Anglerfish Anglerfish The anglerfish are ray-finned fish in the order Lophiiformes . Both the order's common and scientific name comes from the characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified dorsal fin ray acts as a lure for prey (akin to a human angler, and likened to a crest or "lophos"). The modified fin ray, with the very tip being the esca and the length of the structure the illicium,…
Hydrothermal vents In 1977 near the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador at a depth of 2,500 meters (8,250 feet), ocean explorers first sighted hydrothermal vents, openings on the ocean floor from which heated, mineral-rich water emerges. The scientists found that these vents were surrounded by large numbers of organisms that had never before been seen. (NOAA) Today's top story in Salish…
Bathysphere Bathysphere The Bathysphere was a unique spherical deep-sea submersible which was unpowered and lowered into the ocean on a cable, and was used to conduct a series of dives off the coast of Bermuda from 1930 to 1934. The Bathysphere was designed in 1928 and 1929 by the American engineer Otis Barton, to be used by the naturalist William Beebe for studying undersea wildlife. Beebe and…
Kuroshio Current Kuroshio Current The Kuroshio Current, also known as the Black Current or Japan Current, is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. The Kuroshio Current has significant effects on both physical and biological processes of the North Pacific Ocean, including nutrient and sediment…
Dinoflagelates Dinoflagelates In coastal regions, the primary source of flow-agitated bioluminescence is dinoflagellates. These single-celled organisms are common members of the plankton—tiny marine plants, animals or bacteria that float on or near the ocean’s surface. Bioluminescent dinoflagellates range in size from about 30 µm to 1 mm, and are found in all the world’s oceans. Occasionally they…
Devil's Club Devil's Club Oplopanax horridus Devil's club or Devil's walking stick is a large understory shrub native to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, but also disjunct on islands in Lake Superior. It is noted for its large palmate leaves and erect, woody stems covered in noxious and irritating spines. (Wikipedia) Today's top story in Salish Current: Commentary: Lack of parking…
Stinging nettle [Oregon Flora] Stinging nettle Urtica dioica Stinging nettles prick us with tiny hollow hairs called trichomes that act like hypodermic needles, imbedding in our skin when we brush against them, and delivering a dose of histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, and formic acid, amongst other chemicals. Indigenous peoples in America have used it as a boiled (boiling destroys the…
Western water hemlock [R.D. Ness] Water hemlock Ethnobotanist H.D. Harrington once wrote that Water hemlock “has gained the reputation as being the most poisonous plant in the North Temperate Zone.” Its toxin, called cicutoxin, can cause delirium, nausea, convulsions, abdominal pain, seizures, and vomiting within 60 minutes of ingestion – frequently leading to death. Cicuta maculata (spotted water…
Western Poison-ivy [USDA] Western Poison-ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii Western poison-ivy is a low-growing shrub; as young children, we learn “leaves of three, let it be” to remind us to avoid the shiny green leaves (technically leaflets) of Poison ivy. Touching or merely brushing against poison ivy (or coming into contact with contaminated clothing or pet fur), can result in painful swelling,…
Poison oak [Native Plants PNW] Pacific Poison Oak Toxicodendron diversilobum Poison oak is found from Vancouver Island and nearby islands in British Columbia to Baja California, mostly on the west side of the Cascades in Oregon. In Washington, it is most common on Puget Sound islands and nearby shorelines, and along the Columbia River.(Native Plants PNW) Today's top story in Salish Current: The…
Leopard shark [Aquarium of the Pacific] Leopard shark Triakis semifasciata The leopard shark is a species of houndshark, in the family Triakidae . It is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico. Large schools of leopard sharks are a common sight in bays and estuaries, swimming over sandy or muddy flats or rock-strewn areas near kelp beds…
