Our world under the waves
@worldunderthewaves.bsky.social
Sharing stories about the oceans and how they affect our lives, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Stay tuned here for links and bitesize content. For full length, original articles visit https://ourworldunderthewaves.com/
Stay tuned here for links and bitesize content. For full length, original articles visit https://ourworldunderthewaves.com/
Under a microscope anything can look beautifully alien.
In this case, we have an assortment of the sclerites and ossicles (i.e. hard bony parts) that support the bodies of corals, sea cucumbers and sea sponges, usually as many small segments.
In this case, we have an assortment of the sclerites and ossicles (i.e. hard bony parts) that support the bodies of corals, sea cucumbers and sea sponges, usually as many small segments.
February 14, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Under a microscope anything can look beautifully alien.
In this case, we have an assortment of the sclerites and ossicles (i.e. hard bony parts) that support the bodies of corals, sea cucumbers and sea sponges, usually as many small segments.
In this case, we have an assortment of the sclerites and ossicles (i.e. hard bony parts) that support the bodies of corals, sea cucumbers and sea sponges, usually as many small segments.
It’s not just snails and octopuses who use suckers to hold on for dear life.
Pacific spiny lumpsucker: The adorable little fish with a weird suction cup resembling human teeth
Pacific spiny lumpsuckers are wee, coastal fish that look a bit like concerned strawberries, have a fluorescent glow and pack some serious body armor.
www.livescience.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:24 PM
It’s not just snails and octopuses who use suckers to hold on for dear life.
A sawfish headdress from Nigeria, on display at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France.
Just one piece among many African artefacts kept within the museum’s walls. President Emmanuel Macron has stated the need to return them to the countries from which they were taken, but progress has been slow.
Just one piece among many African artefacts kept within the museum’s walls. President Emmanuel Macron has stated the need to return them to the countries from which they were taken, but progress has been slow.
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 PM
A sawfish headdress from Nigeria, on display at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, France.
Just one piece among many African artefacts kept within the museum’s walls. President Emmanuel Macron has stated the need to return them to the countries from which they were taken, but progress has been slow.
Just one piece among many African artefacts kept within the museum’s walls. President Emmanuel Macron has stated the need to return them to the countries from which they were taken, but progress has been slow.
Media Monday #75🎵
Though best known for being fantastically covered by Blondie, “The Tide Is High” was originally performed by The Paragons as part of their 1967 album “On The Beach”, which contains other seaside themed tracks such as “Island In The Sun”.
Though best known for being fantastically covered by Blondie, “The Tide Is High” was originally performed by The Paragons as part of their 1967 album “On The Beach”, which contains other seaside themed tracks such as “Island In The Sun”.
Blondie - The Tide Is High
YouTube video by BlondieVEVO
youtu.be
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Media Monday #75🎵
Though best known for being fantastically covered by Blondie, “The Tide Is High” was originally performed by The Paragons as part of their 1967 album “On The Beach”, which contains other seaside themed tracks such as “Island In The Sun”.
Though best known for being fantastically covered by Blondie, “The Tide Is High” was originally performed by The Paragons as part of their 1967 album “On The Beach”, which contains other seaside themed tracks such as “Island In The Sun”.
A wriggly brittle star collected from the Caribbean. Grab one of their arms and they’ll likely detach it, scuttle away, and then grow it back.
(Not unlike a certain anti-hero dressed in red spandex)
(Not unlike a certain anti-hero dressed in red spandex)
February 7, 2026 at 5:24 PM
A wriggly brittle star collected from the Caribbean. Grab one of their arms and they’ll likely detach it, scuttle away, and then grow it back.
(Not unlike a certain anti-hero dressed in red spandex)
(Not unlike a certain anti-hero dressed in red spandex)
Like a boss from a classic video game, there’s always a weak spot.
When You Hack A Shark, You're Exploiting A Glitch Billions Of Years In The Making
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - Evolution
www.iflscience.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Like a boss from a classic video game, there’s always a weak spot.
Crabs like their hiding places.
Be it a striped shore crab hiding under a rock, or a blue-eyed coral crab perched among outgrowths of an antler coral.
Be it a striped shore crab hiding under a rock, or a blue-eyed coral crab perched among outgrowths of an antler coral.
February 4, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Crabs like their hiding places.
Be it a striped shore crab hiding under a rock, or a blue-eyed coral crab perched among outgrowths of an antler coral.
Be it a striped shore crab hiding under a rock, or a blue-eyed coral crab perched among outgrowths of an antler coral.
Media Monday #74 🌐
I seriously doubt anyone could keep a straight face whilst making a video like this.
I seriously doubt anyone could keep a straight face whilst making a video like this.
Bouncing Seals Ultimate 2
YouTube video by Vinesauce 688
www.youtube.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Media Monday #74 🌐
I seriously doubt anyone could keep a straight face whilst making a video like this.
I seriously doubt anyone could keep a straight face whilst making a video like this.
A millennial octopus.
Or in other words, an octopus (flanked by small fish) painted on a terracotta jar at least 3,000 years ago. Like others crafted by the Mycenaean civilisation, this jar may have been used to carry liquids.
