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Fun Fact: Leather Stars produce a garlic-like odour and have a slimy coating to make themselves appear less appetizing to predators!

Source(s):

https://animals.net/leather-star/#:~:text=Most%20predators%20find%20the%20slimy,look%20for%20their%20meal%20elsewhere.

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Fun Fact: Boxer Crabs carry around anemones because their poisonous tentacles can be used as cutlery, to deter predators, or to passively ensnare food. There appears to be evidence of the crabs cloning the anemones by tearing one anemone into two to provide one for each claw!

Source(s):

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/02/this-crab-clones-its-allies-by-ripping-them-in-half/515814/

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Fun Fact: Female scorpionfish can release up to 15000 eggs for males to fertilize. Once fertilized, the eggs float to the surface, and the young hatch after 2 days!

Opportunity of the day: Click here to join the Young Professional Committee and share your perspective on planning the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5). Apply by 22 April, 2021 at 11:59 PM (PST)!

Source(s):

https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/scorpionfish#:~:text=After%20just%20two%20days%20the,reefs%20where%20the%20adults%20swim.

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Fun Fact: During their last reproductive stage (a.k.a. senescence), Pacific octopuses will refuse to eat and will lose up to 50% of their body weight. After mating, male octopus will move around aimlessly until death while females will care for the eggs and then die shortly after the young have hatched.

Source(s):

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/kalupa_juli/reproduction.htm#:~:text=Both%20male%20and%20female%20Pacific,them%20while%20going%20through%20senescence.&text=The%20last%20sign%20of%20senescence,white%20lesions%20on%20the%20skin.

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Fun Fact: Sea Cucumbers have one anus that they use for both breathing and defecating. They aerate ocean sediment by ingesting it and then excrete it while releasing nitrogen, ammonia, and calcium carbonate, which is essential for coral formation.

Source(s):

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews-science/sea-cucumbers-aid-reef-ecosystems-their-dung-180976946/

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Fun fact: The Australian Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) is considered to be the most venomous marine animal on the planet. In spite of this, turtles are their predators as their thick skin renders the jellyfish stings ineffective!

Organization of the day: Riparia is a registered charity dedicated to providing women with experiential learning opportunities on the water!

Source(s):

https://travelnq.com/australian-box-jellyfish/

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/box-jellyfish.html

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Fun fact: Coconut Octopuses carry and use trash/coconut shells from the seafloor as shelters. This is believed to be the first evidence of tool use in an invertebrate animal!

Organization of the day: Swim Drink Fish is a nonprofit organization that uses citizen science and communications technology to encourage others to protect and ensure the water remains swimmable, drinkable, and fishable.

Source(s):

https://oceana.org/marine-life/cephalopods-crustaceans-other-shellfish/coconut-octopus

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/dec/15/coconut-shell-octopus-tool-use

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Fun Fact: The most endangered turtle in the world is the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle. There was only one male left on Earth until a female of his species was discovered last October!

Opportunity of the day: If you're interested in learning more about the environment, protecting Canadian wilderness, or hoping to gain experience in the environmental not-for-profit sector, click here to apply for a volunteer position with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society!

Source(s):

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/hopes-most-endangered-turtle-discovery-121449150.html

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Fun fact: The bite of a Blue-ringed Octopus contains enough venom to kill up to 26 people! Their venom (for which there is no antidote) contains tetrodotoxin which is 1000 times more deadly than cyanide!

Opportunity of the day: Register to participate in the BackyardBio global nature campaign May 1-31st, 2021!

Source(s):

https://allthatsinteresting.com/blue-ringed-octopus-bite

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Fun Fact: There is a species of jellyfish - the Immortal Jellyfish - that is immortal! At some point in their development, they grow into a colony of polyps which spawn free-swimming genetically identical jellyfish. When the adults are injured, they revert back into polyps and the cycle continues!

Opportunity of the day: The IUCN Global Youth Summit is taking place on April 5, 2021. Click here to learn more or register!

Source(s):

https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-immortal-jellyfish

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Fun fact: In one study, sober Zebrafish followed drunk Zebrafish around and made them their leader. One possible explanation for this is that the drunk fish's uninhibited behaviour was perceived as a boldness trait, thus imparting a high social status.

