Latest news with #OceanExplorationTrust
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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Do moray eels snuggle? See ‘romantic evening' captured in Pacific seafloor video
Moray eels have a reputation for being vicious, including a vice-like bite, but a romantic side of the predators has been recorded on the Pacific seafloor by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The rom-com scene played out about 300 feet deep near the Northern Mariana Islands, as the eels employed whac-a-mole tactics for a remotely operated camera from the Exploration Vessel Nautilus. Holes in a rock formation allowed the pair to continuously pop their heads in and out of different spots, including moments when they were nose-to-nose like snuggling lovers. 'Do you think they touch tails like they're holding hands,' one researcher is heard asking in the video shared May 25 on social media. 'Are we, like, interrupting a moment? Is this like a romantic evening? ... This is so cute.' 'Cute' is a word rarely applied to moray eels, which are known to continually expose their mouth and teeth as part of the breathing process, according to Sea World. It's not clear if the two eels were a couple or just acquaintances. The species is known to share space as 'roommates' and it is not uncommon for them to 'hunt cooperatively,' the trust said. Morays are also known to have a 'wide color variation,' which explains why one eel was bright yellow and the other was grayish, the trust said. 'Morays have large mouths and powerful jaws with a vice-like grip,' Sea World reports. 'Most species have sharp, thin teeth that protrude from the upper and lower jaws, and sometimes from the roof of the mouth. The teeth point backwards to prevent slippery prey from escaping.' They have a 'nasty reputation' among divers, who can make the mistake of gripping rocky outcrops that serve as home for eels, experts say. 'Such an action may frighten a moray eel to lash out and bite in self-defense,' Sea World says. The two eels were filmed as the team explored the summit of the Ahyi Seamount, an active volcano that last erupted in 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The seamount was visited as part of the five-month 2025 Nautilus Expedition Season, which is exploring 'unknown regions' in the western Pacific, including the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Local educator joins deep sea expedition
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A local educator is joining a renowned expedition team on a mission to explore deep-sea biology and geology, while bringing the experience home to the community. Emily Jones is the World Salmon Council Program Manager and she will be boarding the Nautilus, an exploration vehicle owned by the Ocean Exploration Trust. Jones joined AM Extra to talk about the exciting opportunity and how she plans to share the expedition with the world. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Man who found Titanic will preview new Peoria Riverfront Museum exhibit this fall
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The man who found the sunken remains of the RMS Titanic will speak on the Bradley University campus later this year as a preview to an upcoming Peoria Riverfront Museum visit. The Titanic tragically sank on a dark and cold evening 113 years ago in the North Atlantic Ocean after being struck by an iceberg. Nearly 70 years later, in 1985, a team led by retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Robert Ballard found the doomed ocean liner on the sea floor. The remains were found while he was attempting to locate two missing submarines during a secret mission for the Navy. The ensuing result is what many tout as the largest maritime discovery. And it's also the subject of an upcoming exhibit at the museum. Dubbed 'Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission,' visitors will learn the now-declassified story of Ballard's top-secret mission to investigate two lost nuclear submarines. Presented by CEFCU and produced by Ballard's Ocean Exploration Trust, this world-premiere touring exhibition invites visitors on a thrilling deep-sea adventure of intrigue, exploration, and discovery. It will run through early January, said museum CEO John Morris. 'Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission' tells the story of the Titanic's discovery through the unique lens of Ballard's classified Navy assignment to document the wreck sites of two nuclear submarines USS Thresher and USS Scorpion while using the cover story of searching for the Titanic. Ballard will speak on Sept. 25 on the campus, just two days before an exhibit opens at the museum. Also on Sept. 27, there will be a performance of 'Titanic Live' at the Prairie Home Alliance Theater. It'll be put on by the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and will feature 97 instrumentalists and between 30 and 50 vocalists along with other musicians performing, said Anthony Morada, the orchestra's executive director. 'For the first time ever, we will tell and show you things you have never seen and heard before about our discovery of the RMS Titanic and the Cold War story that led to its discovery, that continues to give up its secrets,' Ballard said. 'Produced by Flying Fish and my Ocean Exploration Trust, it's a powerful, behind-the-scenes look at this historic event, which became one of the most important maritime discoveries ever made.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Discovered a 'Yellow Brick Road' at The Bottom of The Pacific Ocean
An expedition to a deep-sea ridge, just north of the Hawaiian Islands, revealed a surprise discovery back in 2022: an ancient dried-out lake bed paved with what looks like a yellow brick road. The eerie scene was chanced upon by the exploration vessel Nautilus, while surveying the Liliʻuokalani ridge within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). PMNM is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world, larger than all the national parks in the United States combined, and we've only explored about 3 percent of its seafloor. Researchers at the Ocean Exploration Trust are pushing the frontiers of this wilderness, which lies more than 3,000 meters below the waves, and the best part is, anyone can watch the exploration. A highlight reel of the expedition's footage published on YouTube in April 2022 captured the moment researchers operating the deep-sea vehicle stumbled upon the road to Oz. "It's the road to Atlantis," a researcher on the radio can be heard exclaiming. "The yellow brick road?" another voice counters. "This is bizarre," adds another member of the team. "Are you kidding me? This is crazy." Despite being located under about a thousand meters of ocean, the lake bed discovered by researchers on the summit of the Nootka seamount looks surprisingly dry. On the radio, the team notes that the ground looks almost like "baked crust" that could be peeled off. In one tiny section, the volcanic rock has fractured in a way that looks strikingly similar to bricks. "The unique 90-degree fractures are likely related to heating and cooling stress from multiple eruptions at this baked margin," reads a caption to the YouTube video. At first glance, the effect is easily mistaken for a path to a wonderful new world. And in a way, that's not altogether wrong. Following the brick road is a sign we're headed in the right direction and could soon learn a whole lot more about Earth's hidden geology. You can read more about the 2022 E/V Nautilus expedition here. An earlier version of this article was published in May 2022. Megalodon: Scientists Reveal a Crucial Surprise About The Mega-Shark Dead Bacteria Dissolve Their Own Corpses as a Parting Gift For Relatives Stick From a Dead Shrub Reveals Surprising Truth About Its Record Lifespan
