I don’t find these little dudes very often, so it was a pleasure to see this fella! This is the cercaria larva of a Trematode worm (a parasitic Platyhelminthes - flatworm). It’s got a fine groove going there! #marineplankton 🦑

In my latest article for @imarest.bsky.social, I spoke with Michal Ross from @samsocean.bsky.social and Jose Dallo Moros from the International Seabed Authority about marine biobanking and why these collections are about much more than putting nature in storage champ.ly/i1URtIhU

The survival of some species is entirely dependent on another. Meet Acanthobothrium goleketen, a parasitic flatworm known only from a single, critically endangered species of guitarfish. Image credit: Manuel Irigoitia (Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata)

Have you heard about those bloomin' octopuses? Over the past couple of years, the southwest of the UK has seen more octopus than you can shake a stick at - and it could be that they are there for the long haul More in my article for @imarest.bsky.social champ.ly/U3AtkLls

What does Nirupama Saini from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research wish for the ocean? 🧹🧽🫧 #MakeAWishOnAFish

Ocean data has a bit of a communication problem. We're producing more data than ever, thanks to innovations in satellites, autonomous vehicles, environmental DNA, acoustic monitoring, and more. It's extraordinary what we can now observe about the ocean. Image credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)

Not everything that glitters is gold Meet Iskra’s glitter worm (Photinopolynoe iskrae), a newly described scale worm discovered on the deep seafloor off California. Image credit: P.C. Dr. Greg W. Rouse and edited by Dr. Avery S. Hiley

Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight? Because it was well-armed!

What are we actually asking people to do when we communicate about ocean issues? A lot of ocean-awareness communication is very good at highlighting problems. It's often less good at giving people a sense that they can do something meaningful about them. Image credit: Matt Hardy (Unsplash)

Ocean Connections spotlight: Reef Buddy Philippines 📍 Operates in the Philippines 🌊 Works on: Conservation; Restoration/Rehabilitation; Marine Pollution, including plastics and litter

Seagrass specialist Liz from @utas.edu.au shares their wish for the ocean And it involves long-term thinking #MakeAWishOnAFish

Something I keep noticing about how ocean issues get covered in media and public discourse. It's a resource. A threatened ecosystem. A policy problem. A backdrop... Image credit: Balthazar LeLievre (Unsplash)

What did Cinderella wear when she swam in the ocean? Glass flippers!

PSA to marine researchers - "the public" is not an audience! I know you know, but it keeps coming up when I speak with researchers about supporting their project. Image credit: FY Chang (Unsplash)

Ocean Connections spotlight: Inland Ocean Coalition Inland Ocean Coalition's approach is unique in that we give inland communities a voice in protecting our ocean by empowering them to become ocean champions in their communities and connecting them with their legislative leaders.

The ocean covers most of our planet. It regulates our climate, produces a significant portion of the oxygen we breathe, feeds hundreds of millions of people, and supports biodiversity we've only begun to understand. Image credit: Kurt Arrigo / Ocean Image Bank

Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧊 6 - the number of Poland-sized areas of Arctic sea ice lost in March 2025 Image: Sea ice in North of Svalbard. Credit GRID-Arendal / Peter Prokosh (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Life in deep-sea caves is usually dark… usually. Meet the aptly named golden glow zoantharian (Corallizoanthus aureus), which was spotted living on corals in deep-sea caves near Japan. What’s special about these tiny critters is that they glow.

Association spotlight: African Bioacoustics Community Bioacoustic research from Africa and by African scientists is not well represented in the global field and thus the African Bioacoustics Community strives to shine a light on the achievements of bioacoustics research in Africa.

How do scallops call their friends? On their shell-phones!

Martin Atrtrill from the Ocean Conservation Trust and University of Plymouth wishes we would limit damaging activities #MakeAWishOnAFish

What does Aurore from Surfrider Foundation wish for the ocean? Protected areas that protect Que souhaite Aurore de Surfrider Foundation Europe pour l'océan ? Des zones protégées qui protègent #MakeAWishOnAFish

Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 480 million The number of years a group of oyster shell-boring spionid polychaete parasites has existed. Image: Adult marine shell-boring spionid polychaete. Credit Vasily Radishevsky/ Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Community science spotlight: Big Seaweed Search The Big Seaweed Search is a joint project between the Marine Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum.

Here’s something you don’t see every day This is a gumboot chiton making babies. Those little green dots are eggs, released into the water by the female. Around the same time, nearby males release sperm, and if all goes well, some of those eggs are fertilised 📷 Robin Gwen Agarwal (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Why did the fish blush? Because it saw the boat's bottom 🤦‍♀️

The full and Tiny Opportunities Boards have been updated! Take a look at the latest opportunities Tiny (free) version 👇 champ.ly/yJLkSZVd Full (subscription) version 👇 oceanopportunities.o...

