Many invertebrates living in the sunlight zone of the ocean have “superpowers,” as marine biologist Drew Harvell calls them: They can regenerate limbs, are especially strong or can even steal the abilities of other animals.
Roberto Moiola/Sysaworld/Getty Images
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Roberto Moiola/Sysaworld/Getty Images
Many invertebrates living in the sunlight zone of the ocean have “superpowers,” as marine biologist Drew Harvell calls them: They can regenerate limbs, are especially strong or can even steal the abilities of other animals.
Roberto Moiola/Sysaworld/Getty Images
For this week’s Sea Camp, we’re diving below the surface to explore the sunlight zone, the portion of ocean that’s 0-200 meters deep. This is where phytoplankton eat sunlight, poop out sugar and oxygen and kick off the ocean carbon cycle as we know it.
Our focus is something arguably even cooler: The “superpowers” of some of the zone’s spineless inhabitants, like regeneration and super strength. That’s what marine biologist Drew Harvell calls the “biological impossibilities” of some residents in her new book The Ocean’s Menagerie.
Throughout the episode, we meet these invertebrates, which includes everything from star fish and sea slugs to jellyfish and sponges. This wide-ranging group includes some of the most ancient critters on Earth. Part of their legacy is how they’ve inspired human science and medicine.
Exciting news: We have a newsletter! It lets you go even deeper with the marine research each week of Sea Camp. Sign up here!
Want to hear more stories about underwater marvels? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org.
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This episode was produced by Berly McCoy and edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer.
