Arno is one of our eagle-eyed and dedicated marine scientists. He’s also a new dad, which means he’s adept at juggling tasks and tending to detail! A trained taxonomist who studied squat lobsters for his PhD, Arno is a key contributor to our 1001 Seaforest Species project, a pioneering science and storytelling project – in partnership with the Save Our Seas Foundation – that is documenting the lives of animals in the Great African Seaforest (watch this space for news of its app). While he relishes working on crustaceans, Arno has a soft spot for nudibranchs and will never pass on the opportunity to take photos of them in the field.

After a recent foray to a series of rock pools brimming with life, he reflected on the value of field trips: ‘You always find something new. Whether it’s a species you’ve never seen (or a species new to science on some occasions), a unique behaviour or just a colour-morph you haven’t seen, there is so much to be astonished by, yet still so much to discover.’

@saveourseasfoundation #seachangeproject #marinebiology #greatafricanseaforest #1001seaforestspecies

A quick 101 on the Great African Seaforest — a place that continuously inspires and educates us. 🐙

#greatafricanseaforest #kelpforest #seachangeproject #natureconnection #1001speciesproject

#0043 Stout seafan pycnogonid – Boehmia chelata

They might look like incy-wincy spiders but these animals are their own group – pycnogonids. What distinguishes them is a pair of ovigerous legs, specialised appendages behind the mouth parts used primarily by males for carrying eggs and for grooming. This small endemic species (only about 15mm in total) has an unusually stout body and legs and is bright pink or orange, allowing it to blend in with the branching seafans it calls home, and upon which it is thought to feed. There is still much to be learnt about Stout seafan pycnogonids, but what we do know is that the female releases eggs that are fertilised by the male, who then carries these on his specialised legs until they hatch – an example of true co-parenting.

@saveourseasfoundation #1001species #1001speciesproject #seachangeproject #biodiversity

#0042 Red roman – Chrysoblephus laticeps

Large and bright red or orange, this iconic species is beloved by underwater photographers and, sadly, anglers and spearfishers. Females tend to hang out in groups, while territorial males patrol their patch. A remarkable feature of these attractive fish is their ability to change sex from female to male when females reach maturity at about 17-20cm and change to becoming males at 30cm length. When populations are over-exploited, this process is accelerated, with the sex change occurring at a smaller size. Crustaceans, worms, echinoderms and mollucs ensure this hefty species remains fed – Red romans are expert predators, ambushing their prey rather than stalking them. We always love having Red romans around us on our dives!

@saveourseasfoundation #seachangeproject #1001species #1001speciesproject #biodiversity

Without tracking, Craig wouldn’t have made such a deep connection with his mentor in My Octopus Teacher. This ancient language opens up a whole world of stories, allowing us to piece together puzzles and embed ourselves in nature. And a puddle on land told of a universe of life.

Images: Craig Foster, A Rodrigo / @pexels, Nothing Ahead / @pexels

#tracking #seachangeproject #wild #natureconnection #myoctopusteacher

We all could use some good news right now — here’s a roundup of inspiring stories from around the country.

Image 1: Damian Patkowski / @unsplash
Image 2: Supplied by @2oceansaquarium
Image 3: Supplied by @lovegreencommunications
Image 4: Geranimo / @unsplash

@nuwejaarswetlands_sma #goodnews #southafrica #seachangeproject #natureconnection #biodiversity

#0041 Reticulated kelp-louse – Paridotea reticulata

Adaptative mechanisms take various forms in marine animals, and this large isopod has been specially equipped to ward off chemical warfare. The gut of these green- to brown-hued louses contain surfactants (think the compound in washing detergent that stirs up activity on the surface you are cleaning to help trap dirt and remove it from the surface), which enables them to stay unaffected by chemicals released by its staple food: kelp. Added to this is a chitinous lining, a semi-permeable layer that prevents the kelp chemicals from penetrating the body. A less complicated food source is the occasional dead fish, scavenged from gill nets. Reticulated kelp-louses have several smaller cousins in the region and are distinguished by pointed tips of the posterior body section, which also provide protection.

@saveourseasfoundation #saveourseasfoundation #1001seaforestspecies #1001species #1001speciesproject

In this age of ‘the extinction of experience’, where our lives are mediated through screens and phones, being with nature reminds us of our connectedness and how our planet provides everything we need.

#helenscales #natureconnection #ocean #extinctionofexperience

#0040 Scaly horse-mussel – Atrina squamifera

Out of thread for your holiday sewing project? Like their Mediterranean cousins, perhaps the Scaly horse-mussel could help. Those dark, hair-like ‘tails’ seen in the second image are called byssal threads, and their job is to anchor the shell to small gravel and objects in the sediment and create a sand-anchorage. Greek mythology tells us that the threads of horse-mussles were woven into the hardy cloth that served as Jason’s golden fleece – which is just incredible and symbolises royal authority, power and divine blessings. Large, fragile and golden-brown, our local Scaly horse-mussel has external scale-like cusps that run longitudinally down the shell, which is hinged by an elongate ligament. They live partially buried in sand, their large and gaping posterior poking out into the water, which provides food particles that are filtered through enlarged sieve-like gills. This striking species is generous with its body: its shell is often packed with fouling organisms, which use it as a convenient ‘island’ and serves as a home for many marine species. Horse mussels are globally threatened and we are lucky in South Africa to still have healthy populations!
@saveourseasfoundation #1001species #1001speciesproject #seachangeproject #greatafricanseaforest #marinebiology #horsemussel #biodiversity

A new year. New dives in the Great African Seaforest. Renewed commitment to getting the world’s kelp forests on the map, so they can be understood and preserved. New plans. New projects. As always, new stories to touch hearts and spark new ways of doing things. 🐙

#seachangeproject #greatafricanseaforest #natureconnection #earth #kelpforest #biodiversity

#0039 Pink meanie – Drymonema sp.

Observing a rare animal in the seaforest gets us crazy-excited. The Pink meanie, which belongs to a small and recently created family that contains just a single genus, is one such species. This beautiful, rarely seen jellyfish is a rosy-pink hue and has a distinct fairly flat umbrella, numerous layers of petticoat-like oral arms, and long trailing tentacles. But don’t be fooled by all that prettiness. As the name suggests, Pink meanies voraciously prey on other jellyfish (see image 2), which is thought to keep populations in check. Not much is known about this species that is still scientifically undescribed, and we’re always on the lookout for them as they move through the seaforest, the flattish disc alternating between convex and concave as they pulse in the kelp.

@saveourseasfoundation #seachangeproject #1001species #1001speciesproject #marinebiology #greatafricanseaforest #jellyfish #pinkmeanie

#0038 Shaggy sponge crab – Dromidia hirsutissima

Like a holidaying school pupil before the obligatory term-time trim, these small crabs are a shaggy sight, their coiffure made up of long dense fibrous brown, grey or yellow hairs. And, as if that’s not enough coverage, they also often carry a cloak of other ocean dwellers – sponges, ascidians and seaweeds – which protects them (often through added chemical defence) and provides nifty camouflage. One of six species in the endemic genus, five are found in False Bay and the Great African Seaforest. While they are usually nocturnal, Shaggy sponge crabs sometimes venture out during the day, relying on their camouflage to move around undetected.

@saveourseasfoundation #seachangeproject #1001species #1001speciesproject #marinebiology #crab #greatafricanseaforest