotype, however, members of the Holothuroidea class can take many forms, ranging from perfectly round to worm-like, and with many variations on appendages, location, and predatory defense. The average sea cucumber species range from  10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in), but again there are many exceptions to the rule.

Holothuroidea has a relatively simple anatomy: a mouth, leading either to a stomach or the intestines, which empty into the anus. The anus is also used to filter oxygen from the surrounding water. As a defense mechanism, sea cucumbers may expel their organs through their anus when startled, and regrow them later. Other discharge a sticky mucus that ensnares predators. Many are toxic, and use bright colors and large appendages to warn potential predators away. However, some fish such as pufferfish, crustaceans, and large mollusks, have been known to make a meal of sea cucumbers when few alternatives are available. In turn, sea cucumbers feast on debris, plankton, and decaying organic matter. Most do this on the ocean floor, but some are able to swim or even ‘jump’ up to 1000m before floating slowly back down.

Like most echinoderms, sea cucumbers are not social; they largely ignore each other when they happen to occupy the same space. Different species can reproduce sexually, asexually, or both, and do so throughout the year. Most simply release thousands of sperm or ova into the open water, and these drift through the ocean until they combine to make a fertilized egg. The egg takes only three days to develop into a free-swimming larvae called the auricularia stage. Next is the doliolaria stage, in which the body enlongates and settles on or near the ocean floor. The last stage is the pentacularia, in which tentacles and tube-feet emerge. Once these features have finished growing, usually in a few months to a year, the sea cucumber are ready to reproduce. 

Conservation status: Because of the large number and distribution of sea cucumber species, their status ranges from Not Threatened to Endangered. Their primary threat is over-harvesting for medicine or food. Many species on coral reefs are also threatened by habitat loss.

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

Photos

White teatfish sea cucumber (Holothuria fuscogilva) by Steve Purcell

California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) by Gerald and Buff Corsi

Transparent sea cucumber (Pelagothuria natatrix) by Larry Madin

Chocolate chip sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus) by NOAA

Leopard sea cucumber (Bohadschia argus) by Leonard Marks

Sea cucumber (Kolga hyalina) by Bodil Bluhum

#sea cucumbers #Holothuroidea #echinoderms #invertebrates #marine fauna #deep sea fauna #benthic fauna #pelagic fauna #coral reefs #atlantic ocean #indian ocean #arctic ocean #southern ocean #Pacific Ocean #animal facts #zoology #biology

[sitting-on-me-bum]

The Striking King Eider

Photographer: Samuel Bloch

Female King Eider

#samuel bloch #photographer #king eider #bird photography #nature #arctic ocean #seabird

[inatungulates]

Beluga Delphinapterus leucas

Observed by meggo_edgar, CC BY-NC

#Delphinapterus leucas #beluga #Cetacea #Monodontidae #cetacean #whale #North America #Canada #Manitoba #Arctic Ocean #Hudson Bay

[pangeen]

“ Arctic Ocean “ // Annie Spratt

#Arctic Ocean #winter #ocean #iceberg

[life-on-our-planet]

In winter, when the Arctic ocean freezes over, the common eider duck can be found diving for mussels and urchins in polynyas, which are areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. They are protected from the cold by eider down, the warmest feather in the animal kingdom. BBC Earth

#BBC Earth #arctic #arctic ocean #ducks #common eider #eider duck #aves #Anseriformes #carnivore #getting colder here.. hope u are all as warm as eider ducks <3

[betty-bourgeoisie]

And please tell me your reasoning in the tags

#water #ocean #atlantic ocean #pacific ocean #indian ocean #arctic ocean #southern ocean