Changing Seas

In the deep, dark waters off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, strange flowerlike animals flourish. These sea lilies and feather stars, known as Crinoids, have been around in various forms since before the age of Dinosaurs. Now experts descend into the deep to study the animals from a submersible.

Each summer, the world’s largest known aggregation of whale sharks occurs just off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, attracting tourists and scientists alike. Hundreds of these gentle giants come to the area to feed on plankton, giving experts the opportunity to learn more about the largest fish in the sea.

The unique oceanic conditions of the Galápagos Islands serve as a perfect natural laboratory to study how climate change may impact corals in the future. Scientists spend a month in the archipelago to conduct research as part of the Global Reef Expedition.

The strange, prehistoric-looking Small tooth Sawfish were once coveted by anglers as popular trophy fish. But habitat loss and overfishing have greatly reduced the animals’ range and landed them on the endangered species list. Today, the fish are limited to South Florida, where scientists are conducting research to save the species.