SUMMER H2020’s Post

🌊 **Have you ever met the oceanic whitetip shark?** 🦈 This incredible species is not only majestic but also fascinating. Here are some special features that make the oceanic whitetip shark stand out: 1. **Distinctive Appearance**: With its long, slender body and prominent white tips on its fins, this shark is easily recognizable. Its unique coloration provides camouflage in the shimmering waters of the ocean. 2. **Adaptability**: Oceanic whitetips are known for their ability to thrive in various marine environments. They are capable of covering vast distances, making them one of the most migratory shark species. 3. **Hunting Skills**: These sharks are exceptional predators. They often hunt in the open ocean, using their keen senses to locate prey and employing impressive speed and agility when striking. 4. **Social Creatures**: Unlike many other shark species, oceanic whitetips can be quite social, often seen swimming in groups. This behavior is intriguing and adds to their unique charm. 5. **Ecological Importance**: As apex predators, they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. Protecting these sharks is essential for the health of our oceans. While we used to call them one of the cutest animals in the ocean, we must remember that we are the ones entering their surroundings. Their sense of exploration prompts them to examine us, as we are foreign bodies in their environment. Let’s appreciate and protect these magnificent creatures, ensuring they thrive in their natural habitat! #ScubaMaster #SharkDive #SharkSpeciality SSI Scuba Schools International #OceanConservation #MarineLife #OceanicWhitetipShark #Biodiversity #RedSea

A quick sketch piece from my sketchbook. Title: Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Media: Mixed Description: (Sphyrna lewini) Scalloped hammerhead shark is also called bronze, kinky-headed, or southern hammerhead shark. Its named “scalloped” after the shark’s frontal section of its snout, having two indentations on either side of the central indentation giving a scalloped look. Despite its known to be the most common of all hammerhead shark species. Its under IUCN critically endangered. It shows other hammerhead shark species will be even more rare! This species is specifically hunted in the shark’s fin trade. Scalloped Hammerheads fins are large in size and 'high fin needle content;' their fins are sold for US $100–120 per kilogram. This led them to be overharvest. Atlantic ocean side, overharvest had push its population to drop by 95%! Japan side of Philippine sea (Maybe also northern Taiwan side) may be the last place where this species can arrived in large schoals without fearing to get finned. They are coastal sharks, following the warm currents to eat sardines, mackerel, herring and occasionally cephalopods. Japan as the last known safe natural refuge for this species had push scalloped hammerhead diving tourism. #vanwangye #scallopedhammerhead #sphyrnalewini #hammerheadshark #taiwanwildife #japanwildlife #stopeatingsharkfinsoup #sharkfin #sharkart

Diver Observations on Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) Spawning Grounds in Llyn Padarn Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - December 2010 is #MEDINDataAdvent Day 6 ❄️🎄 Llyn Padarn is a large, natural lake located at the foot of Snowdon alongside the village of Llanberis, North Wales. The lake is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rare, genetically distinct Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) population, the presence of the nationally scarce Annex II aquatic macrophyte, Luronium natans L. (Floating Water-plantain) and the exposure of geologically important Cambrian rock sequences. The Arctic charr population is one of only three naturally occurring populations in Wales and one of the southernmost in the UK. There has been concern in relation to the declining Arctic charr population in Llyn Padarn and the potential impact of the water quality of the lake on the population. This study was undertaken to investigate potential spawning areas in the lake for Arctic charr by a SCUBA diving survey. Knowledge of the location of the spawning grounds of charr in Llyn Padarn is important to inform management of the site for conservation of the species. The purpose of this data capture was to collected information so that any additional spawning grounds (to the one location known) could be identified along with any potentially important spawning sites. Data are held with Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales https://hubs.la/Q02-5t3H0

Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle. I love to shoot pictures of only coral species like the anemone of sea fan. It is besutiful isn’t it? #seanemone #anemones #anemoneflower #anemonephotography #anemoon #zeeanemoon #softcorals #abstractphoto #underwatermacrophoto #uwmacropics #canonmacrolens #nauticamphotographer #traveltipsandstories #divingtipsandstories #scubaphotographer #padipictures #scubajunkies #seacreature #anemonesofinstagram #coralreefs #healthycoral #mabuldivers #deepseacreatures #anemonen #onderwaterfoto #uwimages #closeupfotografie #divemasterpadi #visitborneo #fullframecamera

