National Geographic Society

Did you know that some octopuses engage in courtship dances? 🕺 Or that they are sentient? 🧠 Explore eight facts about octopuses and their cephalopod relatives — plus more on the work of #NatGeoExplorer, marine biologist and comparative psychologist Alex Schnell: https://lnkd.in/deMXpUaD Photo by Explorer David Liittschwager

This Earth Month, the National Geographic Society celebrates the research that explores the cognitive abilities of marine animal life, reshaping how we think about the exceptional minds of species that call the ocean their home. Find out how you can support this important work: https://lnkd.in/eHPbTrCz

“Research shows that we feel the most empathy and compassion for animals most related to us. The further we go down the evolutionary tree, we feel more disconnected to animals that look nothing like us, especially invertebrates,” says #NatGeoExplorer, marine biologist and comparative psychologist Alex Schnell. “But research also shows that our perceptions are malleable.” Schnell is the principal storyteller on National Geographic’s “Secrets of the Octopus” docu-series, produced by Nat Geo Explorer at Large James Cameron. But Schnell’s research of cephalopods goes beyond the familiar octopus to squid, nautiluses and cuttlefish. Here’s how Schnell is demystifying what humans know about these invertebrates: https://lnkd.in/eQ8EWxqf

“Octopuses are smart as can be, can change color and form, are great hunters, fierce, curious, and even playful,” shares Nat Geo Explorer and Photo Ark founder, Joel Sartore. “I had my camera bag on the floor about ten feet away from a large circular tank with loose netting over the top. All of a sudden, a perfect arch of water comes looping up and out, landing right next to my bag. Somehow the eight-armed wonder (the giant Pacific octopus seen here at the Alaska Sealife Center) had been able to see where my bag was over the lap of the big tank he was in, gauge the distance, and then attempt to fill my camera bag with salt water. I didn’t even understand what was happening until the curator I was with said: ‘You better hurry up and move that bag. Next time he’ll hit it dead center.’ Turns out this creature was famous for this antic, and was extremely accurate at hitting any target in the room. Why? Just for fun, it turns out.” Sartore has photographed 13 species of octopuses as part of the National Geographic Photo Ark which uses the power of photography to inspire people to help protect species, especially those at risk of extinction before it's too late. Visit https://lnkd.in/ektbNeta to learn more.

“Can you imagine what that might be like to have skin that can see and 1,600 tongues and noses?” asks #NatGeoExplorer David Liittschwager of octopuses and their ability to sense with their skin and suckers. The photographer spent weeks documenting these curious cephalopods as they changed colors and texture, chose meals and explored their tanks. Explore eight fascinating facts about octopuses — from their supersmarts to their favorite foods — from National Geographic magazine: https://lnkd.in/eg3nw-mz Photo by David Liittschwager

#NatGeoExplorer and Brazilian ecologist Mauricio Cantor is studying cooperative behavior among dolphins and humans! 🐬 He’ll be traveling across three sites in Brazil, India and Myanmar to document the evolution of human-dolphin cooperation among fishing communities in these regions as part of the Wildlife Intelligence Project. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4G_AnS6 #NationalDolphinDay

#NatGeoExplorer Dr. Diva Amon is a Trinbagonian deep-sea biologist who studies the weird and wonderful animals living in a range of deep-sea habitats and the human impact on them. She received the Emerging Explorer award (now called the Wayfinder Award) in 2020 and is a founder of SpeSeas, an organization dedicated to marine science, education and advocacy in her home country, Trinidad and Tobago. Amon’s latest work is in advancing science to define an equitable and sustainable deep-ocean blue economy in a rapidly changing world. National Geographic Society supports research that explores the cognitive abilities of marine animal life, reshaping how we think about the exceptional minds of species that call the ocean their home. Find out how you can support this important work: https://lnkd.in/e8nX5N_B Photo by Kyle Christy/National Geographic for Disney+

🦕 A new dinosaur discovered in Patagonia is among the smallest of giants! Named Titanomachya gimenezi, the long-necked herbivore belonged to a family of usually immense dinosaurs called titanosaurs. The new dinosaur was uncovered by paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer Diego Pol and his colleagues as part of their scientific quest to understand how the end of the age of dinosaurs played out in South America. Discover more at https://lnkd.in/e_jJEzyn

Join us in celebrating the 90th birthday of the incomparable Jane Goodall! Thank you for years of inspiration and a tireless commitment to protecting the environment. Photo by #NatGeoExplorer and photographer Erika Larsen #JaneAt90 #GoodAllDay The Jane Goodall Institute

This Earth Month, the National Geographic Society celebrates the research that explores the cognitive abilities of marine animal life, reshaping how we think about the exceptional minds of species that call the ocean their home. Find out how you can support this important work: https://lnkd.in/evT3AzN7