Big Brother is Watching!

06/07/2010
From: BeachConnection.net

(Newport, Oregon) – An icon and celebrity of the central Oregon coast – albeit a rather slimy, freaky one – is now a bit more famous as it shows up live on a computer near you.

Everyone who’s ever been to the Hatfield remembers him. And now they can check him out 24 hours a day.

The Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport just opened its octopus tank to the world by streaming live video of their giant Pacific Octopus – seen at http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor/octocam

There are two web cams being utilized: one is outside the tank and slightly above, and the other inside. Their famed resident cephalopod can be seen interacting with tank mates and visitors to the center peering in. The funky feature skirts in and out of various nooks and crannies in the tank, sometimes disappearing out of view of the camera for a time. There is an addictive quality to this, as you see this remarkable creature curl up into strange shapes and wander around his habitat. You definitely wonder what’s on his mind.

Viewers can also watch archival footage of the octopus investigating the camera when it was first installed; and more archival footage will be added periodically.

Since the Hatfield opened its doors in 1965, the giant Pacific octopus has been a centerpiece and a definite favorite. It has not been the same one all these years, of course: typically an adult octopus stays in the tank for between one and two years. Crabbers often donate young octopuses, which then replace older animals that are released into Yaquina Bay to find a mate and reproduce.

The Hatfield said that many visitors arrange their trips to the facility to catch sight of staff feeding the creature, which happens three times a week and involves giving him live crab. He creates quite a spectacle as he stalks his prey, then pounces on it – allowing tourists to learn much about their biology and behavior. These feeding times vary depending on the season. The schedule can be seen at the Hatfield site: http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor

Getting the web cam in place took the combined efforts of most of the branches of the center, including its media services program.

Dennis Glaze, the aquatic curator and husbandry specialist with the center’s Sea Grant program, first had to evaluate the feasibility of putting a camera into the creature’s habitat tank.

“Octopuses are intelligent, inquisitive, and very strong,” said Glaze. “They have the ability to take apart even the smallest mechanical component – and often will do so just to entertain themselves. Other public aquariums have had great difficulties making a project like this successful.”

Glaze said the first concern was the health of the octopus, and then they had to make sure the camera would make it in such an environment.

Staff already had some experience with an underwater camera in the octopus tank, streaming feeds to children around the state in its various schools for interactive programs. One was recently streamed to kids in Iowa.

“None of the 20 students present had ever been to the Pacific Ocean let alone seen a live giant Pacific octopus,” said marine educator Kathryn Hawes. “They were all so full of questions. This tool opens up some remarkable teaching opportunities.”

The OctoCam has been undergoing testing for a few weeks with a limited audience of HMSC employees, volunteers and supporters.

“I can't stop watching,” one fascinated tester said. “This is just the coolest thing I've ever seen on the Internet.”

For more news about science, marine education and related activities on the Oregon coast, subscribe to “Breaking Waves,” the Oregon Sea Grant news blog, at: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/blogs/.

Killer Octopus Films!

For those of us living in the City of Angels, we are not alone. An invasion of killer octopuses has threatened the existence of mankind as we know it. Swimming pools, toilet bowls, and even drinking glasses have become unsafe, because where there is water, the devilfish is close by. These malicious eight-armed power mongers take have been taking over the minds - and in some cases, taking the lives - of the citizens of Los Angeles.

Our only hope is two brave detectives, Kyle Monroe and Gal Hubeshi, who have committed their lives to saving our city from this hostile takeover. Please give them your support as they valiantly take on the most heinous villain this city has ever seen. With your help, we may be able to save our beloved city from the long-reaching arms of the KILLER OCTOPUS!!!!



(o)(O)(o)(O)(o)>

Everything Octopus reader, Andrea Monroe, has taken her love of the octopus to the internet in this fun and exciting video series about two detectives who are saving Los Angeles from an octopus invasion. The video above is the first in the series. Andrea & co. recently debuted the sixth installment in the Killer Octopus series, "Mama Mia", which can be viewed along with the other videos at KillerOctopusFilms.com.

