The Great Tool Wielders

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Sea otters, dolphins, crows, elephants, octopuses, crocodiles—these animals, like humans, use tools for a variety of activities, from eating and...

All the Better to See You With

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
From the front, dragonfish look about as terrifying as their mythological namesakes likely appeared to the knights in ancient tales....

New Species Galore!

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
With thousands of species of the world’s organisms yet to be discovered, it’s not unusual for scientists to discover several...

Advantages of Staying in Schools

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
During bicycling races, cyclists often ride close together to take advantage of drafting, where a low-pressure area created behind a...

Grandma Whales

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
As women enter middle age, their bodies gradually stop menstruating until they hit menopause, when they can no longer bear...

A Ray’s “Virgin Birth”

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Did you see the headlines earlier this year suggesting that a round stingray at a North Carolina aquarium may have...

Learning Without a Brain

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
You would think it’s necessary to have a brain to be able to learn new things. But at least one...

Clams’ Contagious Cancer

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Two facts about cancer are constant across nearly all species on earth: the disease results from mutated cells growing out...

Nursery of Mermaid’s Purses

University of Texas Marine Science Institute
When researchers went exploring an ancient underwater volcano about a mile below the surface off Canada’s Pacific coast, they expected...