Our interest in video is driven by a desire to document some aspects of the life cycles of marine species that are very different from those of the terrestrial plants and animals with which most of us are more familiar. Thus, you will find here a number of video clips that are of variable quality but that show interesting behaviors of certain tropical marine species. The clips include a narrative designed to support information in our textbook An Introduction to Ocean Sciences. In particular, we are interested in showing some of the unique adaptations of marine life to the basic questions that all species face - where to live; what to eat; how to collect or capture food; how to avoid being eaten by other species; and where and how to reproduce to ensure the species survival. In time, more clips will be added, so stop by once in a while.
| Frogfish - Speed - Frogfish are reported to be the fastest accelerating animals on the planet. They are perhaps the ultimate ambush predators |
| Frogfish - Lures - Frogfish are the best known users of lures to attract their prey. |
| Reproduction - Blue Ribbon Eel - Hermaphrodism is a common adaptation in the oceans. The blue ribbon eel illustrates one form, sequential hermaphrodism. |
| Sea Snake - Sea snakes are among the very few reptiles and air breathing species in the oceans and have a number of adaptations that allow them to succeed in the ocean environment |
| Surface Grazers 1 - Surfaces are scarce in the oceans so that most solid surfaces are covered in various species of algae and sedentary animals. Algae also grow on many loose surfaces like sand or mud and many animals live on, or just below these loose surfaces. These are all food sources for a variety of grazing animals some of which are shown in this clip |
| Suspension Feeders 1 - The largest source of food in the oceans consists of small particles suspended in the water column and carried by ocean currents. These particles consist of organic rich particles that are the remains of marine species that have died or been consumed by other species, and also include many very small algae or animal species. Many species have adapted to feeding on these suspended particles. Just a few of the many adaptations are shown in this clip. |
| Suspension Feeders 2 - Clams - Clams filter feed by pumping water through their bodies. Some are capable of swimming to find the best locations to feed. At least one very unusual species the "electric clam" stays fixed in one location but has developed a unique light emitting system that almost certainly acts as a lure to attract its preferred food species. |