The wreck of the Gertrude

Or, rather, the scuttling of the Gertrude. It was apparently an intentional sinking. Interesting how the fish hanging around it are apparently lying on the structures. Perhaps too cold to move in Alberta.

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Vintage Drawing: Shipwreck on the Beach Postcard by TheBooker
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Sleep, little octopus

Laura James captures an octopus keeping its eyes shut just outside of Seattle. Octopi apparently sleep, perchance to dream

Octopus Octopus - 100mm macro from Laura James on Vimeo.

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Octopus Tentacles Triptych Coaster by ValueVintage
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Shape-shifting Egyptian octopus

One of the coolest studies in camouflage by an octopus, in shape, color, and texture. Smart kid.

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Suchomimus Hunting Fish Wrapped Canvas Canvas Print by COREY__FORD
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Interview with spiny squat lobster

Our Irish friends are back with an audience with a spiny squat lobster, and his shrimpy attendants. Always fascinating to see exotic creatures so far from the tropics.

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Alaska - Puffins watching a Cruise Ship Poster by LanternPress
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Galapagos spotted eagle ray

Time well spent scuba diving in the Galapagos. I spot turtles, seals, but most dramatically a spotted eagle ray. Again, if you think this is a trite post or I'm unqualified to be making zoological comments on these videos, remember that a main purpose of this blog is to celebrate creative commons licensed videos. NatGeo doesn't let you do things that a CC-BY license does.

Galápagos collection from Apneediver on Vimeo.

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Illustration of SS Titanic colliding with Poster by prophoto
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Juvi dolphin and mum

Time well spent with a "juvi" dolphin and its mum. Cool thing is this appears to be taken in Mozambique.

Dolphin Diary 260415 from Angie Gullan's Dolphin Center on Vimeo.

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Real-world colors in Malta

Essentially a screen test during scuba in which two jellyfish are visible. But one interesting thing here is that even though it's an exotic location-- Malta-- they basically see a lot of brown grassy things. I remember going snorkeling on a cruise in the tropics and feeling cheated when the surroundings didn't mimic the most colorful scenes from Finding Nemo. I guess sometimes the real ocean is a muddy brown.

Diving in Ramla Bay (Malta) from Ieva Balode on Vimeo.

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Maybe the color of these whales will brighten your day more than Malta.

UNDERWATER WORLD PRINT by COREY__FORD
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Slow dive in St. Croix

Here's a half hour of scuba diving near St. Croix. It does show some interesting tube corals.

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Why not celebrate this video with a gift of chocolates to a friend in a turtle-themed box?

Flying Sea Turtle | Box of Chocolates 45 Piece Assorted Chocolate Box by NIRVANATW
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Marine debris vs. coral

Another PSA from NOAA on marine debris. This one makes a brief mention of damaging coral, which I'd never thought of.

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May this red sailboat brighten your day.

Red Sailboat, Blue Sky, Green Sea Poster by ElainePlesser
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Butch, the penguin

Three minutes well spent with a Tawaki penguin. The Tawaki Project seeks to understand and preserve Fiordland penguins in New Zealand.

Butch from Tawaki Project on Vimeo.

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Swimming, crocodile-mimicking dinosaurs are awesome, FWIW.

Suchomimus Dive Wrapped Canvas Canvas Print by COREY__FORD
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They surf on the east coast, don't they?

I love Belmar Beach, NJ. The Eastern Surfing Association Regional Championships took place there this year. One of the interesting things to me is that the waves are hardly higher than those I've seen when I've been there. Guys get up on boards and surf these waves. Inspiring. Also in the sponsors list I note some cool brands to check out next time I shop for sunglasses or T-shirts. Yes, I'm lame.

ESA NORTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BELMAR, NJ 2015 from Aerial Media Productions on Vimeo.

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Greece Postcard by MichelineKanzy
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Is Iceland greener than icy Greenland?

This video doesn't say anything about Greenland. I cannot even make out what they are saying-- it's in Icelandic. But I was very curious to know how lush and inviting the country actually would be. Here we have (too much time spent on) sheep, shores, waves, and isthmi.

We will tell you about Iceland - Province 4: The Dyrholaey Cape. from GALAVLADA on Vimeo.

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Schooner sailing mug by Thunder_Cove
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Where have all the sea-stars gone?

If you revisit the same pier over eight years, you can see sea stars disappearing. When I thought of re-vamping this blog, I immediately went to see what my fave diver, Laura James, had published. Not only because she releases videos under a creative commons license, but also because she does important work in documenting the health of the ecosystem in the ocean (coves) near Seattle.

