Extreme Creatures

You Feed Me, I Feed You: Symbiosis Some organisms in the ocean have developed a special relationship with each other that helps ensure the survival of both organisms. In many cases, the pair includes a microbe and a host animal. The microbes provide their host animal with food and the host provides the microbes with…

When most people think of corals, they think big. Big, interconnected structures such as the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, which can be seen from the Space Shuttle. Expedition 7 is going after much smaller coral formations that lie deep within the ocean, past the point where light penetrates.

One of the investigations complementing the geologic studies the scientists on board RV Revelle are carrying out, is a survey of the seabirds inhabiting the Galápagos.

As we investigate the submarine slopes of Galápagos volcanoes we see life that no one has photographed before. The creatures that live at these depths have adapted to a way of life in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

The words “Galápagos Islands” bring to mind images of fantastic animals and plants, ranging from dragon-like iguanas and comical blue-footed boobies to incredibly slow moving giant tortoises lumbering through arid lava fields dotted with cacti.