What’s the difference between cold-blooded and warm-blooded? The animal kingdom can be split based on how body temperature is controlled (thermoregulation): ‘cold-blooded’ ectotherms use external sources of heat, such as solar energy, whereas ‘warm-blooded’ endotherms generate internal heat via metabolism. But while this difference helps define features and behaviour, some species show that the distinction […]
Tag: swordfish
Seeking swordfish, catching dolphins and whales: EU pushes to rein in driftnets
Driftnets, vertically hanging nets that drift with ocean currents and can stretch for kilometers, are used to catch large pelagic species such as swordfish and tuna. However, they have long drawn criticism from conservationists as they also capture and kill sharks, turtles, dolphins and other marine wildlife. For decades, debate has raged about use of […]
“One of the ocean’s fastest and most powerful predators.” Photographer witnesses elegant hunter prowling for prey
As a school of fish swirls above, a marlin prowls through the blue water, its distinctive stripes glinting in the sun. This is the stunning moment caught on film by wildlife filmmaker Alex Westover. Westover shared the spectacular video on Instagram with the caption “marlin magic”. He describes the event as “a rare encounter with one of the ocean’s fastest […]
Trump has opened the deep sea for business, risking fragile environments we know nothing about
When the submarine plunged to about 1,500 meters below sea level, ecologist Jeff Drazen asked the pilots to cut the strobe lights that had been guiding them through the pitch-black waters. For a moment, they continued falling to the sea floor in complete darkness. Then, the creatures of the deep sea began dazzling the crew […]
‘Momentous’ sustainable fishing rules adopted for Atlantic Ocean swordfish
In the late 1990s, swordfish had been so overfished in the North Atlantic Ocean that its population faced the possibility of collapse. The dire situation sparked boycotts and conservation campaigns in honor of the highly migratory species, a predator that can move at nearly the speed of a cheetah and slash at prey with the […]