Andrea was inspired to start Killer Octopus Films by her son and his adventurous imagination. She wrote a script based on his play acting, invited his best bud, shot it, edited it, and launched it into cyber space. Andrea encourages viewer participation, and even gives eager cephalophiles and cinephiles the opportunity to submit ideas and guest star in the series!

For more info, to contribute, or to watch the full series, please head over to KilleroctopusFilms.com.

Please share this with all your octo-loving friends and especially your kids!

Pottery Barn Sea-Life Napkin Rings

I was walking around Pottery Barn yesterday and happened to come across these aquatic napkin rings featuring our friend, the octopus.




Product Description
Bring aquatic style to your table with our glass sea creatures. Each is pulled into lifelike detail by craftsmen working in the pre-Renaissance art of lampworking.
Handmade of clear silica glass.
Set of 4 includes starfish, jellyfish, octopus and crab.
$49 per set

Ancient Octopus Mystery Resolved

By Rosalind Pidcock
Science reporter, BBC News

May 19, 2010


Trapped air in the shells of rare octopuses is the key to their survival in the deep sea, say scientists.

Females of the argonaut family (Argonautidae) release trapped air from their shells to control very precisely their movement through the water.

This ability has puzzled naturalists for over 2,000 years, dating back to observations made by Aristotle in 300 BC.

Research published in the Royal Society journal, Proceedings B, finally explains why it may have evolved.

The Australian researchers describe how the mechanism enables the creatures to conserve energy, avoid predators and protect eggs during the brooding stage.

The study, led by Dr Julian Finn of Museum Victoria in Melbourne, is the first to observe directly how this unique species of octopus captures air at the sea surface and uses it to its advantage.

"It wasn't until I actually got an argonaut in the water that I really saw the true marvel of these animals," said Dr Finn.

Unlike any other species of octopus, the female argonaut, which can be up to 50cm (20 inches) in length, makes itself a paper-thin shell. It secretes this shell, made of calcium carbonate, from two web structures on the sides of its body.

The males are much smaller, typically only a centimetre in length, and do not produce shells.

Mythical Creatures
Air pockets have been observed before within the shells of both wild and captive argonauts, also known as "paper nautiluses", but their origin and purpose has until now been a mystery.

"This mythical story began around the time of Aristotle that the argonaut female actually lived in the shell and raised those webs as sails as she sailed across the ocean," explained Dr Finn.

The new findings show that the female argonaut takes in air at the sea surface through a funnel as it rotates its shell anti-clockwise. It then seals off an air pocket in the top, or apex, of the shell using a second webbed pair of tentacles.

As it dives to depths of up to 750m (almost half a mile) below the surface, it adjusts the amount of air in its shell to match its own density with that of the seawater, keeping it "neutrally buoyant" and enabling it to swim effortlessly.

This contrasts with most other cephalopods - the class of animals that includes octopuses, squid and cuttlefish - which expend vast amounts of energy to maintain their position.

Underwater Control
The female argonaut can also counteract the considerable weight of its eggs, which it releases into its shell during the reproductive period, to carefully avoid bumping them on the sea floor.

By keeping a safe position in mid-water, argonauts can also steer clear of disturbance by surface waves and predators from above, such as birds.

Once believed to hinder the females, it is now thought that argonauts evolved this remarkable mechanism from ancestors that lived on the seafloor, allowing the species to expand its range into mid-depths.

"The female argonaut knows exactly what she was doing. Underwater she was completely in control," added Dr Finn.

Dragon Ball Octopapa

Everything Octopus reader, Michelle my Bell, alerted me to the dark and sinister Dragon Ball character that is OCTOPAPA!!!


Octopapa is a giant octopus Goku encounters in the pirate cave. He was mistook for a spider which got him angry and he wanted to eat Goku. Goku ends up frying him with a Kamehameha Wave and eating him. According to Goku he apparently tastes like chicken.

Thanks, Michelle!