Over 72% of the Earth’s surface cover by salt water, the Earth’s oceans are home to 230,000 known species. And that’s with only 5% of the Earth’s oceans consider explore.
In celebration of the vast unknown of the ocean, we present our favorite ocean animal facts:
Largest Ecosystem on the Planet
The oceans form the largest ecosystem on the planet.
They are essential for regulating the climate, and they provide us with raw materials such as food and active ingredients use, particularly for medicines.
More than 90% of goods are transport by sea, and ocean waters absorb about one-third of man-made CO2.
Pharmaceutical Industry Depend on Horseshoe Crabs?
This unusual species owes its name “horseshoe crab” to its appearance.
The mouth of this sea creature is locate in the middle of the body, and it has many eyes distribute all over the body.
Since the Days of the Dinosaurs
Horseshoe crabs have been around since the time of the dinosaurs, but since 2016, they have consider an endanger species.
They are in danger because the pharmaceutical industry exploits their precious blue blood.
Blue Blood
Their sky-blue blood contains amoebocytes, which react to toxic substances and can thus be use for the so-called horseshoe crab amoebocyte lysate test.
Used to Test Medicines and Vaccines
This test is necessary for the marketing authorization of medicines and vaccines.
Hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs die each year for this reason.
What is the Relationship between Whales and CO2?
Whales store CO2! It might seem hard to believe, but researcher Ralph Chami and a team of IMF economists found that a large whale captures 33 tonnes of CO2 during its lifetime, compare to just 22 kilos per year for a tree.
Why do Tunas Even Swim while they Sleep?
Deep-sea fish, such as tuna or shark, must swim constantly in order to be able to absorb sufficient oxygen in the gills.
This is where the name Tuna comes from, as “Tuna” means “to rush”.
This Marine Species that has three Hearts and Nine Brains
Each of the eight arms of the octopus can be moved independently of the others because they are all control by independent nervous systems: it is for this reason that it is said to have nine brains.
Their two additional hearts allow them to have a greater blood flow in the gills.
How do Octopuses Communicate and Reproduce?
The procreation of octopuses requires the death of the parents.
The male dies immediately after mating and the female as soon as her offspring hatch.
This extraordinary marine species is able to modify its appearance, not only to camouflage itself, but also to communicate with its congeners.
Intelligent Creatures
Countless studies have shown the intelligence of these cephalopods.
The announcement of the opening of the first octopus farm in the world, intended for human food, is therefore highly contest among scientists and biodiversity advocates.
Longest Gestation Period in the Animal Kingdom
Like many other sharks, the spiny dogfish is a viviparous species, the eggs hatch in the mother’s womb.
Gestation can last between 18 and 24 months in spiny dogfish, a record in the animal kingdom.
This species is now endanger, mainly because we eat it too often as with eel or sea sturgeon.
Males Produce the Babies
Curiosity in the animal kingdom: in seahorses, it is the males who bear the offspring.
The females deposit their eggs directly into the pouch of the males, where they are then fertilize.
Then the pouch closes and the offspring are fed by the father.
Hermaphrodites
Clownfish, which became famous all over the world thanks to the cartoon “Finding Nemo” are all born male.
But some then become females.
“Clownfish can switch from one gender to another like turning a switch on and off,” biologist Mario Ludwig told Deutschlandfunk-Nova radio.
“So gender switching is not a problem for them.”
Hybrid Corals
Hybrid corals that belong to the category of cnidarians reproduce can sexually and provide both male and female part of reproduction.
For this, they emit both eggs and sperm at the same time.
Fish that meet to go Hunting
Research results from Alexander Vail and his team at the University of Cambridge show that such cooperation exists between perch and moray eels.
Team work
The perch watch the high seas, while their hunting companions take care of flushing out the prey that flees into the crevices.
According to the observations that have been made, the perches are always at the initiative of this unique cooperation among marine species, by signaling to the moray eels with a nod of the head.
Albatrosses Use to catch Poachers
“The albatrosses: guardians of the oceans.”
Such was the idea of a pilot project led by marine ecologist Henri Weimerskirch, of the CNRS. 169 birds were equipped with a GPS.
To fetch food, they can travel up to 15,000 kilometers and track trawlers 30 kilometers away.
Detect Illegal Fishing
The capacity of surveillance patrols against illegal fishing is strongly limit by the size of the oceans.
It is easy for the fleets in question to turn off the automatic identification system that all boats are equipped with.
But their radars always remain on for security reasons, and this data is cross-reference with the coordinates of the albatrosses when they stay longer at a specific point on the high seas.
