Digitial Release of Bjork, Dirty Projectors Collaberation to Benefit Nat Geo’s Ocean Initiatives

Bjork and the Dirty Projectors (a band that’s garnered some buzz  last year with their release Bitter Orca) have re-released a recent collaborative effort of theirs in digital form, this time to benefit Nat Geo’s Ocean Initiatives.

The original work, dubbed Mount Wittenberg Orca, was originally composed and preformed to benefit the homeless and an AIDS advocacy group.It’s fitting however, that the songs are being re-released to provide further assistance to a slightly different cause. According to the nat-geo article on this recent news item, the work was actually inspired by the ocean:

“Together they wrote and performed a new suite of songs called “Mount Wittenberg Orca,” which was inspired by Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman sighting of a family of Orcas on the California coast, and features Björk singing the part of the mom whale.”

Purchase and download the EP here.

Nat Geo Repost: New Leviathan Whale Attacks

Illustration by C. Letenneur, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France

Evoking the poster for the original summer blockbuster, a new species of killer sperm whale attacks a baleen whale in an illustration.

Dubbed Leviathan melvillei—an homage to Moby-Dick author Herman Melville—the recently unearthed fossil sea monster lived about 13 million years ago in waters atop what’s now a Peruvian desert, according to a study published by the journal Nature on Wednesday.

Living alongside the largest sharks ever known, the raptorial—meaning actively hunting—whale measured about 60 feet (18 meters) in length, about as big as a modern male sperm whale.

But whereas modern sperm whales feed primarily on squid, Leviathan’s large teeth—some of which measured more than a foot (36 centimeters) long—suggest the whale hunted more challenging prey, including perhaps its close whale relatives.

“It was probably a very powerful and frightening animal, so it fits well with the description Melville made of Moby-Dick,” said lead study author Olivier Lambert, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

(Related picture: “Whale Found in Egypt Desert.”)

—Ker Than

Published June 30, 2010

Frogs shake it like a polaroid picture…

In yet another late-night bout of animal voyeurism, male red-eyed tree frogs have been discovered to shake their rumps when entering into a show of dominance with another male.

read a National geographic release about the strange behavior here.

An excerpt:

No, they’re not shivering. And no, they’re not getting shocked. These red-eyed tree frogs in Panama have been recorded shaking their behinds to send a message.

This shaking, known as tremulation, is a form of communication between male tree frogs.

The males are tremulating to establish which is the dominant male. They’re claiming territory for their ‘calling area’ where they spend the night calling for a female mate.

Sometimes, the shaking leads to wrestling among males… and maybe even more shaking, until the loser retreats.

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On the other hand, my aimless poking around on the interwebs has led to my discovery of other frog related items including videos of the Surinam toad whose offspring are born out of pockets in the toad’s back. it’s sort of distressing to watch:

And also that Germany and Denmark suffered a strange bout of exploding toads in 2005. Who knew?

He didn’t even have a chance – Sea lion attacks octopus

In yet another interesting nat geo crittercam reveal, a sea lion was captured eating a large octopus. This and other video footage proves the animals utilize the seabed as a feeding ground rather than focusing on pelagic (open ocean) species of fish. This helps verify that the designation of marine parks which protect seafloor habitat will serve to benefit sea lions.

Giant Redwood is Nat Geo’s Miss October

This amazing composite image of a tree three hundred some-odd feet tall was featured as a centerfold in last year’s October edition of National Geographic. Nat Geo sent their photographer, Michael Nichols, to live among the redwoods for a year. Read NPR’s article about the process of taking the photo which proved challenging and arduous:

“In a recent lecture at National Geographic in Washington, D.C., Nichols described his frustrations. Eventually, though, he devised a way to do redwoods justice. It involved three cameras, a team of scientists, a robotic dolly, a gyroscope, an 83-photo composite and a lot of patience.”

Michael Nichols work provided the see-it-to-believe it visuals the associated Redwood article needed. I also love the on-line format of National Geographic because of the full use of the medium to provide amazing content associated with their features, like the interactive maps and wildlife atlas of the Redwoods featured here. Also see more of Michael Nichol’s photo work by clicking on his photo of the white rhinoceros below:

Tree Kangaroos – Another Unsuspecting Recipient of Crittercams

Tree kangaroos are just one of the latest type of animal to be subjected to critter camerization. While there may be some stunned and confused tree kangaroos walking around initially, the act of attaching cameras to these fuzzy mammals may give researchers some insight into their behavior. The critter cams used for this specific venture were developed and provided by national geographic. See the video describing the research below:

There are approximately 12 species of tree kangaroo, but the focus of this particular effort is the Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo, resident of Papua New Guinea, and as described in the related article, decidedly similar in appearance to a plush toy. They are considered critically endangered, but are targeted by conservation efforts that include locals who highly value these animals.

Paul Nicklen’s Brush with the Leopard Seal

Paul Nicklen is a breathtakingly talented nature photographer:

Check out more of his stunning photographs at his website: Paul Nicklen photography, and read about his upcoming book: Polar Obsession

But the purpose of this post is to highlight a clip that’s garnered alot of attention:

I certainly didn’t realize leopard seals were considered a danger to people but apparently their attacks have resulted in the death of at least one marine researcher, making this particular interaction all the more amazing.

National Geographic recently did an excellent article on leopard seals using the photo contributions of Paul Nicklen. Click the picture below to access the feature:

 

Nat Geo – A picture is worth a whole lotta words

 

It’s that time, National Geographic is is kicking ass and taking names in it’s 2009 international photography contest. Nat Geo has long been setting the standard for photos with a bit of the breath of life in them – sharp colors, cutting contrast, and phenomenally fascinating subjects.

Check here for wallpapers featuring some of this year’s submissions, including an anola lizard sandwiched between two blades of grass/shrub

And check here for the 2009 galleries!