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submitted 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) by PointAndClique@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net

The squid is a “sit and wait” predator, burying itself in the sand with its eight suckered arms and two tentacles to wait for prey to pass by. They then strike with their tentacles to capture their prey. If they happen to miss their target, the animal will bury itself back in the sand to wait for the next opportunity.1 Their primary diet is typically smaller shrimp and crustaceans.

They hunt from dusk until dawn, when they are usually most active. When not hunting, the Hawaiian bobtail squid will bury itself in the sand to hide from predators. They also have a small squid sac through which they can release a small amount of ink to try and distract the predator. Some known predators of the Hawaiian bobtail squid are the Hawaiian monk seal and the lizardfish.2

The Hawaiian bobtail squid has a bioluminescent light organ inside their mantle cavity, which provides light enough for the squid to hunt at night.1 The organ functions with the help of a symbiotic bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri, and the light is a result of the interaction between the bacteria and the squid’s bioluminescent organ in the squid’s mantle cavity.2

https://oceana.org/marine-life/hawaiian-bobtail-squid/

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submitted 14 hours ago by happybadger@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net

spoilerAfter being absent for more than a century, salmon have been spotted in Oregon's Klamath River Basin, following a mammoth dam removal project in California.

In October, fish biologists at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife identified an autumn-run Chinook salmon in a tributary to the Klamath River, upstream from where the J C Boyle Dam once stood. It is the first anadromous fish (species that migrate from the sea upstream to spawn) to be seen in the state's Klamath Basin since 1912 – when the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed.

In August, the last of the four dams were demolished following an arduous campaign by tribal communities, who hoped the dam removal would lead to the return of salmon – a vital source of food for the tribes living alongside the Klamath River.

"We saw a large fish the day before rise to surface in the Klamath River, but we only saw a dorsal fin," says Mark Hereford, project leader for Oregon's Klamath fisheries reintroduction programme. "I thought, was that a salmon or maybe it was a very large rainbow trout?" The team returned the following two days and were "ecstatic" to confirm that salmon were in the tributary.

But the salmon have also made a surprising early return further downstream the Klamath River, on tribal lands.

"I thought that there would be some fish returning above the dams this year," says Barry McCovey, senior fisheries biologist for the Yurok Tribe. "But what's surprising is the sheer number of fish that are back, and the geographic range. I couldn't believe they'd been spotted in Oregon. It was incredible news to hear – it was mind boggling. When I heard, I was like 'wait, already?!' They've exceeded any expectations anyone had."

The headwaters of the Klamath River originate in Oregon, flowing through the Cascade Mountain Range, into Northern California, and emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Running 263 miles (423km), the river was once the third-largest salmon-producing river on the West Coast, and was a life force for numerous Native American tribes, such as the Yuroks – who are known as the "salmon people".

But the dams blocked fish migration, leading to mass fish die-offs and degraded water quality. Fall chinook salmon numbers plummeted by more than 90% compared to their pre-dam numbers and spring chinook by 98%. Steelhead trout, coho salmon and Pacific lamprey numbers also saw drastic declines, and the Klamath tribes in the upper basin have been without their salmon fishery for a century, since the completion of Copco 1 in 1922. Following a decades-long campaign by tribes, including the Yuroks and Karuks, the dams were demolished, with the last coming down in late August. The tribes are working with Oregon and California wildlife officials to monitor the return of anadromous fish, such as chinook and coho salmon, steelhead trout, and Pacific Lamprey to the Klamath basin post-dam removal. Many weren't expecting to see the return of fish for years but biologists in California have also seen salmon in creeks that were formerly inaccessible when the dams were in place.

"The fish are spawning in these tributaries that nine months ago were 30ft (9.1m) underwater. It offers so much hope for the future," says McCovey. "It makes me feel that we did the right thing, we're on the right path. The river is healing itself."

The dismantling of the dams was the largest dam-removal project in US history. The dams had been extremely unpopular with local tribes, who had campaigned for their removal since at least the 1990s. "We were told it was never going to happen," says Brook Thompson, a Yurok tribal member and civil engineer who is involved in restoring the Klamath basin. "We were told it was foolish to even ask for one removal – we were asking for four."

Following years of failed negotiations, work started on removing the four California dams in 2023, and in August 2024, to the joy of local tribes, the final dam fell. It reopened more than 400 miles (644km) of river.

"Salmon returning to the upper Klamath River the same season as the dam removal has filled me with gratification and joy that I usually reserve for weddings and births," says Thompson. "Seeing the videos of the salmon returning home brought me to tears of happiness and relief. We did it. I am filled with newfound energy and hope to keep up my work in restoration and supporting the rights of tribes and fish."

