News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Giant octopus – not just a myth
Brighton dredging row
ENVIRONMENT
Protect Our Seas
News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Giant octopus – not just a myth
It’ s always been assumed that the notion of a colossal octopus was purely mythic, and that the giant Pacific octopus is as big as they get, with its arm span of up to 4.3 metres. However, a new study of fossil jaws has suggested there may once have been a truly gigantic octopus, reaching a possible 19m in length. For decades, palaeontologists believed that the largest ocean predators were vertebrates with backbones such as fish and reptiles, while invertebrates like octopuses and squid played supporting roles. New research challenges the picture scientists had of ancient octopuses as relatively small, reclusive creatures.
The fossils studied belong to two species of extinct octopus from the Cretaceous period, Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti. Paleontologists Yasuhiro Iba and Shin Ikegami, from Hokkaido University, developed a technique they call‘ digital fossil mining’ to get a better look at the fossil beaks, which had been excavated in British Columbia, Canada. They grind away a super thin layer from the fossil-bearing matrix, take a highresolution photo, then repeat the process thousan ds of times. These images were then assembled into 3D, full-colour models.
PHOTO: YOHEI UTSUKI, DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETRY SCIENCES, HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
Brighton dredging row
Thousands of people have objected to plans to dump dredged sediment in a protected marine area. Sussex Wildlife Trust said that more than 6,000 people responded to a public consultation on
whether Brighton Marina should dispose of material in the Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone. The charity said the dredging risked harming a nationally important wildlife hotspot running parallel to the coast from Brighton to Eastbourne. Premier Marinas, which owns Brighton
Marina, said that dredging was needed to make the site safe for boats and that dredged sediment was not harmful to the environment. It applied for a one-year interim licence to dredge the marina after its previous application was quashed on procedural grounds.
Common prawns and tompot blennies are among the fauna of the Conservation Zone
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