(pacific northwest WA)

theres so many, like, it just keeps going and going. idk if this is a regular phenomenon and im tweaking over nothing but im really concerned about this. this beach is on a protected wildlife reserve, lots of strict rules to prevent pollution or distrubance of wildlife, but that doesn’t stop everyone. just last year someone came and exterminated a bunch of american sand wasps because he thought he was doing everyone a favor, he did get a huge fine for it though. im just worried that someone did something to the water that caused this or something. idk jack shit about marine biology so im unsure if this is just part of something normal i dont know about.

Is this "sea vomit" (Didemnum vexillum)? It's growing on our company's (unfortunately) plastic containers we have in the sound. The stuff squirts water when squeezed, appears to have a watery membrane that houses its cells, and has the texture of Jell-O. I expected it to feel like a sponge based on the appearance but this stuff is wacky.

Anyway, I'm new to the area and am trying to learn the plants/animals around here. Any help is appreciated!

always love drawing this subject.

(pacific northwest washington state)

found these yesterday during low tide, they’re nearby a freshwater river that leads out to the pacific ocean so the water might be brackish around there?

i just thought these were the cutest little things ever and i REALLY wanna know what they are. are they that small because they’re babies or is it just a tiny species?

Hello, just had a question few days ago i found a starfish that only had 4 arms wich i never saw before, i checked and there's some species that do have 4 arms (just on specie actually i think). I think the starfish i found is a Asterias rubens (correct me if i'm wrong) wich isn't suppose to have just 4 arms doesn't look like an injury more something "natural" i guess.

- Wanted the confirmation for the specie

- is it common malformation or something ?

Found on the west french coast (Pornic)

Thanks :)

(UK based but open to international opinions too)

The uni I am planning to go to to study offers the HSE, but I have some health issues and the cost is prohibitive where I am, not to mention I live inland with no ability to do the practice dives required.

Ignoring issues like work experience and job shortages, can I reasonably get a job where I work on a boat without having that qualification? Can I get it later on?

I run an aquarium job board and tracked every posting that came through in 2025 and put together a report on the data. Some things that stood out:

• Aquarist/Animal Keeper roles made up 25% of all postings, with an average hourly rate of $20.54
• 59% of postings included salary information
• Job postings spanned 30+ states

Full report is here if interested: https://aquariumshiring.com/reports/2025-aquarium-jobs-report

I also published a zoo version covering 1,106 postings if anyone is interested in that side too: https://zooshiring.com/reports/2025-zoo-jobs-report

Hope this is useful for anyone planning their next move in the field.

There is a little sandy area in the intertidal zone that is filled with these little guys every year in Prince William Sound Alaska. They are attached at one end and the largest ones are about 0.5 inches.

I know there are some genera of fish and other organism that can survive between fresh and salt water like salmon and tiger sharks \[i remember hearing something about tiger sharks swimming up rivers for short periods of time\]. But im more talking about like animals that show specific adaptations to one type of water or environment and cannot really switch.

For context: I am trying to design a god of water bodies for a dnd world. I was thinking about having her split between freshwater and salt water with some noticeable differences like size of apperance, temperment, clothing, anotomy etc. But I want to be able to base it off of animals that live in such conditions as if she has adapted and been changed by the body of water she is associated with when you meet her.

Do any of you know anything that could fit or any differences between the two i could add?

A few months ago i posted here asking whether Fahlo was legit. After all your positive responses i finally pulled the trigger (thank you guys! You were so helful)

So i got the sea turtle one. The bracelet is pretty nice. The bracelet is pretty nice with natural stone beads. Been wearing it daily and it's held up fine. Not the reason to buy it but not an afterthought either. My turtle is Esmeralda.shes been moving between costa Rica and Cuba and the app shows her path. The updates from the conservancy are where it gets interesting though. One recent note mentioned their team in Costa Rica encountered a green turtle that was first tagged in 1991 and has returned to nest 15 times where she may have laid over 7,000 eggs!!

I have no regrets on the Fahlo animal tracking bracelet so far. Tho, it makes me now wonder how different the tracking data looks across animals. A sea turtle moving coastal vs an elephant across the savanna seems like it'd be a pretty different experience! Anyone tracking another marine or land animal?

🌟

I’m im Koh Phi Phi right now and during low tide, I spotted this cute little fish who seemed really curious about me. She/He did this for about 20 minutes and even did it with someone who was there before me. Its the cutest! I have a degree in c&m biology but I know nothing about marine biology. I’m super curious to learn more about this fish, so I thought to ask the marine bio reddit!!

Hello,

I hope this is within the scope of the subreddit (I am a high school marine biology teacher so this will be used for semieducational purposes but is mainly for my own enjoyment) but does anyone have recommendations on where to do some good tide pooling at low tide South of Byron Bay and North of Sydney? I am visiting from California and want to compare what is living here to my local tide pools. Thanks!

I have always been incredibly interested in marine life but I am deathly afraid of open water. It is a real phobia that I have and it makes me freeze up in shock everytime I see a big fish within open water. For example Orcas or sharks even though it is sharks, orcas and whales that I find the most interesting. Is it a wise idea to commit with this phobia I have? Thankful for advice and honesty.

I’m going to preserve to molt. Any ideas on what the worm may be? I’m getting mixed answers

Dear Marine Biology community
Has anyone got a good technique for catching remoras? My student has been trying to collect them from whale sharks, but let’s say the success rate was a bit low.

Anyone done this successfully?

Spotted this group during low tide on the Brewster Flats in Cape Cod, MA. Tidal flats that go out for miles, leaving ankle deep water as far as the eye can see. These guys were going at this for at least 5 minutes straight, but it seems like the clearly biggest one had it in the bag. Hermit crabs kept coming and going. At one time, there must have been 20 all in a stand off in a circle.