Over 6,000 octopuses have been found huddling around an extinct volcano deep in the Pacific Ocean near California, and researchers now think they understand why the octopuses find it so cozy.
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute studied female octopuses that nest together off Central California at a depth of about 3,200 meters.
"It's definitely a special site for these animals. It's a breeding site for this octopus. It has effects for the entire community nearby that then has spillover effects beyond that," says "It really kind of blew my mind because it is so drastically different and they're taking observations in the exact same places that we had been looking at," says, with the Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire, who visited the Costa Rica site in 2014.
The researchers mapped an area the size of a few football fields in detail, installed a time-lapse camera that watched octopuses continuously, and visited individual octopus nests again and again while monitoring water temperatures with probes.A time-lapse camera developed by engineers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute monitored the nesting octopuses in the deep for more than six months.
"The females only nest in warm sites. As far as we can tell, we could find none in cold waters," says Barry."There are plenty of nesting sites available, but they don't nest on just any bare rock. They only choose those sites where there's a nice warm pool. And in fact, if one female leaves, we found that another one will jump in there within a couple of weeks."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Exploring Seasonality in Wall Street, Europe, and Asia-Pacific Stock MarketsHave you ever wondered whether certain months are better or worse for stock markets? While we can identify meaningful seasonality, by itself, it is a poor predictor of past performance.
Read more »
Japan to Release Water From Fukushima Nuclear Plant Into Pacific This WeekNeighbors such as China protest the decision, which got the green light from a U.N. nuclear agency.
Read more »
Beating the Heat: Pacific Coral Reef Shows Unprecedented Increase in Climate ResistanceCoral reefs in Palau, Pacific Ocean, are showing increased thermal tolerance, potentially reducing future climate change-induced bleaching. However, the study emphasizes the urgent need for global carbon emissions reduction and adherence to the Paris Agreement to protect these vital ecosystems. C
Read more »
Some Pacific coral reefs can keep pace with a warming oceanAlmost 40 years of data shows that some Pacific reefs can become more heat tolerant, but still face uphill battle in a warming ocean.
Read more »