“I Make Sure That When I Am Boating That Nothing Goes Into The Water, I Try To Recycle Everything I

DISCOVERING THE GIANTS OF THE DEEP: BATHYNOMUS JAMESI

A newly discovered species of giant isopod, Bathynomus vaderi, has recently been described from the deep waters around Spratly Islands, off Vietnam. The species, named after the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Vader, due to the striking resemblance of its helmet-like head, adds to the growing diversity of the Bathynomus genus. Bathynomus vaderi is characterized by several unique features, including a parallel-margin clypeal region, a raised dorsal surface on its pleotelson, and upwardly curved pleotelson spines.

Giant isopods like Bathynomus vaderi have become an expensive delicacy in Vietnam. Until 2017, local fishermen only sold them as an incidental product at low prices, but in recent years the media has drawn the public's attention to this unusual seafood. Some even claim that it is more delicious than lobster, the "king of seafood." This new species is described from several individual found at seafood markets in Hanoi, Vietnam.

-Seafood market in Hanoi, Vietnam, selling the newly described Bathynomus jamesi. Large specimens exceeding 2 kg in weight command premium prices.

In Vietnam, Bathynomus species, are often referred to as "sea bugs". Their unique appearance and large size make them a delicacy, and they can command high prices, with larger individuals of B. vaderi reaching up to 2 kg. In recent years, demand for these creatures has risen, especially in urban centers like Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City, where they are displayed in restaurants and sold through online seafood markets. This growing industry highlights the continued fascination with deep-sea species and the need for ongoing research to better understand their ecology and conservation.

Main photo: Bathynomus vaderi, male, colour in life. Photo by Nguyen Thanh Son

Reference (Open Access): Ng et al., 2025. A new species of supergiant Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomy of Bathynomus jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017. ZooKeys.

NSF cancels grant reviews due to WH executive order

The National Science Foundation (NSF)—the major funding agency for basic science—has canceled all grant review panels this week to comply with an executive order from the new administration. This is where independent panels of scientists discuss grant proposals they’ve reviewed for scientific merit and recommend which projects get funded to NSF project managers. A LOT of work goes into setting up and scheduling grant reviews. It will take time to reschedule these panels, delaying key decisions for many promising projects. This will wreak havoc on science grant funding for months to come.

Put simply, this action along with the halting of NIH-funded grants are blatant and reckless political attacks on science, from an administration that seeks blinding loyalty.

NPR

National Science Foundation freezes grant review in response to Trump executive orders

The National Science Foundation has canceled all grant review panels this week. It's unclear how long the pause could last.

With Stephen Hawking’s passing, today is a sad day for science. But amongst all his praise and achievements in the fields of physics, for me personally his biggest achievement was making a grand, full life despite the terrible misfortune of being diagnosed with ALS. It would have been easy to become a recluse, embittered with the hand he’d been dealt, a brilliant misanthrope. But this was a man who maintained his sense of humor and refused to be mentally beaten. Three years ago, he told One Direction fans that the theory of alternate universes could provide a reality where Zayn Malik was still in the band. He conducted an interview with John Oliver where his factual, deadpan delivery was funnier than his interviewer, managing the cheekiest grins as he did so. And let us not forget that Stephen Hawking is the only person to have ever portrayed themselves in a Star Trek episode (Next Generation, “Descent, Part 1″), where he appeared alongside actors portraying Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton, whom he proceeded to defeat in poker.

Hawking’s observations on black hole radiation, string theory, alternate universes and artificial intelligence are things that will probably forever remain beyond most of us. But we could all learn a thing or two from his humanity.

What’s one of the best places in the world to find white sharks?

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

Located in California north and west of San Francisco, the sanctuary is home to one of the most significant populations of white sharks on the planet. The waters around the Farallon Islands in particular provide critical feeding areas for the sharks’ annual migration.

So how do researchers in the sanctuary study the sharks? One way is to use a decoy shaped like a seal with a GoPro attached. When the shark investigates the decoy, the researchers can get the images they need to identify the shark.

Learn more about white sharks in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on the sanctuary’s website and in our video:

Aphid captured under a student microscope.

Sharks – like this sandbar shark in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary – have several adaptations that make them excellent predators. 

Specialized organs called ampullae of Lorenzini help sharks sense electric fields in the water generated by other fish. Their eyes, too, are specially adapted: all shark eyes have a tapetum lucidum, a layer of mirrored crystals located behind the retina, allowing them to see in in low light conditions and up to ten times better than humans in clear water. 

Despite these adaptations, sandbar sharks and other sharks typically pose little threat to humans. We’re more dangerous to them than they are to us! 

(Photo: Nick Zachar/NOAA) 

[Image description: A black-and-white photo of a sandbar shark.]

Showing off those glide and pivot skills 😶‍🌫️⁠

Fishes in the family Macrouridae, also known as rattails, can glimpse even the faintest flickers of bioluminescence—the “living light” produced by deep-sea animals. Their keen eyesight reveals prey, like fishes and squid, darting in the waters above the seafloor.⁠ ⁠ A rattail relies on other senses, like smell and touch, to find a meal too. It has a nose for rotting carrion, and sensitive barbels on its chin detect small crustaceans or worms wiggling in the mud below.

The Ghost, Craig Parry’s photo of the famed white whale Migaloo won first place in the underwater world category at the 2017 Golden Turtle International Photography Competition in Moscow this week.

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