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Who’s hungry? 🙌🏼 ⁣ This deep-sea squid, Chiroteuthis calyx, is known as the swordtail squid because juveniles of the species have ornate tails as long as their bodies. For years, marine biologists have speculated about the function of their tails. In 2014, MBARI researchers discovered that juveniles were actually imitating siphonophores in the genus Naomia. ⁣ ⁣ As swordtail squids grow older and larger they apparently have less need for this deception and by the time they become subadults they shed their fancy tails. Instead, adults develop long feeding tentacles tipped with glowing lures used to attract crustaceans or small fish, and once the prey is close enough they seize the animal with their arms or tentacles. Dinner is served. 🍴⁣ ⁣ #squid #hungry #deepseasquid #cephalopod #deepseasquid #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology

Just an average day for MBARI engineers on a maintenance run. 🛠🌊🛠⁣ ⁣ MBARI’s M1 mooring has been collecting data at the mouth of Monterey Bay Canyon since the 1990s. Sensors on the mooring measure ocean properties over time, including water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll fluorescence, pH, and pCO2 both in the air and just below the surface. ⁣ ⁣ Periodically, MBARI’s Mooring Operations Group performs maintenance on the instrument—replacing sensors, cleaning off any organisms (like goose barnacles and algae) growing on the instrument, and other basic repairs to keep it functioning properly. The divers on this trip got a surprise visit from a school of half moon fish, Medialuna, that were gathered near the mooring bridle. Video footage by Jared Figurski. ⁣ ⁣ #Marineoperations #scuba #diver #scubadive #mooring #oceanography #oceantech #ocean #boatride #underwatervideo #MBARI #engineer #scienceandengineering #MontereyBay #MontereyCanyon⁣

Sea butterflies ⁣🌊🦋 ⁣ Pteropods are the butterflies of the sea. These tiny animals are an important food source for many other marine creatures such as fish, squid, and even some marine mammals. ⁣ ⁣ The deep-shelled pteropod, Clio andreae, produces a mucous web to passively filter tasty food particles out of the water column. They live their entire lives in the midwater, so the web likely helps the animal maintain neutral buoyancy to conserve energy as well.⁣ ⁣ #seabutterflies #seabutterfly #pteropod #swimmingsnais #snail #flyingsnails⁣ #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology

Mystery blob? No, it's a jellyfish!⁣ ⁣ Have you ever been walking on the beach and come across something like this? You can report it on Jellywatch.org to help marine biologists develop a better understanding of the ocean. If you’ve been on the beach or in the ocean lately, you can contribute to a long-term dataset by telling us about the animals you saw or the conditions of the beach. You can help us even more by submitting a picture of what you saw!⁣ ⁣ So if you see a mystery blob on the beach, report it at jellywatch.org. You will be contributing to our understanding of life in the sea. This dramatic photo shows a black sea nettle that washed up on Moss Landing beach in Monterey Bay. Image courtesy of Steve Haddock.⁣ ⁣ #Citizenscience #jellyfish #JellyWatch #jellyfishblooms #sealife #beach #beachwalk #beachcombing #beachlife #beachfinds #ocean #oceanlife #marinebiology #saltlife #MBARI

Midwater magic!⁣ ⁣ The ethereal siphonophore, 𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊, was recently spotted at 850 meters (2,788 feet) in the Monterey Bay. The nectophores (swimming bells) were pulsing and the end of the tail (siphosome) was laden with eggs. The researchers on the expedition estimated it to be a whopping one meter (three feet) long! These gelatinous animals are armed with a battery of powerful stinging tentacles and have been observed ensnaring fish just above the seafloor.⁣ ⁣ #siphonophore #ethereal #gelationousanimals #jelies #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology

Team work! ⁣⛴⚓️🌊 ⁣ As the R/V Western Flyer headed out to sea last week for an expedition, our researchers got a glimpse of our other research vessel R/V Rachel Carson as the team aboard the ship was getting ready to deploy ROV Ventana. Although the two ships weren't working on the same project that day, each of MBARI's vessels, vehicles and instruments can be used to collect data for all of our researchers' projects. Also, it's always fun to wave to our colleagues as we pass by ;)⁣ ⁣ #RVWesternFlyer #teamwork #ROV #MontereyBay #MarineOperations #RVRachelCarson #MBARI #ResearchVessel #AUV #ROV #underwaterrobot #Marinetechnology #ocean #oceantech #oceanography #oceanscience