Colossal squid has biggest eyes on earth Marine biologists in New Zealand have just begun studying a 1,000 pound "colossal squid" with a dinner-plate-sized eye that measures 11 inches across. The creature, formally named Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, was caught unintentionally by a fishing boat near Antarctica in February 2007 and frozen immediately so that it could be studied by scientists at a later date. It is 26' long and is the largest specimen of this type ever caught. It is believed these creatures can grow to 40' long. The squid has been thawing for the past week in a bath of brine. It will be preserved in formalin, and stored for display at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, later this year. "This is the only intact eye (of a colossal squid) that's ever been found. It's spectacular," said squid researcher Kat Bolstad from Auckland University of Technology. Squids can dive to 6,500 feet. Their huge eyes enable them to see prey in the pitch black of deep water. At right: The Alecton attempts to capture a giant squid off Tenerife in 1861. Illustration from Harper Lee's Sea Monsters Unmasked, London, 1884. Courtesy of Wikipedia Add Comment (0) Hits: 355 Last Updated ( Saturday, 03 May 2008 )

Cooler decade ahead? A new climate study by German marine scientists published in the journal Nature today found that short term conditions can vary with longer term trends. “We’re learning that internal climate variability is important and can mask the effects of human-induced global change,” said Noel Keenlyside of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel, Germany. “In the end this gives more confidence in the long-term projections.”  Keenlyside and fellow researchers have been working on "short term" 10 year climate forecasts.  In likely response to shifting ocean currents and circulation patterns they predict mild cooling in Europe and North America in the decade ahead.  The trend toward a warmer world continues like water sloshing back and forth in a filling bathtub.  Even as the tub is being filled, the water on one side of the tub may be lower than the overall water level.  In another decade the variation may be to the warmer side. Add Comment (0) Hits: 319 Last Updated ( Friday, 02 May 2008 )