| Read time: 2 minute(s)

Ever heard of nine-armed octopus?

Till now we all have known that an octopus has eight arms (two arms and six logs to be precise!), that’s why it’s that name! But one unique octopus was discovered with an extra limb, and he was about to become dinner! A nine-armed octopus caught off Japan’s coast nearly ended up being dinner, until […]
| Read time: 2 minute(s)

This goldfish could not live in your bowl

When you think about a goldfish the image that comes to mind is a small sparkly beautiful creature making rounds in a water bowl. But that’s not what a few fishermen saw when they went down a lake in South Carolina. During a routine water quality test in the murky waters of Oak Grove Lake, […]
| Read time: 4 minute(s)

In depth: What’s a desalination plant planned in Mumbai

Recently, Maharashtra announced the setting up of a desalination plant in Mumbai. Chennai already has two such plants while Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh too are planning. So what is a desalination plant and how does it work? The plan The proposed project will be set up on 25-30 acres of land at Manori, Mumbai. It […]
| Read time: 3 minute(s)

Eight Indian beaches get Blue Flag Certification

In a first, eight Indian beaches have been awarded Blue Flag Certification by an eminent international jury. The government has hailed it as a big moment for environmentalists and the Swachh Bharat programme.  What does it mean? The eight beaches selected for the certification are Kappad (Kerala), Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), […]
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GPS to track endangered turtles eggs poachers

How to save an endangered species from poachers? Let them steal the fake ones and track them down with GPS.  While poachers are getting smarter by the day, our scientists too are not far behind. They have come up with a high-tech method to help protect endangered sea turtles. They use fake eggs fitted with […]
| Read time: 4 minute(s)

How is the Mauritius oil spill threatening sea life

A small island nation of Mauritius had to declare an emergency because its beaches and related sea life was in danger.  What happened On July 25, a Japanese ship named M V Wakashio struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean. The ship was carrying an […]
| Read time: 3 minute(s)

At the bottom of the Blue Holes

The life undersea is as secretive and intriguing as the undiscovered mysteries of the space. While many explorations are manned to space, very few researchers are brave enough to dive deep into the sea.  Off the coast of Florida, deep at the bottom of the ocean, are massive blue holes that formed thousands of years […]
| Read time: 4 minute(s)

A space station which is UNDER water!

Ever wondered why there are more humans who have ventured into space than those who have explored the deep trenches on earth? The answer is simple. It’s much more complicated. And much more difficult to stay alive under water. Now a duo have come up with an ambitious plan to create an underwater research station […]
| Read time: 3 minute(s)

Blue dragons are for real!

Since early May, visitors to the Padre Island National Seashore off the coast of South Texas have been discovering specimens of the rare blue dragon, or Glaucus atlanticus. Though the name evokes images of flying, fire breathing monsters, the delicate creatures are a type of sea slug that spend their lives in the temperate and […]
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Giant string creature found off Australia 

At first sight it may look like an innocent string floating on the water. But it’s not. It’s a giant sea creature! Scientists on a research vessel spotted a giant creature that has been compared to a mass of silly string floating off western Australia. Researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s ship Falkor stumbled upon […]