Night Drifters
Recent studies have shown larval fishes to be strong swimmers with sophisticated instincts for remaining in local waters. But exactly where they go between spawning and settlement remains a mystery.
Alert Diver Category: Encounters
Small Worlds
Tiny sea creatures like shrimp and goby can be difficult to photograph. But thanks to a simple solution, one dive team was able to herd them easily and take their photos. Read more about this story.
Front Row Seat
The broadclub cuttlefish is a common, football-sized cephalopod that can be spotted in many places. But, the cuttlefish is always up to different shenanigans!
Mouths Full of Eggs
Eggs are a dinnertime delicacy in reefs around the world, which means protecting nests is hard work. Ironically, the safest place to hide eggs may be in the mouth.
Fountain of Youth
Two divers seek dolphinfish in the waters off of Bermuda. Read more about their adventures and how they found dolphinfish.
The Peculiar Fate of the Missing Mate
Signal gobies are cute fish and have unique courtship rituals. Read more about this peculiar affair.
Dragon Road, Part 1
Any animal that looks as unconventional as a seadragon must also have an unconventional sex life. Unlike most marine fishes, which reproduce by spontaneously releasing and leaving behind thousands of tiny eggs in the open ocean, seadragons brood their large eggs attached to the tails of males for a month.
Messing with Mother Nature
The behavior of a cleaner shrimp is witnessed firsthand by an unsuspecting woman. Read more about this cleaner shrimp.
Symbiosis on the Sand
Interactions between different species, whether above or below water, typically revolve around confrontations between predators and prey. At the opposite and more harmonious end of the spectrum, a scattering of unrelated species coevolved to form lifelong alliances for their mutual security. These relatively rare go-along-to-get-along partnerships provide a net benefit for both parties, improving each species’ reproductive success. The close living arrangement between weak-eyed alpheid snapping shrimp and sharp-eyed partner gobies is a classic example of symbiosis in the sea.
Dragon Road, Part 2
The handfish is a kind of evolutionary oddity that prefers to walk on its fins than swim. However, like so many other marine species, their species are in decline and their habitat is being stripped away.
