Researchers exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica came upon a large group of octopus moms hanging out in a rather unusual place.
Researchers exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica came upon a large group of octopus moms hanging out in a rather unusual place. The underwater creatures were roughly two miles below the surface, gathered on an area of hardened lava, and situated within the warm water streams emerging from the cracks in the rocks. Further, all of them appeared to be guarding eggs.
The team notes every bit of the scenario was odd, as the octopuses tend to be solitary sorts that occupy colder waters. Also, the elevated temperatures are harmful to both them and their offspring. All observed, including the eggs, appeared to be suffering. A release from the Field Museum notes, "The team suspects there must be more octopuses living inside crevices in the rocks, where the water is cool and rich in oxygen," which has left, "the booming population…to spill over into the dangerously warm region outside."
Janet Voight, one of the study's authors, commented that the octopuses "…are analogous to the boomers who have all the good jobs, while the millennials wait, seeking just one little piece of the cool rock."
