The Gulf’s deepwater corals

The New York Times has an excellent article today discussing state of science and research about deepwater corals in the Gulf of Mexico. As we've blogged, the site of the BP oil disaster has been explored and mapped to some degree by NOAA - some of it funded by the Minerals Management Service. During last …

Spotlight: Sandcastle Worms Come With Construction Supplies Pre-installed

A big 'wow' - The New York Times has a fascinating report about scientists studying undersea creatures to try to develop better waterproof adhesives. Some are looking closely at the sandcastle worm (Phragmatopoma californica). Sandcastle worms build their own housing, so to speak. Incredibly, as reporter Henry Fountain notes, to build their homes one grain of sand …