|
21
few years, researchers captured
a giant squid on film for the
first time, they discovered a
unique neural connection in
octopuses’ arms that enables
them to operate independent of
the animals’ brains, identified
the relationship between a
squid’s light organs and the
symbiotic bacteria that colonize
them and discovered a truly
bisexual cuttlefish that can split
its coloration down the middle
to resemble a female on one
side and a male on the other.
MBARI researchers also
recently deduced that the
vampire squid, which was
identified nearly a century ago,
is a detritus-feeder, making it
the only cephalopod known
to eat nonliving food. Others
discovered that although fast-
swimming Humboldt squid
are able to tolerate low-oxygen
zones (which are increasing
as a result of climate change),
they are highly sensitive to the
corresponding increases in
shallow-water carbon-dioxide
levels, which is forcing them
into different regions of the
ocean. Scientists are only now
beginning to understand the
impacts of pollution, overfishing
and habitat destruction on these
soft-bodied fauna.
Cephalopods have a
phantasmagorical quality that
has ignited and challenged
human imagination for millennia.
The aquarium pays homage
to these deep flights of fancy
with a supplemental collection
of cephalopodan artwork that
spans thousands of years and
includes replicas of vases from
ancient Crete, mosaic tiles
from Pompeii and Herculeaum,
scientific illustrations, murals,
woodcuts, books, poetry, music,
film clips, photos and three newly
commissioned sculptures by
Nemo Gould, the goal of which is
to immerse and enthrall visitors
and prompt them to consider the
fate of these oceanic aliens.
As senior exhibit developer
Jaci Tomulonis explained to me,
“We have more success with our
conservation message when we
give visitors affective experiences
with poetry, music, visual arts
and humor and offer them
concrete steps they can take.”
— Michael Menduno
Opposite: Aquarist Bret Grasse and a play-
ful giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus
dolfeini); flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia
pfefferi) with a nickel for scale; pygmy squid
(Idiosepius sp.) stalking a glass shrimp; big-
fin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) eggs
Turneffe Island
Resort
a private Caribbean island
Call us
1-800-874-0118
IMAGES COURTESY MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
