Squid Vid

I can always count on my friends to point out articles and videos that would suit this blog. Today’s strange squid, which vaguely resembles the alien from Independence Day, provides a great opportunity to talk to students about the inhabitants of the deep ocean. We’re always wondering what’s out there in space–but there’s a whole world on this planet that we’ve barely begun to explore, as this slightly creepy video proves:

Alien-like Squid with “Elbows” Filmed at Drilling Site

The article also brings up issues of conservation, so this would be a great way to introduce kids to the ethics of science. While oil rig cameras can provide us with great, low-cost ways to observe deep-sea fauna, the rigs themselves do incalculable damage to the sea bed, and massive oil spills kill millions of wild animals each year. Is it appropriate for scientists to use the resources of  companies that may be destroying the very species they’re trying to study?