Marine Life

Ever notice those little crusty clumps stuck to rocks, boat hulls or even whales? Those are barnacles, and while they might not look like much, they're marvels of the natural world.

By Nico Avelle

The blue crab is one of the most recognizable crustaceans in the coastal waters of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Found in the Chesapeake Bay, the blue crab plays a crucial role in marine science and fisheries.

By Zach Taras

The Japanese spider crab is a fascinating and impressive animal. In fact, it is the largest arthropod in the ocean!

By Zach Taras

This adorable sea slug (also called a leaf slug or sea sheep) is one of the most unique examples of marine life on Earth. Similar to mollusks and other nudibranch species, these little guys spend most of their lives crawling slowly along the sea floor in warm, shallow waters without a care in the world.

By Mitch Ryan

Octopuses are known their eight legs, squishy bodies and impressive problem-solving skills. But did you know there are over 300 types of octopus species?

By Ada Tseng

Octopuses are cephalopods that have three hearts and eight arms that are covered with suckers. The largest octopus is the giant Pacific octopus. As its name suggests, the Giant Pacific Octopus lives in the North Pacific Ocean.

By Ada Tseng

There are about 200 documented species of jellyfish pulsing their way through the world's waters. Most range from the size of your belly button to the size of a car tire.

By Kimberly Olson

Shrimp, in addition to being a tasty addition to many cuisines around the world, is sometimes used as an insult to call a person small or short. But did you know there are over 2,000 species of shrimp, and many shrimp actually grow to be quite large? The world's biggest shrimp is not what you'd typically call shrimpy in size.

By Ada Tseng

The soft, cylindrical sea cucumber looks like a vegetable — and in some countries, it's a delicacy because of its nutritional value and health benefits. But it actually belongs to the phylum of echinoderms, closely related to starfish (aka sea stars), sand dollars, sea urchins and sea lilies.

By Ada Tseng

The immortal jellyfish, known as Turritopsis dohrnii, has the ability to reverse age and theoretically live an eternal life. Because of its ability to regrow its cells, it could theoretically escape death over and over again.

By Ada Tseng

The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a clam that redefines what it means to have a long lifespan. This species is famous for being one of the longest-lived animals on Earth, with individuals surviving up to 500 years! That's older than Shakespeare's first play.

By Zach Taras

Let's get the obvious out of the way: The geoduck (Panopea generosa) looks more than a little NSFW. But it's totally PG, we swear! Found primarily in the Pacific Northwest, this massive mollusk has captured the attention of scientists, seafood lovers and curious minds alike.

By Mack Hayden

Deep in the ocean, living in eternal darkness, is the dumbo octopus (of the genus Grimpoteuthis), a creature that few humans have seen face-to-face. When someone is lucky enough to spot one, they're often captivated by its charms.

By Kimberly Olson

The most dangerous sea creatures in the world don't always have large teeth like great white sharks or weigh over 10 tons (9 metric tonnes) like the killer whale. The sea creatures that are a threat to humans are often the smaller, more innocent-looking ones that carry lethal amounts of venom.

By Ada Tseng

While swarm of jellies may look serene, you're best off keeping your distance. A sting from the most dangerous jellyfish on Earth can be deadly. Even when we're not looking at the most dangerous, many jellyfish species have venomous stings that can cause everything from mild discomfort to serious pain.

By Talon Homer

You might think of snails as the little shelled creatures that you find crawling in your garden, or even as a delicacy of French cuisine, where they are called "escargot." But there are snails that live in the water, too, including marine snails in the tropical oceans and freshwater snails found across the world in ponds, lakes and rivers.

By Zach Taras

Both the European lobster and American lobster are crustaceans that people living in coastal regions love to eat, but left to their devices, the lobsters can survive many decades and grow to ridiculous sizes - particularly the American lobster, which is the largest arthropod species on Earth.

By Talon Homer

The life cycle of jellyfish can seem almost otherworldly. Some species are the closer to actual immortality than anything else we see in the animal kingdom!

By Mack Hayden

Far below the ocean's surface, in the dark depths of the deep sea floor ecosystem (about 3,000 feet or 1,000 meters deep), exists an entire world of deep sea creatures that humans rarely glimpse.

By Sascha Bos

If you're afraid of sharks, stop reading now, because we're about to get in deep with six types of sharks. Learn more about these fascinating fish - big and small, solid and patterned, sluggish and speedy.

By Sascha Bos

Orcas are known as "killer whales" because they are apex predators. In the wild, highly social killer whales prey on sharks, seals, dolphins and even other whales.

By Sascha Bos

Far below the ocean's surface, in the dark depths of the deep sea floor ecosystem (about 3,000 feet or 1,000 meters deep), exists an entire world of deep sea creatures that humans rarely glimpse.

By Sascha Bos

Known for their long legs, pincers and hard shells, most crustaceans are omnivorous scavengers, although some are predators or vegetarians. Either way, a steady diet can assist certain crab species in growing to incredible sizes.

By Marie Look

It's a slippery proposition, to be sure, but bees do it, birds do it and you can bet that eels do it too. The question is, how do eels reproduce?

By Mark Mancini

Sailfish are the fastest known animal in the ocean. Just how fast? As fast as a cheetah. That's how fast.

By Cherise Threewitt