Or in other words, an octopus (flanked by small fish) painted on a terracotta jar at least 3,000 years ago. Like others crafted by the Mycenaean civilisation, this jar may have been used to carry liquids.
January 31, 2026 at 12:42 PM
A millennial octopus.
Or in other words, an octopus (flanked by small fish) painted on a terracotta jar at least 3,000 years ago. Like others crafted by the Mycenaean civilisation, this jar may have been used to carry liquids.
Or in other words, an octopus (flanked by small fish) painted on a terracotta jar at least 3,000 years ago. Like others crafted by the Mycenaean civilisation, this jar may have been used to carry liquids.
If someone you know has a big mouth, they’ve got nothing on these deep sea eels.
Pelican eel: The midnight zone 'gulper' with a giant mouth to swallow animals bigger than itself
Open wide! The gaping gob of a pelican eel can expand into a voluminous sac for trapping elusive prey in the dark ocean depths.
www.livescience.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:08 PM
If someone you know has a big mouth, they’ve got nothing on these deep sea eels.
Oystercatchers, on the fence, standing tall, in the sky and posing for the history books.
But coastlines and estuaries tend to be the best place to see them in action.
But coastlines and estuaries tend to be the best place to see them in action.
January 28, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Oystercatchers, on the fence, standing tall, in the sky and posing for the history books.
But coastlines and estuaries tend to be the best place to see them in action.
But coastlines and estuaries tend to be the best place to see them in action.
Media Monday #73🦀
Crab on the Corner can be found along the promenade at Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom It also serves as the Start/Finish point of the Withernsea Fish Trail to celebrate the local coastline and fishing industry.
Crab on the Corner can be found along the promenade at Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom It also serves as the Start/Finish point of the Withernsea Fish Trail to celebrate the local coastline and fishing industry.
January 26, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Media Monday #73🦀
Crab on the Corner can be found along the promenade at Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom It also serves as the Start/Finish point of the Withernsea Fish Trail to celebrate the local coastline and fishing industry.
Crab on the Corner can be found along the promenade at Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, United Kingdom It also serves as the Start/Finish point of the Withernsea Fish Trail to celebrate the local coastline and fishing industry.
A close up of a sea urchin.
Close enough that, between the purply-pink spines, you can see their sticky tube feet stretching out to move around and grab things (just like their starfish cousins).
Close enough that, between the purply-pink spines, you can see their sticky tube feet stretching out to move around and grab things (just like their starfish cousins).
January 24, 2026 at 1:09 PM
A close up of a sea urchin.
Close enough that, between the purply-pink spines, you can see their sticky tube feet stretching out to move around and grab things (just like their starfish cousins).
Close enough that, between the purply-pink spines, you can see their sticky tube feet stretching out to move around and grab things (just like their starfish cousins).
Think the natural world, and the danger it’s in, has nothing to do with our lives?
Nature loss is a national security risk, intelligence groups warn
The degradation of ecosystems around the world threatens UK food security, a long-awaited report says.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 23, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Think the natural world, and the danger it’s in, has nothing to do with our lives?
A long gone harbour porpoise.
Published as part of a guide in the 1550s, this drawing is quite accurate given the strange results yielded by other illustrations of the time.
Published as part of a guide in the 1550s, this drawing is quite accurate given the strange results yielded by other illustrations of the time.
January 21, 2026 at 1:16 PM
A long gone harbour porpoise.
Published as part of a guide in the 1550s, this drawing is quite accurate given the strange results yielded by other illustrations of the time.
Published as part of a guide in the 1550s, this drawing is quite accurate given the strange results yielded by other illustrations of the time.
Media Monday #72 📖🎏
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was written by the legendary Dr. Seuss and is among the 20 best selling children’s books of all time. Enough to inspire Christmas floats and rollercoaster rides and who knows what else.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was written by the legendary Dr. Seuss and is among the 20 best selling children’s books of all time. Enough to inspire Christmas floats and rollercoaster rides and who knows what else.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
From there to here, from here to there, funny things ar…
www.goodreads.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Media Monday #72 📖🎏
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was written by the legendary Dr. Seuss and is among the 20 best selling children’s books of all time. Enough to inspire Christmas floats and rollercoaster rides and who knows what else.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was written by the legendary Dr. Seuss and is among the 20 best selling children’s books of all time. Enough to inspire Christmas floats and rollercoaster rides and who knows what else.
Some sea snails look like worms 🪱
The Florida worm snail is one such species, using their loosely coiled shells to dig in and anchor themselves in sponge colonies.
The Florida worm snail is one such species, using their loosely coiled shells to dig in and anchor themselves in sponge colonies.
January 17, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Some sea snails look like worms 🪱
The Florida worm snail is one such species, using their loosely coiled shells to dig in and anchor themselves in sponge colonies.
The Florida worm snail is one such species, using their loosely coiled shells to dig in and anchor themselves in sponge colonies.
They’ll be inspiring rom-coms in no time.
Orcas filmed making out in the wild for first time
Footage captures a pair of orcas nibbling each other's tongues in the Kvænangen fjords in northern Norway. Scientists think this rarely seen behavior could play a role in social bonding.
www.livescience.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:14 PM
They’ll be inspiring rom-coms in no time.
