Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Pricing
Podcast Image

Because Why?! The Science and Society Pod.

8 of the weirdest deep sea creatures you’ve never heard of (Microgreens with Melissa Márquez)

12 Jun 2025

Description

There’s a worm that shoots out glowing green slime, a squid that can turn itself invisible, and a fish that literally walks on land. To celebrate World Oceans Day last week, today’s episode is all about the ocean’s weirdest and most wonderful creatures.I'm joined once again by Melissa Márquez - an amazing marine biologist, shark scientist, and science communicator. She’s been on TV, given TEDx talks, written books - she’s just awesome. If you want to learn more about her, make sure you check out our main episode released earlier this week.But this week, we dive into the weird and wonderful of the ocean.In this episode we talk about:A fish that can walk on land (yes, really!)A squid that can turn invisible by bending lightA worm that fires out green slime like something from a horror filmWhy jellyfish are older than dinosaursHow a pufferfish creates the most delicate art on the sea floorA sea slug that steals genes from algae and uses photosynthesisHow ocean creatures are inspiring new technologies and materialsWhy these species might disappear before most people even hear about them“Some squids don’t just hide, they actually turn invisible by bending light around their bodies.”“This fish literally walks on land… it’s like evolution just gave up and said, ‘sure, go for it.’”Episode Sources: Blobfish deep-sea morphology: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/blobfish Humboldt squid size, colour flashes and behaviour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_squid Bigfin (Magnapinna) squid fact-sheet (NOAA): https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/ex2107/features/bigfin-squid/bigfin-squid.html Goblin shark protrusible jaws: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/goblin-shark-factsGulper (pelican) eel with bioluminescent tail: https://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150608-the-scarfaced-eel-with-a-giant-mouthBobbit worm ambush and size: https://www.wired.com/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-bobbit-worm/Giant isopod fasting ability: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/giant-isopods-curious-crustaceans-on-the-ocean-floor.htmlBlack seadevil (Johnson’s abyssal seadevil) deep-sea video: https://www.sci.news/biology/science-black-seadevil-anglerfish-02294.htmlSea pig cloacal breathing and pearlfish commensalism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotoplanes_globosaMore About Melissa. Follow her on Instagram.Find our full podcast via the website here: https://www.nowthatswhaticall.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen/You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

Audio
Featured in this Episode

No persons identified in this episode.

Transcription

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.

0 upvotes
🗳️ Sign in to Upvote

Popular episodes get transcribed faster

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.