How should we get our children, our parents and anyone else excited about biodiversity of tiny Arctic microalgae or Arctic fishes that no aquarium will ever have?
A DNA sequence by itself won’t do. We must show what the amazing biodiversity of our home ocean looks like using images and video.
Liparis bathyarcticus, the nebulous (or Arctic) snailfish is a fish species that is found around the Arctic, but not in the warmer part of the Barents Sea or northern Norway. Like many true Arctic fishes it does grow to large body sizes but is usually below 25 cm long with almost a third of the size taken by the head.
Nymphon stroemi is a seaspider. The body of this group of animals is so thin that some or the organs are located in the legs instead. It is the males that carry the fertilized eggs (the brown clump in the picture) until they hatch.
Ophiopleura borealis (whole individual) is a common, large, bright orange brittle star found across the Arctic. While adult brittle stars are generally well-known across the Arctic, their larval (baby) form, called Ophiopluteus, is not.