Some predators don’t chase their prey. They wait. Meet the sponge ambusher worm Eunice siphoninsidiator, a deep-sea polychaete worm found around 1,000 metres down in the northwest Pacific. Image credit: Yadong Zhou (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory)

Podcast spotlight: Science and the Sea The goal of Science and the Sea is to convey an understanding of the sea and its myriad life forms to everyone, so that they, too, can fully appreciate this amazing resource.

Even in the deep sea, some of the most intriguing animals are the smallest. Meet the dragon nematode Dracograllus miguelitus, which was found more than 1,600 metres down on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Image credit: Valentin Foulon (École Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Brest)

When Mariana from Oceano Azul Foundation was asked what they would wish for the ocean, they didn't hesitation #MakeAWishOnAFish

Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 🔊 25 The number of distinct calls scientists discovered Hawaiian monk seals make. 📷 Mark Sullivan, NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, 2014 Photo collected under NMFS Research Permit

Today’s ocean confession: cutting peat for heat = a bit of guilt. Imperfection is human. Talking about it helps. Share your own confession: champ.ly/U0adP8KQ

Just arrived in London for Oceanology! Looking forward to a couple of days exploring what’s new in ocean tech and meeting lots of very interesting people doing lots of very interesting things.

Podcast spotlight: Oceanography Produced by Pine Forest Media, Oceangraphy is a weekly marine science podcast exploring the latest ocean research, climate science, and environmental discoveries.

What does Beatriz Naranjo wish for the ocean? That it doesn't suffer the consequences of humanity's selfishness ¿Qué desea Beatriz Naranjo para el océano? Que no sufra las consecuencias del egoísmo de la humanidad. #MakeAWishOnAFish

I’ll be at Oceanology International next week in London! I’m really looking forward to spending a couple of days walking the floor, learning about new developments in ocean technology + lots of lovely conversations. If you’re attending and would like to connect, feel free to say hello

"Thrive with life" That's what Arianne from SeaBubbles wishes for the ocean #MakeAWishOnAFish

Association spotlight: Canadian Network for Ocean Education (CaNOE) The Canadian Network for Ocean Education (CaNOE) is a registered non-profit and charity dedicated to advancing ocean literacy across Canada.

It's International Polar Bear Day! Which seems like a perfect opportunity to embrace your inner polar bear 🐻‍❄️ Swim Eat Nap Image: Merit Jensen Carr / Polar Bear Town (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Why is the ocean so powerful? Because it has lots of mussels 🤦‍♀️

This is going to be a bit of a jumbled thoughts thread, but I'm putting it out there anyway. What if we stopped starting our ocean communications with a problem? Photo credit: Kirill Fokin (Unsplash)

Last week, I went to a super-interesting @scicommcentre.eu webinar about misinformation and disinformation. One of the very many interesting points discussed was the role of trust in science communication.

Got an opportunity you want to share? There's still time to share your job, postdoc, PhD, event, workshop, webinar, funding, internship or other opportunitity the next Opportunities Board update 👇 champ.ly/-4JCtjkC

The ocean is filled with wonderful sounds - and listening in can tell us a lot I chatted with Lucille Chapuis (International Quiet Ocean Experiment) + Emma Carline (Ocean Sonics) about how hydrophones help us monitor the ocean for my latest in @imarest.bsky.social's Marine Professional

Did someone say.... pancake day 🤔😮😃🥞 While you're tucking into your tasty pancakes, why not admire this pancake batfish. No guesses as to how it earned its name "pancake," but here's three things you might not know: 📷 Sandra Raredon/Smithsonian Institution (public domain)

Even conservationists aren’t perfect... "Each time I board the plane, I feel overwhelming guilt." Share your own ocean confession anonymously 👇 champ.ly/U0adP8KQ

What does it mean for co-design and co-governance for marine conservation when one actor can kill off an idea? Image: Aerial view of Burgeo Islands. Credit ParsonsPhotographyNL (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Do I have some good news for you this World Whale Day! Canada launched its Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy - a national, five-year plan to reduce the number of whales being entangled in commercial fishing gear. Video credit: NOAA (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In the coastal town of Tanjung Luar, Indonesia, shark fishing is both a livelihood and a crisis The Last Fin, a short documentary by Lexi Addison, explores the realities behind the shark fin trade - where economic survival collides with urgent conservation needs Watch the film ➡️ champ.ly/Oe8YLYvk