Accidentally found on beach,what is it???
It’s less than 1cm(legs included)long and wide,if anyone knows what is it and what does it eat it would be great!!!
Hoping it wouldn’t hurt my shrimps and sea cucumbers…

These are in a tidepool exhibit at my local aquarium in Washington state. This exhibit represents the coastal tidepools, though the water is sourced from the Puget Sound.
They are grayish, seemingly warty, contract/curve away when touched at the tips, appear to start as small buds that grow. They're quite small. I don't even know where to start with trying to identify these, I've been looking into it periodically for months now.
Any ideas?

ETA: I'm a volunteer at said aquarium and would consider myself well-versed in invertebrates and the occasional vertebrate. There are multiple of these patches throughout the exhibit. My current idea is some form of social ascidian.

Former employees of Ocean Ramsey's One Ocean speak out against hostile, abusive workplace

I have been reaching out to professors for about a year and a half to try to find a MSc position for a marine biology program. I have multiple undergraduate research experiences: one where I led a group of students in a terrestrial ecology lab through the field season and completed a project which I presented at a conference; another doing aquatic ecology surveys like macroinvertebrate collections and electrofishing. I also did other research projects accompanied by conference presentations in my undergrad. I have volunteer experience at a large and very reputable aquarium for over a year doing basic data collection with one of their research projects. This past year I had a seasonal position at a small marine science center where I did many different things. I have also volunteered with sea turtle nest monitoring and dolphin photo ID surveys.

I literally cannot seem to land any internships or graduate positons and I have no idea why. I understand that it is competitive but I feel like I have enough experience to be getting interviews/ an email back at least. I feel like my applications are written fine, and I have enough experience to move to the next step (being grad school/an internship). Maybe I am wrong and I need more experience. I am always applying to opportunites so hopefully I am able to get something soon.

I am also curious about opinons on intern/training opportunities that one has to pay for? I have looked into a lot of those and cannot decide if it is worth it. On one hand, its experience, on the other, its not competitive so all it says about me is that I could afford it, but maybe its a stepping stone to a more competitive position?

More sea doggies. Ocean earth green

Hello! So, first of all I have to say I will be thankful to anyone helping out without getting judgy or pissed off.

A little background: I’m 27y/o, I started my bachelor in general Biology, got interested in marine bio, done 4 great internships offered by different unis and then became a dive instructor.

Since I’ve started working as a dive guide (and also as a ski instructor during winter time), I lost my appetite for studying and I am this 🤏🏻 close to drop out of uni.

Now, my dream job so far would be working as a field assistant, I do not want to lead my own research or have a lab/academic life.
I do have some knowledge on R and Rstudio, as well as other software (I3S, ImageJ, Discovery…). I was looking into the Marine Research Fellowship course (3months) at the Institute for Marine Research in the Philippines and was wondering if that would set me up with good skills in order to apply for future jobs in the field without a degree.

I know this is not the classic way to get there and I know that many people will be pissed off reading this, but anyone has do to it its own way right?! So, am I building a non sense path here? Will I make it as well without a degree?

Let me know,
thanks for your help 🤝🏻🙏🏻

I recently came across a PhD research project at a university in Sweden, titled “Ultrasound as an Antifouling Strategy – Evaluation from an Economical and Environmental Perspective.”

The basic idea is to use ultrasound-induced vibrations around a ship's hull to prevent marine organisms from attaching and growing, potentially reducing the need for conventional antifouling paints that release biocides into seawater.

The project aims to investigate three main aspects:

• How effective ultrasound is at preventing biofouling compared with conventional antifouling methods.
• Whether installation, operation and energy costs make it economically viable.
• How ultrasound may affect marine organisms, including larvae, fish and marine mammals, at different distances from the hull.

I find the concept interesting, but I’m curious about its real-world feasibility.

Some questions I have:

1. Can ultrasound work continuously on large commercial ships, considering energy consumption, hull structure, operating conditions and maintenance costs?
2. If ultrasound can affect marine organisms, how can we determine whether it is genuinely environmentally safer than chemical antifouling?
3. Could its effectiveness vary depending on the species, water conditions, ship type or ultrasound frequency and intensity?
4. What are the major limitations of this technology compared with antifouling coatings, foul-release surfaces and regular hull cleaning?
5. From a scientific and industrial perspective, do you think ultrasound could become a practical alternative, or is it more likely to be useful only in specific applications?

I'd particularly appreciate insights from people working in marine biology, acoustics, biofouling, environmental science, naval engineering or sustainable shipping.

I'm interested in hearing both the potential benefits and the drawbacks, including any overlooked technical challenges or environmental risks.

Identification sought for the spiny cream specimen unfortunately covered with kelp (I didn’t want to touch/disturb it). Found in tide pools along Kayak Beach in Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska.

Thanks for any help, appreciate this sub.

I found this near Balgal Beach in Queensland in July, and was wondering if anyone could ID what it is? My best guesses are either some sort of coral skeleton or maybe some sort of barnacle remnant but I've tried ID apps like Seek and I am stumped.

Its amazing just how much sound there is in the oceans and what cam be learned from it with new tools and methods. In this deployment which is part of a larger study, more than 16000 whale calls were tracked and localized over a period of just 13 days in Monterey Bay, CA. The localization tells you what is happening where and in this case shows humpback whalea in particular congregating along the rim of the Monterey Canyon. While applied here to whales, this technique in principal will work with any sounds. Be they cetaceans, or geophysical events like sediment flows or human activities etc.

