Northwest Dive Club

Jan K wrote:they might not get old, but they do get sick and get eaten

That would not explain why different types have different lifespans, unless the wolf eel like one more than the other!

Desert Diver wrote:

Jan K wrote:they might not get old, but they do get sick and get eaten

That would not explain why different types have different lifespans, unless the wolf eel like one more than the other!

The scientists did not explain why different sea urchins have different lifespans. Just that regardless of that, they don't show sign of aging.
Unlike me, who at this very moment feels pains and aches ...

So what does aging really mean? I feel your aches and pains...no I guess those are my own, but if the lifespans are relatively fixed even without aging does this mean without aging we would reach the same ages that we do but without the wrinkles, and then die?

The prevailing theory of the evolution of aging holds that aging is a side effect of genes that promote growth and development of organisms that have a low likelihood of continued survival in the wild once they have reproduced. Many organisms with a low expectation of survival in the wild experience rapid decline once they have reached reproductive maturity.
But Bodnar and Coffman's findings contradict that theory. They found that although the variegated sea urchin, L. variegatus, has a much lower life expectancy in the wild than the other two species they studied, it displayed no evidence of a decline in regenerative capacity with age, which suggests that senescence may not be tied to a short life expectancy in the wild.
The scientists are planning future studies to identify why short-lived sea urchins experience negligible senescence, and, in particular, the role of the immune system in maintaining youthful function into old age.

At the moment, I got plenty of wrinkles. I got to talk to the Keystone urchins about their secret

Sea urchins are apparently the zombies of the sea!

Although it is hard to figure out where the heads and tails are, these White Bubble Shell snails are engaged in making more White Bubble Shell snails.
They have yellow egg ribbons to show for their effort.

Although common on some areas, not many times I find them out in open.

The crab season opens. These are not targeted, at least not by humans ...

Jan: I am catching up with your postings after spending the last month driving to Alaska and back. I noticed the three-spine stickleback from Driftwood Beach. My first memory of them was nearby in Cranberry Lake. This fish is also fascinating in that it lives just as well in fresh water. I don't think they let you dive in Cranberry Lake any more. I find the posting on clam siphons interesting in that you included the mahogany clam. I remember being confused seeing them, since they weren't in any of my books for the area as they had been introduced since my books were published. Always something interesting.
Curt

Curt, I hope you had a great trip, Alaska is such a beautiful state...

On recent dives, the bad visibility forces me to look for the small stuff, closer to my nose
Newly hatched critters inspired me to put them together with their progenitor.

The baby "great sculpin" is actually a buffalo- note the steeper profile of the face and smaller mouth. The big giveaway though is the raised row of scales on the upper part of the back.
That white adult is one strange looking beast, though.

Greg, thanks for the sculpin correction...

New species of kelp appeared at Keystone. Common elsewhere west of Whidbey, this is the first time I found it in our waters. At first I thought it was just a piece brought in by the current, but this lonely specimen is firmly anchored to the rock of the jetty by its holdfast.
It will be interesting to see if it survives and multiplies here...

Few scenes from Driftwood Park dive.

Skyline Wall, Fidalgo Island revisited.

Green sea urchins at Keystone. Not finicky eaters, carnivore or vegan, all tastes good

The stars at Langley are getting sick again :(

Going through few days of friendly tide currents, courtesy of the lunar phase right between the new and full moon

Encounter with Wolf eel is always a nice addition to any dive. Especially with on swimming out in the open.




... and Skyline cucumbers. If you like cucumbers, Skyline is the place ...

The wolfeel pages are amazing Jan. Excellent colors. I notice a yellow stripe on the tail, I've never seen that before.

Awesome stuff Jan. Lovin it!

Some more pics from Deception Pass dive with Scubajess and Yelloweye :

These turned out so beautiful!!!
It was really great diving with you both for 299!!! I'll never forget this dive.

Closer look at Giant Pink-mouth hydroid.
These plant-like organisms (ORDER HYDROIDA) are animals. They are related to jellyfish, sea anemones and corals. All hydroids are carnivorous animals, catching prey in the water column with the aid of stinging and grappling nematocysts.

I managed to sneak away and make one dive at Skyline, only to find dismal visibility, zero in the shallows, three feet down below thirty feet and six feet visibility in 80 feet of water. Closeup pictures was all I managed. Around the base of the Crimson anemones, number of shrimp seek their shelter, one of them afflicted with a nasty parasite.