What is a Stargazer?
The ocean is full of beautiful fish—the stargazer simply isn’t one of them. However, sometimes it’s the weird, wonderful, wacky fish that are the coolest, and the stargazer is no exception. Their wide, bugging eyes...
What is a Stargazer?
Did you know that scientists estimate there are trillions of fish alive in our ocean today? About 20,000 marine fish species are currently known to science, and sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart. Some fish, how...
Get Loud for Trumpetfish
When I think of worms, I think of going for a walk on a rainy day and seeing (and smelling) the earthworms on the sidewalk exploring their aboveground surroundings. Did you know that worms also live in our ocean? Yes, it...
What is a Bearded Fireworm?
The 2023 Status of Stocks report illustrates the challenges of managing U.S. fisheries sustainably in an era where climate change is not down the road—it has already arrived. Overfishing remains a persistent issue, and r...
Navigating Troubled Waters: Breaking Down the 2023 Status of Stocks Report
A mollusk swims up to a sea cucumber. The mollusk looks around at the reef and says (because in jokes everyone talks) to the sea cucumber, “I think we’re in hot water.” I’m no clownfish, but I think Marlin may have told...
Four Impacts of Ocean Warming
Our ocean is home to a diverse range of species that carry out their daily activities with little concern. Take the surgeonfish, which spends its days peacefully grazing on the green and brown algae of coral reefs. But,...
How Ambush Predators Rule the Waves
Gag grouper are reef fish that live in the waters off the Southeastern United States, with a range that extends south throughout the Caribbean and along the coast of Brazil. They primarily eat fish, crabs and shrimp...
All About Gag Grouper
My favorite creatures in the ocean are the weird ones. Those blobby, slippery, bizarre, alien-looking things that make you wonder “How does that live on our planet with us?” They remind me that the slice of nat...
Why is This Sea Cucumber Called a Headless Chicken Monster?
Nearly every night during our bedtime routine of reading countless books, my kids will ask me, “Why haven’t we met a dinosaur yet?” And, nearly every night, I begrudgingly admit that dinosaurs are extinct, and we probabl...
Let’s Talk About Tarpon
Our ocean’s beloved coral reefs are home to many vibrant, unique and important marine animals. One of these creatures is none other than the surgeonfish, a fish that plays an important role in promoting healthy coral ree...