Diver Observations on Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) Spawning Grounds in Llyn Padarn Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - December 2010 is #MEDINDataAdvent Day 6 ❄️🎄 Llyn Padarn is a large, natural lake located at the foot of Snowdon alongside the village of Llanberis, North Wales. The lake is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rare, genetically distinct Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) population, the presence of the nationally scarce Annex II aquatic macrophyte, Luronium natans L. (Floating Water-plantain) and the exposure of geologically important Cambrian rock sequences. The Arctic charr population is one of only three naturally occurring populations in Wales and one of the southernmost in the UK. There has been concern in relation to the declining Arctic charr population in Llyn Padarn and the potential impact of the water quality of the lake on the population. This study was undertaken to investigate potential spawning areas in the lake for Arctic charr by a SCUBA diving survey. Knowledge of the location of the spawning grounds of charr in Llyn Padarn is important to inform management of the site for conservation of the species. The purpose of this data capture was to collected information so that any additional spawning grounds (to the one location known) could be identified along with any potentially important spawning sites. Data are held with Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales https://hubs.la/Q02-5KxX0

Costal Manta Rays (aka "Reef Mantas") are one of two manta species that you can see while diving in Hawaii. Coastal Mantas (Mobula alfredi) are found in nearshore waters, usually where there are concentrations of plankton. And, unlike their pelagic cousins, Coastal Mantas appear to have a home range and don't migrate. In other words, each island (e.g., Maui, Oahu, the Big Island) has its own population with no apparent interaction between groups - at least according to tracking data. Individual mantas can be identified and tracked by unique pigment spots, which are especially prominent over the ventral abdomen.

Scientists have recently developed a remarkable equation that accurately describes the flapping frequencies of various flying and diving creatures, including birds, insects, bats, and whales. The discovery spans species with vastly different sizes, wing shapes, and evolutionary backgrounds.This universal equation of flapping frequencies holds true even when extending the research to fin strokes of diving creatures, including penguins and several whale species like the humpback and northern bottlenose. This research not only deepens our understanding of the equations of physical dynamics governing the flapping frequencies in both flight and diving but also highlights the interconnectedness of life forms on Earth. Link to paper in comments. https://lnkd.in/dYHXc3VY

CORAL REEF NEWS: Robots Revolutionize Coral Reef Biodiversity Study Mesophotic coral ecosystems have some of the highest diversity of stony corals (Scleractinia) in the world, making them particularly important for researchers. These ecosystems are also unique because they host more native species compared to shallow-water coral ecosystems. However, they are difficult to monitor because they are often located at deeper depths of 30 to 150 meters. To accurately monitor these corals, scientists require both scuba diving and taxonomy skills, which can be challenging. Existing monitoring methods therefore impose limitations on conducting thorough surveys, and new methods are needed. Read full report here: https://lnkd.in/eeV8yVEe #coralreefs #coralsurveying #mesophotic #rov #coralreefecology #coral #coralnews #underwaterrobots #marinescience #marinebiology

∙ Scientists studying Weddell seals have discovered that the animals use a dive timing strategy to maximize foraging success. ∙ By making longer, deeper dives early in the day when prey is scarce and light is low, seals avoid "wasting" prime feeding time on recovery. ∙ Later, as light increases and prey becomes more abundant, they switch to shorter, shallower dives, enabling more frequent feeding without extended rest periods. ∙ This pattern, observed across various light conditions throughout the year, shows seals optimize their diving to balance energy expenditure with prey availability. Read the article - https://lnkd.in/eDCWHRCC

This quick-flying sprite of small streams, channels, and ponds is Chloroceryle americana, AKA the Green Kingfisher. At about 8 1/2” long, it's roughly the same length as a Northern Cardinal, but lighter — although its outsized bill may make it look larger. 🐦 🌊The Green Kingfisher is just one of 120 species in the Kingfisher family– which is so diverse that it has been divided into three subfamilies. The Green Kingfisher is a member of the Cerylinae subfamily, or “water kingfishers.” Like other diving birds, such as the Common Loon, kingfishers have visual adaptations that give them binocular vision underwater, enabling them to judge depth when capturing prey.🐟 Nictitating membranes (third eyelids) protect its eyes underwater like a pair of goggles. 🥽 Learn more about this “streamside sprite” and access ABC's full Bird of the Week library at https://lnkd.in/gzpKipjZ. #GreenKingfisher #ChloroceryleAmericana #BirdOfTheWeek