Latest news with #EvanWoodard
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
'Twilight Zone' fish with fangs found on Oregon beach. 'I wouldn't touch it'
'Twilight Zone' fish with fangs found on Oregon beach. 'I wouldn't touch it' A scary-looking fish washed ashore on an Oregon beach. It came from the 'Twilight Zone,' what researchers call the ocean depths as much as a mile below the surface. Show Caption Hide Caption See long-lost Baltimore treasures dug up by magnet fisher Evan Woodard Evan Woodard's magnet fishing meetups in Baltimore have uncovered treasures and created lasting bonds. An strange deep-sea fish washed up on the Oregon shore recently, but it didn't surprise the fish nerds at the Seaside Aquarium. The crew at the aquarium were familiar with the fish, which had fanged teeth within a wide mouth and measured nearly 5 feet long, as a longnose lancetfish. Known to swim as deep as over a mile below the ocean's surface, lancetfish typically live in warmer waters, but do migrate as far north as the Bering Sea, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. That makes the Pacific Northwest coast a potential waypoint for lancetfish. "We get about a half dozen in our area a year," said Tiffany Boothe, assistant manager at the Seaside Aquarium in Seaside, Oregon. "It doesn't look like a very friendly fish. If I saw that fish alive, I wouldn't touch it." 'Tis the season for squishing: What to know about spotted lanternflies Earlier in the week, a customer came into the aquarium gift shop and showed the staff a picture of a fish he had found on the beach and wondered if they could identify it, Boothe said. "When he showed us the picture, it was such a fresh, great specimen that we were like, 'Sweet, we're gonna go pick it up,'" said Boothe, who said she's among the "fish nerds" at the aquarium. The lancetfish has "gelatinous flesh that the seagulls just absolutely go crazy after," Boothe said. "So it's kind of hard to find ones that are fresh and that intact." Washed-up lancetfish had entire fish in its stomach As Boothe and others at the aquarium learned more about the lancetfish, they discovered that the fish have a digestive system that is "really, really slow. So when you look at their stomach contents you find whole fish, squids ... you see things you wouldn't normally see." So, of course, the Seaside Aquarium fish nerds had to see what was in this latest lancetfish's stomach. They posted the results on their Facebook page. Among the findings: Several squid and octopus remains, as well as entire fish. "By studying what the longnose lancetfish is eating, scientists can better understand how the marine food web changes over time (if at all). It may also help understand changes in the food web brought on by events like El Nino or La Nina," the aquarium wrote in the Facebook post. Lancetfish facts The lancetfish is known as a "Twilight Zone" fish because the depths where it hunts are known as the twilight zone, or mesopelagic zone, according to NOAA. More facts about the lancetfish: The lancetfish, which can grow to more than 7 feet long, has a "dinosaur-worthy scientific genus name," which is Alepisaurus, meaning "scaleless lizard." Adding to the lancetfish's prehistoric look are the fanged jaws, large eyes, sail-like fin, and a long, slithery eel-like body. While other fish, sharks and seals will eat lancetfish, humans usually do not because the gelatinous flesh is watery and unappetizing. In addition to eating other fish, squid and octopus, lancetfish are cannibalistic and will feed on other lancetfish. Since lancetfish are usually deep-sea dwellers, they aren't known to be a danger to humans. But the lancetfish may "get into feeding frenzies and not only will they eat each other, but sometimes they'll whip around and they actually gash themselves" Boothe said. The aquarium has never been able to keep a lancetfish alive for more than an hour or so, but do have the first one found by the staff in the 1990s mounted after it was preserved by a taxidermist. "It's actually very beautiful," Boothe said. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Meet Evan Woodard, Baltimore man magnet fishing for ancient artifacts to uncover hidden histories
Evan Woodard, a Baltimore-based historian and founder of Salvage Arc, has been magnet fishing in the city's Inner Harbor and other local waterways since late 2022, uncovering a variety of items, both mundane and historically significant. Among other artifacts, Woodward found a shipping hook from the 1800s or 1900s and a late Victorian bench. Magnet fishing involves using powerful neodymium magnets attached to ropes to pull metal objects from bodies of water. In a recent ABC News interview, it was revealed that Woodward and his club members meet every week for magnet fishing. 'There's an endless supply down there,' he said. Evan Woodard has pulled out numerous electric scooters, with reports citing at least 37 by April 2023 and a total nearing 50 later that year. On his first magnet fishing attempt just before Christmas 2022, he retrieved six scooters, some barnacle-encrusted from years underwater. Woodard and his group have recovered firearms, including a 'ghost' gun (a firearm without a serial number) pulled from Broadway Pier on January 4, 2023, which was turned over to authorities. Knives have also been mentioned among their finds. Common finds include rebar, bottle caps, cans, and unidentifiable metal scraps. Specific items mentioned include a 20-foot electrical pipe, a computer power supply with cord, outdoor patio furniture, metal trash cans, a shopping cart, a table, chairs, and a doll's head. A 15-foot pipe was notably pulled up by a young participant under Woodard's guidance. Woodard's magnet fishing meetups, held weekly on Thursdays at Fells Point's Broadway Pier, have grown in popularity, attracting diverse participants from children to adults. Evan Woodard is a historian and explorer. The Baltimore resident is behind the popular Salvage Arc Instagram account. 'My journey began during the challenging times of the pandemic when I took a shovel into my hands, not knowing that I was about to unearth a deep connection to Baltimore's hidden histories. With each dig into our city's old privies, I brought to light not just artifacts but the vibrant stories of those who walked these streets long before us. Their tales lost to time but rediscovered through our efforts, deserve to be celebrated and remembered," he writes on his website. He founded the Salvage Arc Foundation in 2024. 'Our goal is ambitious yet profound: to build out our space and establish a museum and community center in the historic heart of Fells Point. This center will not only display our fascinating finds but will also serve as a vibrant hub for learning and connection, offering hands-on experiences in historical research for both children and adults.'