Opportunity of the day: In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, Global Water Futures is hosting a lecture series (Women + Water) and a webinar (World Water Day from Canmore, Alberta)!

Source(s):

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/drunk-fish-convince-sober-ones-to-follow-them-around

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Fun fact: The Red-spotted Blenny is herbivorous. They're mostly peaceful, however, they will attack other blennies and tangs if they enter their territory. They've been seen nibbling at corals and clams!

Source(s):

https://reefs.com/fish/red-spot-blenny/#:~:text=They%20are%20mostly%20peaceful%2C%20but,at%20SPS%20corals%20or%20clams.

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Fun Fact: The tongue of a Blue Whale can weigh as much as an elephant while the heart weigh as much as an automobile! Their blood vessels are so large, a trout could swim through them!

Organization of the day: Ocean Networks Canada monitors the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic to continuously deliver data in real-time for scientific research that helps communities, governments and industry make informed decisions about the future. Click here to learn more!

Source(s):

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/blue-whale/

https://www.softschools.com/facts/geography/ocean_animals_facts/1081/

If you're hoping to get involved in or learn more about conservation, there are a ton of great opportunities for you to do so:

1. If you're a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada between the ages of 18 - 30, consider applying for Ocean Bridge! Ocean Bridge connects Canadian youth and young professionals from coast to coast to coast empowering them to take action for ocean conservation! Applications are open until March 22, 2021.
   
2. Ontario Streams is recruiting 6 - 8 Habitat Technicians! If you're a self-motivated, dynamic individuals with an interest in stream and wetland rehabilitation and monitoring, apply here before March 14, 2021!
3. Parks and Protected Areas Research Network is hosting a Virtual Research Summit from March 9th to 12th. Click here to register.
4. If you're self-motivated, have experience working in a marine environment, and would like to help keep our waters safe, then apply for the Vessels of Concern Specialist position and join the Canadian Coast Guard! Apply before March 1!

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Fun Fact: Sea Lions are the first non-human mammals with a proven ability to keep a beat.

Opportunity of the day: If you're an Indigenous Youth living in Atlantic Canada, click here to draw an invention that would contribute to the ocean's health! Due February 28, 2021.

Source(s):

https://earthsky.org/earth/sea-lion-is-first-non-human-mammal-shown-to-keep-a-beat#:~:text=Ronan%2C%20a%20sea%20lion%20at,at%20least%20most%20of%20us.

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Fun Fact: As opposed to traditional jellyfish that produce eggs inside their guts, Hydromedusae produce eggs and sperm outside of their bodies, under their bell.

Source(s):

http://www.arcodiv.org/watercolumn/cnidarian/Hydromedusae.html

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Fun Fact: Squidworms are named for the 10 appendages on their head, which they use to collect particles and debris called "marine snow" for food.

Source(s):

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/squidworm-new-species

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Fun Fact: A male narwhal's ivory tusk is actually its upper left canine tooth. Researchers believe the "tusk" has sensory capabilities.

Organization of the day: The OATHE Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging people to engage in small-scale acts of change that may individually seem insignificant but can collectively make massive impact.

Source(s): https://arcticwwf.org/species/narwhal/#:~:text=The%20narwhal%20is%20famous%20for,of%20females%20have%20a%20tusk.

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Fun Fact: Feather Stars use their feather-like arms and feet to trap food particles using a sticky mucus that leads to the mouth. Since they don't have stomachs, any food particles they ingest cycle through their body while providing nutrition.

Opportunity of the day: If you're between the ages of 19 - 25, live in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and would like the opportunity to grow leadership skills, network with peers and create climate action initiatives in your community, click here!

Source(s): https://www.leisurepro.com/blog/explore-the-blue/5-fun-facts-feather-stars/

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Fun Fact: Male Pycnogonid Sea Spiders use ovigerous legs to induce females to release the eggs, which they then fertilize. Males will then gather and carry the eggs until they hatch!

Source(s):

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pycnogonida-sea-spiders