An Animated Chart Of 42 North American Butterflies

Northern Elephant Seals, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, CA, USA

Northern elephant seals were once hunted for their blubber, and were thought to be extinct until a small colony was found in the early 20th century. Since then, thanks to conservation efforts, northern elephant seal populations along the California coast have made an amazing recovery. Now, we continue to work with the public to protect this species and others protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Interested in wildlife watching when you visit sanctuaries? Make sure to give these seals – and all other animals – plenty of space so they can thrive. The future of the world’s wildlife is truly in our hands. Learn more about how you can help at: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/protect/oceanetiquette.html. Photograph: Mike Baird/NOAA

(via: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries)

Episode 46 of the In Defense of Plants Podcast has arrived!

This week its all about the flora of the Ozarks!

The Ozark Mountains have long been a mystery to me. This ancient mountain range is home to a bewildering diversity of plant life, some of which is found nowhere else in the world. From glades to woodlands and everything in between, the Ozarks have it all. Join me for a discussion with Justin Thomas, director of the Institute of Botanical Training. Justin and his wife have devoted their lives to studying and protecting the plants of this region. I learned a lot from talking with Justin and I know you will too.

Photos by Justin Thomas

Shark finning is the gruesome act of catching sharks, slicing off its fins, then throwing the body back into the ocean to drown or bleed to death. Without fins, sharks cannot balance or move, so it slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where it suffocates or bleeds to death.

Sharks kill only 6 people each year. Over 100 million sharks are killed yearly, and 11,480 hourly. Because of this, shark populations are plummeting very, very fast. Some shark species are close to extinction, with some populations being dropped by 99%.

Sharks are greatly misunderstood, and are absolutely crucial to healthy ocean ecosystems. But some species of shark are in danger due to hunting and over fishing. There’s a lot to be done to make sure these vital predators have a secure position in the oceans. As a starting point, here are seven small ways you can help the cause.

A starfish walking back to the water.

Mysterious Deep-Sea Animal Rediscovered after 116 Years

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/bathochordaeus-charon-04426.html

Scientists need your help looking at photos of adorable penguins. Seriously

"We can't do this work on our own."

Guys, this is not a drill. Antarctic scientists need you to study photos of penguins to help them figure out how climate change is affecting these stumpy little flightless birds.

Scientists from the UK have installed a series of 75 cameras near penguin territories in Antarctica and its surrounding islands to figure out what’s happening with local populations. But with each of those cameras taking hourly photos, they simply can’t get through all the adorable images without your help.

“We can’t do this work on our own,” lead researcher Tom Hart from the University of Oxford told the BBC, “and every penguin that people click on and count on the website - that’s all information that tells us what’s happening at each nest, and what’s happening over time.”

The citizen science project is pretty simple - known as PenguinWatch 2.0, all you need to do is log on, look at photos, and identify adult penguins, chicks, and eggs in each image. Each photo requires just a few clicks to identify, and you can chat about your results in the website’s ‘Discuss’ page with other volunteers.

Continue Reading.

Satomi’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae) is the smallest known seahorse in the world with an average length of 13.8 millimeters. (via)

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