Pacific Ocean
Episodes 35-39

Ever wonder what the animals we talk about look like, or which episodes cover what animals? Find the answers you seek below! Our episode guides give a brief breakdown of each episode as well as links to the articles we discuss, our sources, and of course, pictures of the animals!

All pictures are either Public Domain or Stock photos unless otherwise noted.
Unfortunately we are not able to provide photos for every animal, especially the more obscure ones, due to not being able to obtain photos which don't violate copyright law. For any animals lacking a photo we remind you that Google is your friend.

Episode 35: Stars of the Ocean

Casey starts off by talking about his failed attempts of getting a display case for his insects, and Ali brings up how she has to start counting Tiger-Lily’s calories. Casey discusses a fascinating article that uncovers the cause of sea star wasting syndrome, while Ali informs us of a secret cave that Mediterranean monk seals are using for breeding. They go on to talk about their Favorite Intertidal Animals, the Ochre Sea Star and the Purple Sea Urchin, before Casey teaches us about our speedy Animal of the Week, the Indo-Pacific Sailfish. They conclude the episode with a challenge where they must name song titles with animal names in them.

Pictured from top to bottom: Into-Pacific Sailfish, Ochre Sea Star, and Purple Sea Urchin.

Sources and Links

https://massivesci.com/notes/sea-stars-wasting-disease-bacteria-oxygen/#:~:text=Now%2C%20in%20a%20new%20study,sea%20stars%2C%20essentially%20suffocating%20them.

https://www.livescience.com/secret-monk-seal-breeding-site-discovered.html

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pisaster_ochraceus/

https://interpretivecenter.org/ochre-sea-stars/

https://eol.org/pages/598469

https://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/pacific-purple-sea-urchin

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Strongylocentrotus_purpuratus/

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Istiophorus_platypterus/

https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/sailfish

By D. Gordon E. Robertson - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6434467

By © Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14679779

Episode 36: Grace Under Water

Casey talks about his most recent visit to the Wild Animal Park, and Ali talks about a documentary she recently watched on PBS called Extinction:The Facts. Casey talks about an update on the conservation status of elephants, while Ali gives some advice on eating sustainable fish. They go on to talk about their Favorite Species of Ray, the Giant Oceanic Manta Ray and the Spotted Eagle Ray, before Casey teaches about a brainless, but deadly, Animal of the Week, the Portuguese Man O’ War. They wrap up the episode with a challenge where they have to name animals for every letter of the alphabet, but this time they are limited to marine animals.

Pictured from top to bottom: Portuguese Man O' War, Giant Oceanic Manta Ray and Spotted Eagle Ray.

1024px-Portuguese_Man-O-War_(Physalia_physalis).jpg

Sources and Links

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2272234-both-species-of-african-elephants-are-now-officially-endangered/#:~:text=Poachers%20killing%20Africa's%20elephants%20for,endangered%20for%20the%20first%20time.

https://theecologist.org/2011/jan/14/top-10-ways-eat-fish-sustainably

https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/giant-manta-ray

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/giant-manta-ray

https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/spotted-eagle-ray

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/aetobatus-narinari/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/portuguese-man-of-war

https://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/portuguese-man-o-war

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Physalia_physalis/#economic_importance_negative

By Stevelaycock21 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71093894

Episode 37: Bubble Bullets and Benthic Beasts

Casey talks about starting his final quarter of college, and Ali talks about a brief visit she had at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (Safari Park). Casey informs us about citizen science and a fun app called iNaturalist, while Ali discusses an article that focuses on the brood X of cicadas’ upcoming emergence. They go on to talk about their Favorite Marine Crustaceans, the Japanese Spider Crab and the Pistol Shrimp, before Casey takes us into the deep to teach us about our fascinating Animal of the Week, the Spotted Ratfish. They conclude the episode with another round of their ‘Cups’ game.

Pictured from top to bottom: Spotted Ratfish and Japanese Spider Crab.

Sources and Links

https://www.livescience.com/brood-X.html

https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animal/japanese-spider-crab/

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Macrocheira_kaempferi/

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2020/09/10/pistol-shrimp/

https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/spotted-ratfish

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/spotted-ratfish

https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/spotted_ratfish

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259138780_Preliminary_age_growth_and_maturity_estimates_of_spotted_ratfish_Hydrolagus_colliei_in_British_Columbia

By Lycaon (Hans Hillewaert) - Image:Riesenkrabbe.jpg by Michael Wolf, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1487646

Sorry,

no photo available

at this time.

Episode 38: Small But Mighty

Casey talks about his unique problem with bees, specifically that they don’t let him take pictures of them, and Ali tells us about the struggles of getting everything all set before her surgery. Casey discusses some troublesome research concerning the ocean and why it becoming more stable could actually be a bad thing, and Ali puts a spotlight on an adorable breed of bunny, the Holland Lop. They go on to discuss their Favorite Species of Eel, the Snowflake Moray Eel and the Zebra Eel. Casey then educates us about our tiny, but deadly, Animal of the Week, the Blue Dragon, before they close out the episode with a challenge where they must name animals that have adjectives in their name.

Pictured from top to bottom: Blue Dragon, Snowflake Moray Eel, Zebra Eel, and Holland Lop.

Sources and Links

https://phys.org/news/2021-04-ocean-stable-good.html

https://arba.net/recognized-breeds/

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/5388

https://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/animal-guide/fishes/eels/snowflake-and-zebra-moray/

https://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/eels/zebramoray.php

https://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/blue-glaucus

https://nmnh.typepad.com/no_bones/2015/05/blue-dragons-of-the-sea.html

Episode 39: Into the Deep

Casey gives us some highlights on the interesting subject of bioinformatics, and Ali goes on a rant about stupid people. Casey discusses an article that goes over what kind of research scientists are doing in the deep ocean off Australia’s Northern Coast, while Ali gives some advice on zoo etiquette. To conclude this oceanic month, they go on to discuss their Favorite Deep Sea Animals, the Frilled Shark and the Yeti Crab, and Casey teaches us about another deep sea Animal of the Week with a terrifying name, the Vampire Squid. Ali wraps up the episode by challenging Casey to another round of their Jeopardy-like game.

Pictured from top to bottom: Vampire Squid.