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Vampire Squid And The Evolution Of Cephalopod Sex

Everyone loves vampire squid, right? Their monstrous name belies their gentle nature as graceful...

Learning Science From Fiction: A Review Of Ryan Lockwood’s “Below”

In last month’s review of Preparing the Ghost, I mentioned that you can actually learn facts...

Usurped By Legend: A Review Of Matthew Gavin Frank’s ‘Preparing The Ghost’

When you read something in a book, do you believe it? You might say, “Of course not if it’s...

Squid Lady Parts

This Bobtail squid was imaged by the Deep Discover ROV in Atlantis Canyon, is less than one foot...

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Danna StaafRSS Feed of this column.

Cephalopods have been rocking my world since I was in grade school. I pursued them through a BA in marine biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by a PhD dissertation at... Read More »

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Squid A Day is an Illuminated Site!

Squid A Day is an Illuminated Site!

Jun 06 2011 | comment(s)

Illuminated Site of the Week WinnerWooo! I won a bloggy award thing from Steve Jackson Games! If you're not familiar with them, you should be. Zombies! Conspiracy! Cthulhu! What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, and hackers too.
Did You Miss Kraken Day?

Did You Miss Kraken Day?

Jun 04 2011 | comment(s)

Argh it's taking me longer than I thought to write this fisheries post! Quick a distraction--
Did you know that June 1st was Kraken Day over at Deep Sea News? Go read all their posts! There was one every hour! Each was hilarious and/or bizarre and/or fascinating!

Now here is a kraken I drew for a super-secret project that is almost done:




Now go away and come back tomorrow.
Seafood Ethics, Or Why I Don't Eat Squid (Part II)

Seafood Ethics, Or Why I Don't Eat Squid (Part II)

Jun 04 2011 | comment(s)

Back in April, a well-known fisheries biologist named Ray Hillborn published an op-ed in the New York Times that was titled (by the editors, not Hillborn) "Let Us Eat Fish." The gist of it was: our fisheries are doing great, so chow down on seafood with a clear conscience!
Seafood Ethics, Or Why I Don't Eat Squid (Part I)

Seafood Ethics, Or Why I Don't Eat Squid (Part I)

Jun 02 2011 | comment(s)

Squid are often considered to be one of the more sustainable seafood choices. Squid grow like weeds, right? They have short life cycles, make tons of babies, and adapt easily to changing environments. It's like eating dandelions.

Only not.
Can Your Skin See Color?

Can Your Skin See Color?

Jun 01 2011 | comment(s)

Probably not. Unless you're a squid, octopus, or cuttlefish, in which case the answer is a definite maybe.
Chefs Opine On Changing Oceans

Chefs Opine On Changing Oceans

May 27 2011 | comment(s)

I've got nothing at all against chefs. I'm just suggesting that when a restauranteur and TV personality says something like
“Squid is now the dominant species in the Pacific,” Cosentino says. “The waters have changed.”
. . . then you might want to fact-check with an actual oceanographer. Or, say, a squid biologist.

The quote is from a piece in Men's Journal called Save the Ocean, Eat A Squid--a title guaranteed to raise my hackles. The article documents chef Chris Cosentino's fishing trip to collect Humboldt squid, which he then cooks up for patrons of his San Francisco restaurant.