Before and after Sea Star wasting syndrome - Cove 1 West Seattle - footage spanning 8 years from Laura James on Vimeo.

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Oregon - Sea Lion Caves Poster by LanternPress
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Marine debris is major uncool.

Any questions?

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According to the video, the Titanic would count as marine debris.

RMS Titanic and Iceberg Painting Poster by UTeezSF
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DNA testing for shellfish toxins

This experiment.com project hopes to be able to develop paper strips that can do DNA testing for shellfish toxins. Sounds cool.

Lab on a Strip: Developing a Novel Biosensor for Biotoxin Detection from Experiment on Vimeo.

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This clock is pretty cool, but perhaps I wouldn't buy it unless there were a way to customize the hand color.

The Shipwreck Square Clock by clocksgalore
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Stress tests for yellow tang.

This experiment.com project (already funded), shows a pretty cool apparatus for stress-testing yellow tangs, to measure the ecosystem's ability to cope with climate change.

It's getting hot in here: effects of ocean warming on Indonesian Yellow Tangs from Experiment on Vimeo.

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Prehistoric Elasmosaurus Plesiosaur Dinosaur Mug by twopurringcats
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NOAA vs. algal blooms

Algal blooms can harm sea life in about four ways, and we have satellites to keep an eye on them.

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Indigo Shores Print by COREY__FORD
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How not to run over a whale.

A bit sappy, but good tips to remember from NOAA, for your next whale watching cruise.

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Know Your Penguins Poster Perfect Poster by PeppermintNarwhal
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How to cope when your yacht wrecks

A Danish pharmacology Ph.D. student copes with a shipwreck that ended his Volvo Ocean Race run, and how he'd like to get back in the water.

Where Science Meets Shipwrecks - Peter Wibroe, Copenhagen, DENMARK from Emma Priestley on Vimeo.

So far in this blog, we've seen a vacation rental, some interesting tidbits about clownfish reproduction, a grad student's talk about experiments with urchins, and now yacht wrecks. Hang on, it's going to be an interesting ride!

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Narwhalstache Postcard by spitecho
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Urchins vs. Kappaphycus

In case you weren't aware, sea urchins are like goats. You can use them to browse-down invasive algae.

Native Collector Sea Urchins: Not so Hāwaʻe (Useless) After All from Hawaii Conservation Alliance on Vimeo.

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KANSAS - Point of Know Return (1977) Poster by kansasband
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"Hello Ocean" saving oceans in wildly different ways

Here's an IndieGoGo project that involves a boat and some social media, and they intend not only to facilitate research on ocean acidification but also marine mammal protection. Check it out.

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Sea Creatures Postcard by HeathersHaven
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It lives: the net

A big mass of abandoned fishing gear has to be dealt with in Hawaii. NOAA says they had to deal with 57 tons of debris during this period. While I wouldn't want this to wash up on my beach, I wonder if there ever comes a time when you just let it be, treat it like a new ecosystem?

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Ink Squid T Shirt by UberMonkey
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Say it isn't so, on Nemo

These scientists break the news that the film Finding Nemo would very unlikely have ended with his Dad looking for him. Here's another description of the phenomenon in clownfish.

Science Hangout: Why is Clownfish Behavior in Finding Nemo Misleading? from American Scientist on Vimeo.

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San Diego Vintage Map Postcard by somanyplaces
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Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi vacation

I first became interested in The Maldives through the Flickr photographer Ahmed Zahid. Check out his Flickr page at that link. I actually use his photoset as my screensaver on my Apple TV.

This short video documents a vacation of a couple in what appears to be Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi in the Maldives. It shows some interesting views of the walkway, plus some scuba footage of puffers, eels, and Gil.

Maldives Ocean Villa from martin bates on Vimeo.

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ad: customizable business card with nice sea pic.

Starfish Ocean Thank You Tag Double-Sided Standard Business Cards (Pack Of 100) by SunCelebrations
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Conversation between pearl and oyster

A great thing about this blog is we'll be able to delve into not only scientific exploration of the ocean but also eclectic artistic expressions of appreciation for it. Today's video certainly falls into that category. Leave a comment if you get the meaning behind this interpretive dance piece, or on the artist's vimeo page. But it also contains some really cool footage of intertidal pool creatures.

comhrá a idir an an péarla ‘agus an oisrí from Beatrice Jarvis on Vimeo.

