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Tiny Ciliate

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

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The Model Megalodon

Take a trip to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. and you...

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Cyanobacteria

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

Article

Five Methods for Tracking the Ocean's Motion

From the time of Aristotle until the European Renaissance, a roughly 1,000-year...

overview

The Megalodon

Carcharocles megalodon was once the most fearsome predator to reign the seas. This...

Article

How to Survive an Oil Spill: Oyster Edition

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

slideshow

Nature's Best Photography 2018

Explore the winning photos from the 2018 Nature's Best Photography contest! Every...

slideshow

Sharks from the Vault

The sharks housed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's...

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Leopard Catsharks

These gorgeous sharks are leopard catsharks (Poroderma pantherinum) found in the...

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A Toothy Grin

The southern African frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus africana) is a very rare shark...

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Cookie Cutter

This cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasilienses) has a unique bite mark that they...

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A Blind Shark Baby

The blind shark (Brachaelurus waddi) is lecithotrophic viviparous— the eggs are...