Dark Mech #2 -- Assisted By Midjourney

Vessel sound is temporarily causing hearing loss in squids

Globally, anthropogenic sounds have become louder and more persistent, however, little is known about how invertebrates detect and respond to human-made sound. Now, new research shown noise associated with boats causes  causes temporal hearing loss in squids across different stages of their life cycle.

The hummingbird bobtail squid (Euprymna berryi) has a short lifespan of at least 6 months, which make them a convenient animal for lab studies. Hearing and behavioural observations were made by researchers before, during and after 15 minutes of vessel sound playback, to test how these squids react to noise pollution, and noted that these squids decrease their hearing sensitivity after exposure to noise, and particularly noise affected juveniles. Juvenile squids experienced an important hearing loss sensitivity after noise exposure between 400 and 800 Hz, while adult and mature squids decreased their sensibility after 200 to 600 Hz exposure, showing more resistence. All squids recovered auditory sensitivity within two hours.

Researchers aim the inclusion of cephalopods within management and policy, because anthropogenic activities and associated sound levels in the ocean are increasing, while the role sound plays in cephalopod life history is only just beginning to be understood.

Photo by Pascal Girard

Reference ()  Putland et al. 2023. Vessel sound causes hearing loss for hummingbird bobtail squid (Euprymna berryi). Frontiers in Marine Science 

“Impossible Figures” Minimalist Posters by  Éric Le Tutour

An Impossible Figure is an optical illusion in which a physically impossible three-dimensional object is depicted in two-dimensions. Humans have a natural tendency to try to interpret drawings as three-dimensional objects, which is why when viewing an impossible figure, you may feel confused or find the image unsettling! 

Reutersvärd’s Triangle and the Penrose Triangle were first created by graphic artist Oscar Reutersvärd, the Impossible Cube (the kind of Necker Cube portrayed on the poster) was invented by M.C. Escher for his artwork Belvedere, and the Penrose Stairs were created by psychologist Lionel Penrose and his mathematician son, Roger Penrose. (The Penrose pair also created the Penrose Triangle independently from and later than Reutersvärd.) These inventors clearly show that “impossible objects are of interest to psychologists, mathematicians and artists without falling entirely into any one discipline”. Source. 

More pictures of these awesome minimalist posters can be found here. Find more work by Eric Le Tutour at his site www.ericletutour.fr/!

Kyle Mjoen

Comb jellies—also known as ctenophores—come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Many are transparent, but some deep-sea species, like the abyssal comb jelly, Beroe abyssicola, are ruby red or deep purple in color. So far, scientists have described approximately 200 ctenophore species.

Comb jellies swim by flicking hair-like ctenes back and forth. When the lights of our submersibles illuminate an abyssal comb jelly, the ctene rows diffract the light into the colors of the rainbow, creating those dazzling disco lights.

Most animals in the midnight zone produce bioluminescence. The abyssal comb jelly has a scarlet stomach that absorbs the light produced by meals digesting in its gut. The red pigment absorbs blue-green bioluminescence, keeping Beroe hidden from predators. Many other deep-sea jellies employ a similar strategy. Learn more about these dazzling denizens of the deep on our website.

THE MATRIX 1999, dir. The Wachowskis

by Natan Vance

photography by nicolaslenatti

girl from the deep oceans of space !!!!! ＞△＜

By Marco Zagara

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