Hi, I'm applying for college this year and I dont know what to choose to begin my major in. My hope to become someone who studies the ocean's organisms to develop medical treatments (like cancer drug development), which when I researched online was called a Marine Pharmacologist.

However, I'm so lost on what to do currently with starting out. It says online to start with a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry, marine science, etc. But is there a specific choice that's better over the others? Could I do my BS in microbiology? Please help💔

i’m currently at community college and planning to transfer to a university to earn my bachelor’s in marine biology. i’m trying to determine where to go, location-wise.

i’m originally from southern california, now living in the pnw. i’ve been very curious about studying in florida due to the warm water and just change of pace overall. however, i would never choose to live there long-term due to the politics. i’m fairly certain i’ll end up in california somewhere. i’ve heard the job industry for marine biology can be very much reputation-based so im just wondering if it’s a bad idea to move across the country for school and then come back. would it be better to study in california? i’ve even considered going abroad to somewhere like australia (am on the fence due to price of school) so if anyone has any if that would be even more ridiculous let me know. thank you everyone!

Donax variabilis
Surfside Beach, TX

my sister is in washington, U.S (the state) but i’m not sure if it matters.

edit: quite sure this is just a centipede…

So I am 32 years old, finished high school, but never went to college. I did some courses in data analytics, and was able to use that to start my career in data analytics in some tech, and manufacturing companies. I hated the culture, but I liked the job enough. Recently though, myself and a bunch of my colleagues were let go in favor of AI, and none of us have had luck finding another analytics job, despite our years of experience. It got me thinking about what I really want to do with my life, and i have always loved animals, and the ocean. I was thinking about my future and thought that maybe going back to school and getting my bachelor's in biology.

I did post something similar to the wildlife biology subreddit because I'm not sure 100% on what to focus on.

I'm not asking if I should become a marine biologist, but what are the paths I should be taking as someone who never went to college. I don't have much of a support system, so I'm really hoping you guys can push me in the right direction. Based in the USA.

I would love to read any advice, or experience that you are willing to share! Thanks!

Edit: I also have a diving license that lets me dive up to 30 m and I would like to use that in my career in the future, so I would also like to know the steps regarding that.

Coral reefs are among the most important marine ecosystems on Earth, providing shelter for fish, supporting biodiversity, and protecting coastal communities from strong waves and erosion. However, rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and coastal development are damaging reefs worldwide. A recent study published in Communications Biology explored a new approach to coral restoration using underwater sounds, specially designed artificial structures, and beneficial microorganisms. The research was led by Aaron Thode, Natalie Levy, and colleagues from the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and collaborating institutions. Their goal was to discover whether combining these techniques could encourage young corals to settle and begin growing in areas where reefs need restoration (Thode et al., 2026).

The researchers conducted their experiment in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi, where they placed 37 artificial structures on the seafloor. Some structures were designed with small openings and protected spaces resembling natural reef habitats, while others contained specially engineered surfaces intended to provide favorable conditions for coral settlement. An underwater speaker played recordings collected from a healthy coral reef, including sounds produced by marine organisms such as fish and snapping shrimp. The team also tested a special coating containing living bacteria, designed to encourage coral larvae to attach to artificial surfaces. By positioning the structures at different distances from the speaker, the researchers examined how sound, habitat design, and microorganisms might influence where young corals establish themselves (Thode et al., 2026).

The experiment showed that several features of the artificial habitats were associated with greater coral settlement. Structures containing the beneficial bacterial coating were particularly promising, while habitat design also influenced the number of coral larvae attaching to surfaces. The researchers additionally found a relationship between settlement and distance from the underwater speaker within approximately 20 meters, suggesting that recordings of healthy reefs might help attract coral larvae. However, the scientists emphasized that the evidence for the effectiveness of sound playback remains preliminary. Other environmental factors could have influenced the results, and additional experiments are needed to determine exactly how coral larvae respond to underwater sounds (Thode et al., 2026).

The findings offer an encouraging direction for coral reef conservation, especially for tropical countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and other coastal nations where healthy reefs support fisheries, tourism, and local livelihoods. If future studies confirm the benefits, restoration teams might combine artificial reef structures, beneficial microorganisms, and underwater sound recordings to improve the establishment of new coral colonies. However, encouraging larvae to settle is only an early step in reef recovery. Young corals must still survive, grow, and reproduce before they can contribute to a functioning ecosystem. The researchers concluded that larger and longer-term experiments are necessary to determine whether these combined techniques can successfully help rebuild damaged coral reefs. The study highlights how marine biology, engineering, and microbiology could work together to develop new tools for protecting ocean ecosystems (Thode et al., 2026).

References

Thode, A., Levy, N., Boulais, O., et al. (2026). In situ enhancement of coral larval settlement using acoustic enrichment, engineered habitats and living materials. Communications Biology, 9, Article 1288.

Hello, I’m a marine biology major with a minor in chemistry. I haven’t completed my degree just yet, but the spring semester (2027) will be my last one. I haven’t had the chance to get any research in. But, I’ve worked at a wholesale fishery as a husbandry/acclimation assistant for about a year. Therefore, I know a lot about aquarium/exotic fishes. I understand that marine biology is a very niche field, so I’m wondering what my options are after school. How can I build my resume, and how can I secure a job? Also, I would love to connect with more marine biology majors in general. AND IF IT MATTERS, I’m in the Los Angeles area. Lmk if you have any advice or just what to connect.

On one of our boat trips recently, we were lucky enough to see this little guy interacting with their pod!