Animals & Science

"Pelagic" is an adjective that means "of or relating to the open or high sea, as distinguished from the shallow water near the coast." It is most commonly used to refer specifically to animals...

Endangered sea turtles, just like all endangered animals, need our help to ensure their survival. See the steps below for many ideas for how you can help endangered sea turtles.

Sea stars are beautiful sea creatures that live in shallow water. They have five arms that are used to attach the animal to the substrate. The animals are resilient, and their arms regrow if severed.

Seals and sea lions are the two categories of pinnipeds, fin-footed marine mammals. While they look very similar to the untrained observer, there are several differences that can easily be checked...

Marine animals include those who live in the ocean and those who split their time between land and sea. Polluted waters, overfishing, fishing nets and oil spills have all negatively impacted...

Manatees belong to a group of sea mammals called sirenians after the centuries-old belief that the manatees were singing mermaids known as sirens. Even though they must breathe air, their immense...

According to National Geographic, fur seals are named for the fur that originally made them attractive to hunters. In 1911, fur seals were on their way to becoming extinct and became protected by...

While it's a country located on the continent of Africa, where many well known endangered animals are found, Egypt has a wide range of marine animals off its Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts that...

Sea cucumbers are unique ocean creatures, often mistaken for sea slugs. They have been, and still are, hunted for food, for skin and for pet sales, which have caused declining numbers in local...

Modern zoos have collections of endangered animals from around the world that are bred for purposes of keeping the species alive as the various species are wiped out due to habitat loss and...

Sea otters are aquatic mammals belonging to the weasel family. Sea otters are noted for their graceful maneuvering in the water and their often comical awkwardness on land.

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) breed sexually, so males and females have to mate in order to produce offspring (called pups). Males and females stay apart from each other except when it is time to...

Sea urchins are a diverse group of spiny, rounded animals. They live in oceans all over the world and often feed on algae. There are about 700 species of sea urchins alive today.

When oil is spilled into the ocean it can devastate life under the water. Although oil tanker accidents are the most highly publicized causes of water pollution, there are many other ways that oil...

Otters are aquatic mammals that are part of the weasel family. Various species live in North and South America, Eurasia, Africa, and the open sea. Otters are carnivorous, feeding on fish,...

The sea urchin is an invertebrate that lives in the ocean. Sea urchins can live near the shore in tide pools, or they can live in the deep sea on the oceans floor. There are more than 700 species...

Raising sea monkeys can be a barrel of fun, and they are quite easy to care for. The main necessity is to feed them. If you purchased your sea monkeys from a company, you can likely order their...

Sea cucumbers, so named because of their shape, are closely related to starfish and sea urchins. There are an estimated 1250 species that can be found inhabiting the shallow ocean bottoms around...

Sea sponges are bottom-dwelling animals that stay fixed to solid objects along the ocean floor. They spend their lives filtering the seawater to absorb enough nutrients to survive and reproduce. ...

The red sea urchin is the largest of all sea urchins. As the name suggests, they are a deep red or burgundy color. These urchins are impressive members of the group of animals known as the...

Sea urchins are generally an easily identifiable sea creature, with their simple geometric bodies and telltale barbs. Whether you are an experienced biologist or just an unlucky beachgoer who has...

Sea shells are interesting and unique artifacts that can be harvested from the ocean. Their primary purpose is as a unique decoration, as no two sea shells are identical. However, most sea shells...

You can find turtles almost everywhere on earth; the only place they don't live is the Arctic and Antarctic. There are over 270 species of turtles; these are just a few.

Sea bird identification is usually best undertaken with a good birding guide, such as Peterson's Field Guide to Birds, in hand. If you are able to discern the details of the bird's shape, color...

The loggerhead turtle is a type of sea turtle that, like many other sea turtles, is dwindling in numbers. The species has been placed on the endangered species lists, and is marked as "threatened."

Leatherback sea turtle populations have been declining for many years now. Their numbers are slowly being wiped from the world's oceans. Today, they are considered an endangered species. These...

Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are the largest reptiles on the planet, reaching lengths of 4 to 8 feet and weighing 500 to 2,000 lbs.

"Do seahorses really exist?" The amazing majesty of these animals has prompted many to ask this question. The answer is "yes, they do exist" ... for now. Renowned for their...

Under seas around the world lurk cylinder-shaped invertebrates known as sea cucumbers. These creatures, which belong in the same subphylum grouping as star fish and sea urchins, have bodies that...

Phycodurus eques or the leafy sea dragon is an aquatic creature related to the seahorse. Its leafy appendages give it the appearance of a piece of seaweed and its slow movements do not do anything...

There are over 40 different types of birds that are commonly referred to as sea gulls. Many people do not even realize that there is more than one type of sea gull. Sea gulls are a common site in...

Mussels can live in both fresh water and salt water, and are distinguished from clams by their asymmetrical shells. Mussels have many natural enemies that they try to protect themselves from with...

Orange roughy (or deep sea perch) is the common name of Hoplostethus Atlanticus, an edible type of deep sea fish that lives in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It belongs to a family of fish known...

Manatees are aquatic mammals that can live in saltwater and freshwater. Manatees live in slow-moving rivers, bays, estuaries and coastal marshes, preferring to stay in water that is about 7 feet...

There are seven species of sea turtle, living in every ocean except the Arctic. All of them are endangered.

The heavily hunted and endangered Manatees that reside in the waters near America's Florida Gulf, Atlantic coasts and near the Amazon River are amazing creatures. These thick-skinned, hairless...

The verdict is still out about exactly when the gender of a sea turtle embryo is decided. Researchers do agree, however, that the determination is made after fertilization and that the nest...

How do sea turtles protect themselves? The most obvious answer to this question is prominently displayed upon their backs. The hard, bony external shell, called a carapace, not only indicates the...

Macaroni penguins were named by British explorers in the eighteenth century because of their bright yellow feathers, which reminded them of Maccaronism, a style of dress with lots of flamboyance....

Sea nettle jellyfish, Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Chrysaora fuscescens, live throughout the seas of North America, where they can be particularly abundant. Because sea nettle jellyfish can cause...

The harmless sea mushroom jellyfish, or the Rhizostoma octopus, can be found on the western and southern ocean shores of the British Isles any time of year. They are more often found along the...

Sea lions and seals have similar shapes, and both live at shorelines, swimming in the ocean and sunning on rocks. If you see them live or in pictures, how can you tell whether you are looking at a...

One of the most impressive species of sea turtles is the leatherback. Named for its leather looking shell, the leatherback may live up to 80 years roaming the globe. Unfortunately, this reptile is...

Kemp's Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is the rarest species of sea turtle. The total population had dropped to about 1,000 by the mid 1980s and the species seemed likely to become...

The flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) is named for its carapace, which is more flattened than those of other sea turtles. This species has a limited distribution compared to other sea...

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a member of the sea turtle (Cheloniidae) family. It is found throughout the world's oceans and Atlantic and Pacific subspecies exist. The...

The ocean is a beautiful place, but it can also be a dangerous one. Thanks to movies like "Jaws," sharks have garnered the reputation as the deadliest creature in the ocean. There is another ocean...

Here's how to create sea monkeys from their cystalized form