The Yurok Tribe's goal is to eventually restore the thriving salmon fishery they once had, and be able to host their annual salmon festival in August– with Klamath salmon, rather than having to import it from Alaska.

"Tribes will continue to support the salmon as they have supported us all these generations," adds Thompson. "My dream is that one day, my future descendants will be able to live the reality that my grandfather experienced in the early 1900s by seeing so many salmon he could walk across their backs to the other side."

The tribe is also restoring 2,200 acres (890ha) of land that is above ground for the first time in a century following the emptying of the four reservoirs.

"There'll be ups and downs, there won't be a straight line, we'll have setbacks," says McCovey. "Any restoration project this big does. We know it won't be easy, but that's ok, we've dealt with that before and we're just looking to the future."

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A deer nibbled at my dragon fruit cactus, not Khorne. Assassin bugs are fantastic generalist predators and this nymph hitched a ride on my plants as I took them indoors for the winter. I'm keeping it around as pest control and hopefully some others will join it. Aphids for the Aphid God.

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As part of a course I had to create detailed plan for a horticultural business. My plan was to attack everything I hate about horticulture at once: predatory business practices, ecologically destructive product, boring landscaping, alienating philosophy. Town and Country would be a unionised co-op dedicated to killing lawns and replacing them with biocentric alternatives, the whole thing serving as a way to study the kind of theory I want to write.

I decided to make it as confrontational as possible. Beyond the logo and name, my marketing shits on the industry as much as it does traditional lawns and suburbia. My pitch to the class used explicit left language to describe the problems and solutions. I made the case for an inclusive unionised workplace, left urbanism, and eco-Marxism at a fairly right-wing university.

Everyone I spoke to about it either agreed with the idea or wanted to work with it. None of the youth of today liked lawns or working in the green industry. Some of them even had pure hate in their heart after working in nurseries. I might end up starting it next year as my consulting business with a small crew of radicals.

eco-porky stalin-gun-1 ecoterrorist

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by InevitableSwing@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net

Stargazers are weird-looking fish but I thought the photo might be AI until I watched the vid.

Vid - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7GbxPfSK5J/

Stargazer (fish) - Wikipedia

The stargazers are a family of ray-finned fish that have eyes on top of their heads (hence the name). The family includes about 51 species (one extinct), all marine and found worldwide in shallow and deep saltwaters.

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'Terrifying' staring fish shocks onlookers: 'New fear unlocked'

2024/06/03

The longnosed stargazer was found in Singapore buried face-up in the sand within shallow water, open-mouthed and peering toward the sky.

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by CoolerOpposide@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net
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Geography nerds can tell you that the most severe winter weather can be found on high mountain peaks, rather than low valley floors...but in some parts of our world, it's actually the opposite. Despite their lower elevation, these places are notorious for their extreme winter cold, thanks to a quirk of geology that shapes the landscape in a unique way. In this video we'll explore weird climates around the Alps, Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, and more. These are some of the Earth's most extreme microclimates.

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Bowmouth guitarfish (hexbear.net)

Rhina ancylostoma

Rhina ancylostoma, also known as the bowmouth guitarfish, shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae. Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved, though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates. This rare species occurs widely in the tropical coastal waters of the western Indo-Pacific, at depths of up to 90 m (300 ft).

Highly distinctive in appearance, Rhina ancylostoma has a wide and thick body with a rounded snout and large shark-like dorsal and tail fins. Its mouth forms a W-shaped undulating line, and there are multiple thorny ridges over its head and back. It has a dorsal color pattern of many white spots over a bluish gray to brown background, with a pair of prominent black markings over the pectoral fins. This large species can reach a length of 2.7 m (8.9 ft) and weight of 135 kg (298 lb).

Usually found near the sea floor, the bowmouth guitarfish prefers sandy or muddy areas near underwater structures. It is a strong-swimming predator of bony fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs. This species gives live birth to litters of two to eleven pups, which are nourished during gestation by yolk. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed Rhina ancylostoma as Critically Endangered because it is widely caught by artisanal and commercial fisheries for its valuable fins and meat.

It is viewed as a nuisance by trawlers, however, because its bulk and thorny skin cause it to damage netted catches. Habitat degradation and destruction pose an additional, significant challenge to this ray's survival. The bowmouth guitarfish adapts well to captivity and is displayed in public aquariums.

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Kudos to Algeria for apparently being the only government to take action when informed about methane leaks.

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Rawr! (hexbear.net)

'PossumPost

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submitted 2 weeks ago by buckykat@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net

Look at these slugs they are neat

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submitted 2 weeks ago by plinky@hexbear.net to c/earth@hexbear.net

Big kitties meow-bounce

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Earth

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