In quantum physics, even squids have their connections (albeit in acronym form).
The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) was designed to detect minute changes in magnetic flux, these devices are used in scanning microscopes, probes, sensors, quantum computers etc.
The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) was designed to detect minute changes in magnetic flux, these devices are used in scanning microscopes, probes, sensors, quantum computers etc.
January 14, 2026 at 12:34 PM
In quantum physics, even squids have their connections (albeit in acronym form).
The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) was designed to detect minute changes in magnetic flux, these devices are used in scanning microscopes, probes, sensors, quantum computers etc.
The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) was designed to detect minute changes in magnetic flux, these devices are used in scanning microscopes, probes, sensors, quantum computers etc.
Media Monday #71📽️
Not even bombastic 3D effects and a size upgrade for the shark (taking her to an even less realistic 35 feet long) could save this film from a critical panning. Also the depiction of shark behaviour was even more ridiculous than the previous films.
But still an entertaining watch.
Not even bombastic 3D effects and a size upgrade for the shark (taking her to an even less realistic 35 feet long) could save this film from a critical panning. Also the depiction of shark behaviour was even more ridiculous than the previous films.
But still an entertaining watch.
Jaws 3-D (1983) ⭐ 3.7 | Adventure, Horror, Thriller
1h 39m | PG
www.imdb.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Media Monday #71📽️
Not even bombastic 3D effects and a size upgrade for the shark (taking her to an even less realistic 35 feet long) could save this film from a critical panning. Also the depiction of shark behaviour was even more ridiculous than the previous films.
But still an entertaining watch.
Not even bombastic 3D effects and a size upgrade for the shark (taking her to an even less realistic 35 feet long) could save this film from a critical panning. Also the depiction of shark behaviour was even more ridiculous than the previous films.
But still an entertaining watch.
A collection of barnacles or something out of Jurassic Park?
Specifically, they’re goose-neck barnacles, each of which sits on a peduncle (a flexible, muscular stalk). Rock is their natural habitat, but they’ll happily settle on driftwood and shipwrecks if available.
Specifically, they’re goose-neck barnacles, each of which sits on a peduncle (a flexible, muscular stalk). Rock is their natural habitat, but they’ll happily settle on driftwood and shipwrecks if available.
January 10, 2026 at 12:42 PM
A collection of barnacles or something out of Jurassic Park?
Specifically, they’re goose-neck barnacles, each of which sits on a peduncle (a flexible, muscular stalk). Rock is their natural habitat, but they’ll happily settle on driftwood and shipwrecks if available.
Specifically, they’re goose-neck barnacles, each of which sits on a peduncle (a flexible, muscular stalk). Rock is their natural habitat, but they’ll happily settle on driftwood and shipwrecks if available.
Living in cold water can tweak any animal’s biology to help them live longer, but not this long.
World’s Longest-Living Vertebrate May Have Revealed Its Anti-Aging Secrets
Seems there's more to living for 400 years than cold water.
www.iflscience.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Living in cold water can tweak any animal’s biology to help them live longer, but not this long.
Another sea creature, another namesake in military history.
The DH100 Vampire F.1 (right) was developed by the de Havilland company during the second world war. The first prototype was nicknamed the “Spider Crab” and performed its first test flight at Hatfield airfield in Herefordshire in 1943.
The DH100 Vampire F.1 (right) was developed by the de Havilland company during the second world war. The first prototype was nicknamed the “Spider Crab” and performed its first test flight at Hatfield airfield in Herefordshire in 1943.
January 7, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Another sea creature, another namesake in military history.
The DH100 Vampire F.1 (right) was developed by the de Havilland company during the second world war. The first prototype was nicknamed the “Spider Crab” and performed its first test flight at Hatfield airfield in Herefordshire in 1943.
The DH100 Vampire F.1 (right) was developed by the de Havilland company during the second world war. The first prototype was nicknamed the “Spider Crab” and performed its first test flight at Hatfield airfield in Herefordshire in 1943.
Media Monday #70 📖
Sometimes, the travels of those sailing on the water can be just as engrossing as what goes on beneath the waves.
Better yet, these particular 19th century memoirs are all available online.
Sometimes, the travels of those sailing on the water can be just as engrossing as what goes on beneath the waves.
Better yet, these particular 19th century memoirs are all available online.
January 5, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Media Monday #70 📖
Sometimes, the travels of those sailing on the water can be just as engrossing as what goes on beneath the waves.
Better yet, these particular 19th century memoirs are all available online.
Sometimes, the travels of those sailing on the water can be just as engrossing as what goes on beneath the waves.
Better yet, these particular 19th century memoirs are all available online.
Octopus and cuttlefish may be the most famous colour changers in the sea, but it turns out that sharks can do it too.
“A Powerful Ability To Produce And Change Colour”: Turns Out Blue Sharks Don’t Always Look Blue
It's the one thing we didn't expect a blue shark to do.
www.iflscience.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Octopus and cuttlefish may be the most famous colour changers in the sea, but it turns out that sharks can do it too.