Friday's Film: Underwater Astonishments

Check out this great five minute video from last year's TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference held here in Monterey. Amazing footage of animals in the deep sea, followed by camouflage techniques of coastal critters, and the work of Dr. Roger Hanlon at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.

There was a fascinating article about Dr. Hanlon in the New York Times online this week. Hanlon has spent three decades uncovering the secrets of camouflage in cephalopods (squid, octopus and cuttlefish). However, much is yet to be learned. For example, tests suggest that cuttlefish are color blind, and yet their color display repertoire is wide and varied. How is that possible? That's another mystery to be solved!

Meanwhile, scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) continue to unravel the secrets of the deep sea, with almost daily dives into the deep waters of the Monterey Canyon. Come join us on their weekday missions, with live video transmitted by satellite into the auditorium at the Aquarium! Or check out their new web site and visit  Mission to the Deep online.