Personal Perspectives

Deep-sea octocorals: An ecosystem of their own

The deep-sea is a vast part of the world’s ocean. Even today, it often surprises...

Personal Perspectives

The Discovery of Two Extreme Sea Stars

Recently, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History researcher Chris Mah and...

Personal Perspectives

From Despair to Repair: Protecting Parrotfish Can Help Bring Back Caribbean Coral Reefs

Reef biologists over a certain age are haunted by memories of what glorious places...

Personal Perspectives

Ocean Sampling Day – Taking the Pulse of the World’s Oceans

If you are a bird watcher you have probably heard of the Christmas Bird Count. The...

Personal Perspectives

Humpback Whales in Antarctica: What Are the Whales Doing?

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) are the most abundant baleen whale in the...

Personal Perspectives

Uncovering Biodiversity Before It Disappears

Editor's Note: See more information and details about the organisms displayed in...

Personal Perspectives

Uncovering Biodiversity… with ARMS and a Submarine Claw

If there had been room to stand up, there would have been a standing ovation. As it...

Personal Perspectives

A Voyage of Discovery to Inner Space

The Mars rover Curiosity is sending images back home: glimpses of another world...

Personal Perspectives

What We DON'T Know About the Deep Sea

Imagine: You’re in a small submersible, and you gently settle on the soft muddy...

Personal Perspectives

Ocean Trash: Marine Debris From Shore to Sea

We drove down a long dirt road on the northern side of Curaçao looking for a...

Personal Perspectives

Diving for Crabs in the Deep Sea

Last week, Smithsonian research zoologists Dr. Jerry Harasewych and Dr. Martha...

Personal Perspectives

A Sub and a Sea Toad

Have you ever seen a creature so unusual?  This fish (22 cm long) is called a...