Toronto Geological Discussion Group’s Post

*'A sense of a goose* Every Autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in a "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily, because they are travelling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are heading the same way we are. When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What message do we give when we honk from behind? Finally - and this is important - when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of the formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies; and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their own group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others. Do we have the sense of a Goose?"

SPECIAL ISSUE: FISH BIOACOUSTICS SoundScape Learning is a new method that automatically separates fish chorus from a diversity of #soundscapes. https://lnkd.in/ge98C-x8 #acoustics Scripps Institution of Oceanography National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Monterey Bay Aquarium

An underwater mountain chain off Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, has revealed a treasure trove of deep-sea species, according to researchers on a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition. The team found at least 50 new-to-science species, including a deep-sea dragonfish and a jellyfish-like creature known as the flying spaghetti monster, which had never been spotted in this region before. The team also spotted the deepest photosynthesis-dependent animal ever found - a wrinkle coral. A further 50 specimens, which have yet to be analyzed, are believed to be new species. The discovery of this astonishing array of deep-sea species highlights the importance of continuing to explore and study our oceans. #deepsea #oceanexploration #newspecies #science

An utterly fascinating read. It's decidedly *not* the intended takeaway of this article but I, personally, would prefer it if the orcas were, in fact, exacting revenge. ...but that's probably just my poorly-evolved, land-based mammal brain talking. --- "I ask Whitehead, who is a professor of biology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, why #orcas might have evolved to not hold grudges against other animals. He explains that while land #mammals can be territorial, territory isn’t really a thing in the #sea. With few fixed #resources in the #ocean, there’s less to go to war about. “It’s fluid. It’s flexible. Animals are moving around, here and there,” he says. And perhaps — now Whitehead is musing — we can learn something from that. “Some of us think that aggression and #war are inevitable,” he tells me. But if sophisticated forms of ocean intelligence can teach complex land-bound brains a lesson, he says, it is that more-equal ways of dividing up resources across territories could make war and aggression less likely. What looks like revenge against humans, Whitehead says, is a behavior that may be a kind of #culture, a way this community of orcas now strengthens its group identity. Orca obsessions can quickly turn into collective fads. Take their eating habits. Most wild #animals are not fussy gourmands. But the orcas that live in the seas around Antarctica eat tiny penguins, and when they kill them, they discard everything other than the breast muscles. Orcas that eat other whales usually enjoy only the lips and the tongue and leave the rest to wash up or rot. Each community of killer whales speaks in its own dialect, and off the coast of Australia, in a place called Shark Bay, orcas adorn their noses with ornamental sponges. In the 1980s, the salmon-eating orcas of the northeastern Pacific fashioned hats from the carcasses of their prey. They wore them all summer. Outside of humans, the complexity and stability of these cultural forms is unparalleled. #Boat ramming is just the latest of these practices. But when we, another eminent cultural animal, seek to understand what killer whales are up to, we can’t help but see them through the pinhole of our own cultural practices and group dynamics. We look beneath the surface with ape eyes, and we see territoriality and retaliation where we should see cultural behaviors that have little to do with land-based #violence — which results in orcas with apelike vendettas going viral..." https://lnkd.in/g6nzEcxi

Flipping fin-teresting dolphin facts - CSIRO: You'll dolphin-ately be the most interesting person at the party with these fascinating dolphin facts. https://lnkd.in/e_DvPceh

Flying fish do not have a special adaptation to breathe outside of water. During the time they spend in the air, they rely on the oxygen they have taken in while underwater. Flying fish belong to the family Exocoetidae and are typically found in tropical and subtropical seas. These fish can leap out of the water and glide over short distances by using their fins. This ability helps them escape predators or search for food. Fins: The pectoral (chest) fins of flying fish are very large and function like wings. In some species, the pelvic (abdominal) fins also expand, acting as a second pair of wings. #Fish #Flying #Science #Sea

Amazing insights on shark behavior from an activity tag on a shark that was subsequently hit by a boat. Great example of new biodiversity monitoring methods that are transforming how we sense the natural world. I write about the need for monitoring & the potential of new methods in the Irish times Soundscapes of the natural world can tell us so much https://lnkd.in/ejxVZCt7 New tech is just part of the solution for a national biodiversity monitoring programme - loads of monitoring goes on as part of Environmental Impact Assessments & subsequent planning conditions but it goes nowhere. The data are not accessible & not used to trigger action.

Never thought we'd be asked this! 🤭 👀 When we take to the streets of London to answer Ocean questions 🌊 and share fun Ocean facts, we always get interesting questions. But we've never been asked, “Do whale sharks floss?” 🦈 Curious about the answer? We are, too. 🫠 You may or may not find out in this video, but you’ll learn an interesting fact or two about these gentle giants from our marine scientist, Jemma. ✨🦈 Like: Is a whale shark a shark or a whale? They’re sharks, not whales. ✅ Each one has a unique pattern of spots, which can be used to identify them. 🤯 Just like fingerprints. 💙 #OceanGeneration #Ocean #OceanEducation #OneOcean #OceanDecade #MarineLife #LifeBelowWater #UnderwaterLife #DidYouKnow #OpenOcean #TheOceanExplained #Sharks #SharkFacts #SharkLover #WhaleSharks #StreetInterview

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡!  In a collaborative effort between Trinity College Dublin and the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES), Oregon State University, we attached an animal-borne camera and inertial measurement unit to a 7-metre female basking shark in Ireland's first National Marine Park. This allowed us to gather unprecedented data on how these gentle giants respond to collisions with boats. The findings highlight the urgent need for protective measures and greater awareness among boaters to safeguard these endangered creatures. 🔍 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 👉 The shark immediately dove to the seafloor and moved to deeper waters post-strike. 👉 Activity levels dropped significantly, raising concerns about long-term impacts. 👉 Calls for a legally binding boating code and speed restrictions in aggregation areas. 👉 Read our full article to discover more: https://lnkd.in/gRWM9SkG A huge thank you to our collaborators and funders: Future Legend Films, Oregon State University, National Geographic, and the Human Frontiers Science Project. #MarineScience #Conservation #BaskingSharks #Research #WildlifeProtection #OceanConservation #MarineLife #Sustainability 👉

Deepstaria glamor shot — this remarkable footage was captured during dive 695 of the #NazcaHighSeas expedition. An international team is working to create detailed maps and characterize biodiversity along underwater mountain ranges off the coast of South America. Lush forests of deep-sea corals and sponges host animals and organisms that defy imagination in these waters. Ship and shoreside experts suspect this may be a deepstaria jellyfish. George Matsumoto, senior education and research specialist at MBARI, notes that while these look exceptionally long, some deepstaria have oral arms (exactly what they sound like — long appendages for moving food to the invertebrate’s mouth). He suspects the unusual arm length could be an illusion created by the jellyfish’s bell being blown around a bit by the ROV’s thrusters. He also notes that the coloration is odd, and this could be an undescribed species. Experts believe that protecting the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges would be a “global accomplishment” that would set a critical precedent for others seeking to protect high seas areas based on their common interests in a shared ecosystem. Observations and footage like this help researchers establish a scientifically rich baseline of information that will help advance informed high seas protections.