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Pearl oysters create pearls when a hard particle is coated with calcium carbonate (nacre) after entering the oyster.
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Pearls of Wisdom

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Smithsonian scientists race the tide the excavate an ancient whale fossil entombed in rock
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Racing the Tide

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Smithsonian researchers eat a meal in preparation for a fossil excavation
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Researchers Prepare for a Long Day in the Field

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The Sant Ocean Hall is the National Museum of Natural History's largest exhibit, providing visitors with a unique and breathtaking introduction to the majesty of the ocean
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The Smithsonian's Sant Ocean Hall

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pancakes of ice cover the ocean
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Pancakes of Ice

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A beluga whale
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Baby Beluga

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Many medicines were based on a chemical from the sea sponge Tectitethya crypta.
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From Sea Sponge to HIV Medicine

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Hantkenina mexicana -- a foram with elongated shell chambers that lived between 45-49 million years ago, during the Eocene Epoch.
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Hantkenina mexicana

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A rendering of an underwater marine scene from the Cambrian Period, featuring an arthropod, annelids, and other animals.
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Cambrian Period (542 – 488 Million Years Ago)

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Submerged houses after Katrina
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Floods of Katrina

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A plastic bag floats at sea.
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Plastic Bag Bans Work

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