Moving diagram of upwelling, an oceanographic process in which deep, cold, nutrient water rises towards the surface. Winds (yellow arrows) blowing across the ocean surface push surface warm surface water (red arrows) aside, allowing the deep water (blue) to rise and replace it. Commissioned by the American Museum of Natural History (see more work for AMNH here).

Researchers at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station measured a blue whale’s heart beat for the first time, and may have found the secret to how they can feed at depth for long periods of time: during a dive, blue whales can slow down their heartbeat to 4 beats per minute. This animation shows a blue whale’s bpm as it goes through the different phases of lunge feeding at depth (don’t forget to turn on the sound for this one!). Commissioned by the Goldbogen Lab at Hopkins Marine Station (See more work for the Goldbogen Lab here).

Animation of a whale shark for WHOI’s Ocean Twilight Zone Project. See more animations for WHOI here.

Animation explaining sperm whale echolocation for Project Ceti (see more work for Project Ceti here).

Fertilizer run-off is a serious agricultural issue across the country, with excess nitrates entering water systems and causing algal blooms. These blooms can produce harmful toxins, damaging to humans and animals alike. Scientists in central California are experimenting with bioreactors to help improve regional water quality. These trenches are full of water-cleaning bacteria, which breathe nitrate and release harmless nitrogen gas. This gif visually describes the water filtration system on the experimental site in Castroville, California. (1) Excess water from the agricultural fields, full of nitrogen from the fertilizer, is collected by an underground drainage system. (2) This water is diverted to a retention pond, where it is temporary held until it is pumped through the bioreactor. (3) The experimental bioreactor in Castroville, CA has 12 channels, with differing levels of temperature and PH to test which combinations are most effective. Each trench is full of woodchips, which help to sustain the bacteria along with the nitrate. (4) Water that has been cleaned by the bioreactor flows out into the wetlands.