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I'd like to see what this "photo sculpture" looks like in real life.

Mako Shark Photo Sculpture by COREY__FORD
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Hope Spots Indiegogo project

This Indiegogo project includes the following TED Talk by Sylvia Earle about the plight of the oceans. Worth a watch. The project hopes to create hope spots, which are areas of the ocean protected from commercial exploitation. It's certainly a noble cause. One problem however is I'm not exactly sure how well thought-out this particular project is. Exactly what will they be using the money for? I'm glad they have at least brought the issue to our attention.

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And here are some stylish napkins for your next nautically-themed party!

Going Ashore 2 Standard Cocktail Napkin by shelbysemail2
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Irish Conger Eel

Here we see a little European Conger Eel, most like Conger Conger, found by our friends while scuba diving in Ireland. They are reclusive like the moray eel and, according to Wikipedia, have grown to as long as 3 meters, but typically only reach 1.5 m. Any news of aquatic life in the Northern Atlantic is a surprise to me, frankly due to my ignorance: I'm used to only thinking of aquatic life in the tropics.

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Pirate Ship Stamps by jlmiles
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Waves in Hawaii

Here is a soothing view of waves breaking on structure that must be of volcanic origin, in Oahu

FAQ

Why do you mention "open source" videos"?

I looked at one web site that was providing some pretty cool videos about marine life. I wanted to see if I would be allowed to embed their videos in my blog, so I read their license. The license said that the videos were only for "temporary, noncommercial, educational use." What a minefield! If I were to make a blog post, does the "temporary" requirement mean that I have to delete it at some point in the future? If I only store on my hard drive for individual use, exactly when would I have to delete it? As far as "educational", would a blog, celebrating the sea, written by a layperson constitute a sufficiently "educational" purpose? As far as "commercial", would a blog with ads constitute commercial use? Is a blog with no ads (but reference to a for-profit enterprise like Blogger/Google) sufficiently non-commercial? Yikes!

Similarly, a lot of video sites provide embed links to a video. It is my understanding that use of the embed code would be covered under fair use, and furthermore I'm making comment on the videos, and using a link provided by the site that goes back to the author's web page. (IANAL). But suppose there were a professional, scuba-diving videographer, whose sole income was based on his or her videos. How many of these links could I use before I start to take away glory from his or her page at the video site? Would use of embed codes on a site with ads constitute commercial use and ultimately detract from his or her income? Do you think I'm crazy to worry?

Flickr has always billed itself as a "photo sharing" website. Every photo had its own web page, which included a prominent button inviting the visitor to "Blog This!" The current FAQ still says, "Flickr and blogs go together like Captain and Tennille". There was a controversy that erupted about ten years ago where professional photographers objected to their work being spread across the web without their permission. Flickr eventually caved and a staffer clarified that the Blog This button was to be seen as a convenience for those users who had made prior arrangements with the photographer over the conditions of use of their work, not as a blanket permission. I remember someone came up with the solution of "You can always contact the photographer." Oi, vey! I'm imagining that videos posted by companies like National Geographic or the Discover Channel are similarly frought with danger.

That being said, I utterly detest actual piracy. Alex Wild, an entomologist who relies on his award-winning photography for income, has repeatedly complained about pesticide companies that take his photos, cut out watermarks, and even misrepresent the species of the ant. Major uncool.

Is there another way? Suppose you gave up and only made use of video links that you had alicense to use. Fortunately, there is such a thing. There are Creative Commons licenses, such as attribution which explicitly give one the right to:

• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
• for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

The web sites archive.org, Flickr, Youtube, and Vimeo have ways to search for creative-commons licensed material. That is largely what I'm using here. I'm also using videos from:

• Kickstarter is "a new way to fund creative projects." People with all kinds of artistic and humanitarian ideas are able to make public appeals for funding. Some of these videos are quite cool. I cannot imagine that these entrepreneurs would be upset if every blog in the world embedded the videos for their appeals.
• Advocacy groups While organizations like the Sea Shepherd Society or the World Wildlife Fund have a right to the intellectual property on the creative works they produce, their mission is ultimately one of advocacy. Videos are meant to be seen. If more people see their work, more advocacy is accomplished. It seems unlikely that they'd complain about "excessive fair use" of their work.
• Government agencies. If the Parks Service prepares a video on how well they are protecting a reef, I doubt they'd be upset if too many people made use of that video. If NOAA prepares an educational video on the data they collect, I imagine they'd be happy if it were widely distributed.