Pelagic red crabs are commonly found in large numbers near the ocean’s surface, where they are consumed by many species of fishes, including tunas. In the Monterey Bay, we see these crabs in large numbers, often accompanying the warm waters brought by El Niño.⠀ ⠀ A recent publication from researchers at MBARI and the Monterey Bay Aquarium not only found microplastics in the water of Monterey Bay from the surface to 1,000 meters (~3,000 feet), they also found the tiny pieces of plastic in every pelagic red crab they collected for the study. This alarming finding points to an obvious way that microplastics are entering the Monterey Bay food web since they are prey for many large fish—including some of your favorite sushi. 🍣 ⠀ ⠀ These crabs were photographed in front of the @MontereyBayAquarium by Patrick Webster.⠀ ⠀ #plasticpollution #tunacrabs #pelagicredcrabs #MontereyBay #microplastic #microplastics #ElNino #filterfeeds #MBARI #foodweb #sushi #saynotoplastic #tuna

We're looking at you Cephalopod Week! #cantwait⠀ ⠀ Many deep-sea animals have specialized eyes for seeing in the dim light. The cockatoo squid, Taonius sp. has large eyes bulging from its head and photophores, or light organs, under the eyes. They are found in the deep midwater below 300 meters, often hanging motionless with their arms above their body. ⠀ ⠀ Stay tuned for more cephalopod goodness coming soon!⠀ ⠀ #cockatoosquid #deepseasquid #squid #bioluminescence #glowingeyes #theeyeshaveit #deepsea #deepsealife #ocean #oceanlife MBARI #underwaterphotography #deepseaadaptations #armsup #sealife #cephalopodweek