023 – Keeping deep-sea animals with The Monterey Bay Aquarium

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/023-deep-aquaria

Can we safely bring deep-sea organisms to the surface and keep them alive? Certain species, such as the giant isopods and giant Japanese spider crabs have been kept in aquaria in the past but the number of animals we can maintain long-term is quite small. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new Into the Deep exhibition has succeeded in keeping animals never before put on public display, some are even new to science. Not only that, but they have even had some success in getting them to reproduce! Figuring out what conditions these animals need and observing them over long periods will allow us to learn huge amounts about animals we usually only get a glimpse of. We talk with aquarists Ellen Umeda and Michelle Kaiser and life-support engineer Brian Maurer about the years of work that went into keeping these animals and giving the public a very personal deep-sea experience.

In the rest of the episode, Alan is back in the UK and we get to record in ‘the very quiet room’. We discuss data sharing and the complexities of charging for data that may otherwise not be taken, visiting the Explorers Club in New York and language barriers within science.

I also call Alan’s bluff and present him with a lovely Deep-Sea Podcast apron which he then proceeds to wear in Hell’s Kitchen in New York.

We hear from a listener about how the podcast helped them through a difficult time and answer a listener question about the danger of entanglement for undersea vehicles. If you’d like to record a question or comment please do and send it to the email below. We would love to include you on the show.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

podcast@armatusoceanic.com

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Glossary

AUV – Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Gravid – the animal is full of eggs and getting close to spawning

Laminar flow – a simple water flow, no eddies

ROV – Remotely Operated Vehicle

Spawning – release of eggs and sperm

Vertical migrator – animals that rise up from the deep sea at night to feed at the surface

Links

Our new merch!

Let ‘Em Go by The Wildhearts

Spotify

Video

The Explorers Club

TMAO in molecular machines

Mapping the ocean floor

Scientific Tower of Babel

Into the Deep:

Aquarium YouTube Channel

Online exhibition

Deep-sea adaptation story with video

Bioluminescence story with video

Animal information story

Exhibition development with life support diagram

Credits

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image

Bloody-belly comb jelly – Monterey Bay Aquarium