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Tiny Ciliate

This Blepharisma japonicum is a single-celled protist called a ciliate, a...

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The Lace Crab

Marella splendens was an arthropod that lived during the Cambrian Period. It is the...

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Cyanobacteria

This blue-green microbe called a cyanobacterium was likely the first photosynthetic...

Article

What the Big Picture Can Teach Us About Tiny Ocean Creatures

A 1,000-pound metal instrument—about the size of a two-seat Smart car—drops off...

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Oyster Shell

Oysters filter about 50 gallons of water a day. ...

Article

How to Survive an Oil Spill: Oyster Edition

Oysters are powerhouses of water filtration. In a single day, one oyster can filter...

Article

What the Megalodon Left Behind

The largest shark ever to exist on this planet, Carcharocles megalodon, could grow...

Article

How Climate Change is Impacting Shark Mothering

As any mother knows, ensuring the safety of your kids is a tough job. For bull...

Lesson Plan

Oyster Disease

Along the East Coast of the United States, two diseases can cause significant...

Article

On the Trail of DNA in the Ocean

DNA is everywhere—it can be found in hair, saliva, blood, bones, feces or even...

Article

Tunicates—Not So Spineless Invertebrates

There are thousands of marine invertebrate animals in the ocean, from small to...

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Tagging Sharks with the Smithsonian Movement of Life Initiative

Where do sharks like to hangout? Turns out we largely don’t know. But Smithsonian...