The leopard nudibranch (Jorunna pardus) was only first described in 1981, and even as recently as 2005 nothing was considered to be known about its biology. I saw it for the first time on August 30 during a dive at Santa Catalina Island off the southern California coast.
Read MoreSand Impressions
This abstract sand composition was taken at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southern Utah. The setting sun was throwing some amazing shadows and shapes across the sand. Is this a photo of a hump, or a hollow?
Read MoreChristmas Trees of the Sea
Christmas tree worms are found through-out tropical seas and are the highlight of many dives. Their colorful whorled structures are used for both feeding and respiration. They secrete a tube of calcium carbonate for protection. Marine species that use calcium carbonate for shells or tubes are likely to be greatly impacted by ocean acidification. I took this photo in the Republic of Fiji off the coast of Vanua Levu on Rainbow Reef.
Read MoreSoft Corals
One means of distinguishing hard corals from soft corals is to examine the number of tentacles each polyp has. Hard coral polyps always have six tentacles, while soft coral polyps always have eight, as can be seen in today’s photo. I photographed this specimen diving at Coral Garden off the coast of Taveuni, the third largest island in the Republic of Fiji.
Read MoreA Continental Borderlands
Farnsworth Bank off the back side of Santa Catalina Island is a small portion of the Southern California Bight, but it representative of the abundance of marine life that can be found within this continental borderland. Purple hydrocorals and fish flourish here in the protection of a marine preserve.
Read MoreAn Anemone and Its Fish
The bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) and the Fiji anemonefish (Amphiprion barberi) live in a mutually-beneficial relationship on the coral reefs surrounding the Republic of Fiji. The fish receives protection from predators among the anemones stinging tentacles, while the anemone receives some nourishment in return.
Read MoreA Magnificent Anemone
The magnificent anemone (Heteractis magnifica) is one of the largest anemones in the world, often reaching diameters of more than 3 feet (1 meter). I photographed this specimen diving at Rainbow's End on Rainbow Reef off the coast of Vanua Levu, the second largest island in the Republic of Fiji.
Read MoreStraining the Water
Gorgonians, or sea fans, are a representative of the groups to which soft corals belong that is found in southern California waters. The colony of polyps reside in a flexible skeleton that sways in the current. Sea fans are filter feeders, grabbing food out of the passing water.
Read MoreDown, But Not Out
Giant kelp forests along the southern California coast have been hard hit by warm ocean water since last summer along with the presence of an invasive alga that occupies the same habitat as giant kelp. The warm water, very poor in the nutrients kelp needs to grow, may persist for the foreseeable future as it looks like an El Niño is brewing the tropical Pacific. But in spite of these conditions, giant kelp is making a small comeback in various areas along the coast.
Read MoreSand, Sea and Sky
After a day of rain, fresh water runs toward the sea across the sand, and reflects the colors of the evening sky at Pomponio State Beach near Santa Cruz, California. This was the calm end to a day of rain and wind, buffeting the central California coast.
Read MoreCamouflage or Warning Coloration?
Leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus) disguise themselves by behaving like a piece of drifting debris and making use of disruptive coloration. But at the same time, the yellow color variant of the species, as seen in today’s photo, may also be advertising its venomous spines to would-be predators. While purely speculative, this would be a case of both hiding in plain sight from prey while advertising your presence to predators. Maybe someday a graduate student will work out the details.
Read MoreThe Soft Side of Corals
Soft corals are relatives for the typical corals that create hard limestone skeletons forming tough reefs in tropical waters. Soft corals lack such hard skeletons and are able to inflate and deflate as currents wax and wane, bringing to them the plankton on which they feed. Fiji in the south Pacific is considered to be the soft coral capitol of the world.
Read MoreTropical Idylls
I'm in Fiji this week, spending time underwater to photograph some amazing marine life. So today I'm presenting a shot from another tropical paradise - the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are among the world's long distance migrators, with some females swimming more than 1600 miles (2600 km) to lay their eggs on the same beach on which they were hatched.
Read MoreA Hairy Little Traveler
While being feared as a dangerous, even deadly creature, tarantulas are really quite misunderstood. While certainly possessing venom, it is actually quite mild. Upon reaching maturity at about 3 years of age, males leave their burrows and go in search of a female with whom to mate. If he isn’t eaten by the female, he will die shortly after mating with her.
Read MoreSky on Fire
Sometimes the most spectacular image is the one you don’t see. While standing on the Canyon Junction Bridge in Zion National Park with several dozen other photographers trying to photograph the Watchman, one among the group turned around to find the late afternoon sun painting the canyon walls and the clouds.
Read MoreQuilted Rocks
I never cease to be amazed by the geology of the Colorado Plateau. I first heard about Yant Flat above Saint George, Utah while preparing to visit The Wave during the summer of 2013. While a visit didn’t work out during that trip, in October of 2014 I was finally able to make it to the site. Yant Flat actually refers to a broad flat area that lies above Cottonwood Canyon in the Cottonwood Forest Wilderness in the mountains to the northwest of Saint George. The spectacular geology there is known more appropriately as the Candy Cliffs, since the structure and color of the rocks give the area the look of brightly colored candy of a peppermint stripe variety.
Read MoreMirror, Mirror
Century Lake in Malibu Creek State Park in southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains is one of the most beautiful locations in the area. An artificial lake created when Malibu Creek was dammed in 1903, it has served as a movie set for many well-known Hollywood productions. On the morning this shot was taken, it was almost as smooth as a sheet of glass, reflecting the surrounding hills and sky.
Read MoreThe Oldest Living Thing?
Bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) are among the oldest living things found on Earth today. Genetically distinct individuals have been found to reach ages in excess of 4000 years, with the oldest know specimen topping out at over 5000 years. Colonies of species that reproduce by cloning, such as quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) can live much longer, but individuals in the colonies have much shorter lifespans.
Read MoreRacing Stripes
Like many nudibranchs, the bright coloration of MacFarland's chromodorid nudibranch is a warning to potential predators that these animals should be avoided. Having the ability to absorb nasty chemicals from the sponges on which they to prey, they prove to be a nasty mouthful to any predators who decides to give them a try for a meal.
Read MoreSpanish Dancer - Southern Californa Style
A brilliant splash of purple and orange on a reef along the California coast can only be a Spanish Shawl nudibranch (Flabellinopsis iodinea). It is also known to release it holds on the reef, and by alternately flexing the muscles on opposites of its body, "swim" to a different location. This beautiful sight evokes the motion of an actual Spanish dancer.
Read More