![Fred Buyle](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_0140-150x150.jpg)
Freediving – a tool for marine biology
by Fred Buyle - 5th May 2017
For my first Mares blog I have decided to write about one of the most exiting projects I’m involved in:…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Biology: Sunfish
by Herbert - 1st September 2015
Floating "Millstones" In The Ocean? At first glance, these curious-looking fish look like gigantic fish heads without a body. They…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Biology: The Frogfish
by Herbert - 26th August 2015
Incredibly Fast “Suckers” Finding a frogfish is the tough part. Once you do, taking photos of it is relatively easy,…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Biology: Rays
by Herbert - 6th July 2015
The Art of “Underwater Flight” The dance of mantas in the ocean certainly leaves no diver unmoved. The majesty of…
![Andi](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Andi-Cross-150x150.jpg)
Blue Whales in the Balance – Mirissa, Sri Lanka
by Andi - 28th May 2024
Off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka, it felt like we had the whole ocean to ourselves. It was barely…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The master of camouflage – The prickly leather-jacket fish
by Ivana and Janez - 18th March 2024
When we saw the pictures that our photographer Janez Kranjc had taken, we joked that he had found a "hairy fish".…
![Kathryn](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SSI-Grey-Logo-150x150.jpg)
Love manatees and dugongs? Here’s where you can swim with them
by Kathryn - 21st November 2023
The gentle giants of the sea, manatees and dugongs have captured the hearts of many with their endearing presence and…
![Alex](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UK21_am-19240-copy-150x150.jpg)
Coral Spawning and Hope in the Maldives
by Alex - 22nd November 2021
I normally plan my travel meticulously, paying special attention to the season and the lunar tidal cycle. I find this…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Most loved marine mammals
by Ivana and Janez - 15th January 2021
Everyone loves dolphins, and it is probably the dream of most divers to dive with dolphins, the most loved cetaceans.…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
How Cara Lost Her Color
by Ivana and Janez - 10th December 2020
Ivana OK: What are you by profession? I’m a marine naturalist. In a complete leap of faith, I moved to…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Who am I? Saint Pierre
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd August 2020
When I was asked to write about the Saint Pierre fish I had no idea what it was. Then I saw…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Marine Guide to Long-term Relationships
by Ivana and Janez - 8th June 2020
Do you remember the term 'symbiosis' from your biology classes? To refresh your memory, these are interactions between organisms that…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Sea Anemones
by Ivana and Janez - 4th May 2020
Sea anemones are a group of marine animals that are predatory in nature and are closely related to jellyfish and…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Freshwater in salty water – Underwater springs
by Ivana and Janez - 15th October 2019
You have certainly, at some point, experienced an area where cold water rises up from the deep. It might be…
![Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/UT-150x150.jpg)
Diving at Secca Carega, Portofino, Italy
by Underwater Tales by Stefano Sibona - 16th August 2019
Secca Carega is the second shoal found in the Protected Marine Area of Portofino and still represents one of the…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
How a conger eel brought the Serbian and Irish together
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd June 2019
Almost six years ago, on the 9th of June 2013, an Irish diver had a near-death experience whilst diving off…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Appearances can be very deceiving! The Mantis shrimp…
by Ivana and Janez - 18th March 2019
I have always thought that Mantis shrimp are one of the most beautiful creatures you can find and photograph in…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Picasso’s muse?
by Ivana and Janez - 25th January 2019
We learn something new every day. Recently I discovered that the beautiful triggerfish is also known as the Picassofish, the…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Trumpetfish – The forgotten cousins of seahorses
by Ivana and Janez - 6th December 2018
There are only three species of trumpetfish in the world (discovered so far anyway): the Chinese trumpetfish (Aulostomus chinensis), the…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Freshwater vs marine diving
by Ivana and Janez - 13th November 2018
For more information on Marine Ecology, check out our friends at SSI! Most of us dive in a marine environment…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Cruisers vs Boka Kotorska Bay
by Ivana and Janez - 10th October 2018
An interview with Dr. Vesna Macic, Marine Biologist Sailing on big cruisers is becoming very popular as a means of…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
So which one is it? A stonefish or a scorpionfish?
by Ivana and Janez - 24th July 2018
I often get confused between stonefish and scorpionfish and need to remind myself what the differences between them are. Both…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Octopuses – They have it all!
by Ivana and Janez - 22nd June 2018
Who doesn’t like octopuses? They have it all: beautiful, smart and unique. These molluscs are part of the ‘Octopoda’ (eight…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Clownfish
by Ivana and Janez - 3rd May 2018
What’s the world’s most famous fish? Well, I think Clark’s anemonefish is. What’s that you say? Remember Nemo? Well, Nemo…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Prettiest of Worms
by Ivana and Janez - 4th April 2018
When we think of worms, these colourful, feathery, flower-like creatures are not the first things that come to mind. Their…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Primitive? Maybe. Ugly? Definitely not!
by Ivana and Janez - 26th March 2018
Featherstars are more scientifically known as crinoids – coming from a Greek word meaning ‘lily-like’- so it comes as no…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Wobbegong Shark
by Ivana and Janez - 16th March 2018
When I first heard the name 'Carpet shark', I thought it was a joke. The name does not sound very…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
Mantas – the gentle giants of the seas
by Ivana and Janez - 7th February 2018
Manta rays – the diver's dream. Belonging to the family Mobulidae, there are two species of Manta Ray often seen…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Cuttlefish: underestimated players in the ocean
by Herbert - 9th January 2018
Squids play an important role in the food web and in the carbon cycle Squid are marine creatures with fascinating…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Narwhals show alarming reactions to stress
by Herbert - 21st December 2017
Human disturbances cause narwhals to freeze and escape simultaneously New insights into the effects of ocean noise and increased human…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Researchers puzzle over possible causes for disappearance of sea snakes
by Herbert - 11th December 2017
Western Australia: High genetic diversity in sea snakes found Scientists have studied the genetic diversity of sea snakes in different…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Scientists discover flexible self-healing ability in ctenophora
by Herbert - 6th December 2017
Wound healing or regeneration – the environment decides Losing a body part is almost always an irreversible situation for humans…
![Ivana and Janez](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ivana-i-janez-Medium-550x367-1-150x150.jpg)
The Lions of the Ocean
by Ivana and Janez - 1st December 2017
Lionfish (Pterois spp) are represented by 12 very closely related species. These majestic and amazing looking fish are among underwater…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Faster reproduction ensures immigrant species success
by Herbert - 19th November 2017
Why only a few introduced species establish themselves in foreign marine regions The number of non-native species detected for the…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Increase in melting sea ice may lead to higher food supply in Arctic
by Herbert - 26th September 2017
In the Arctic, melt ponds are formed every year when snow and sea ice melt at the end of winter.…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
The Myth of the Jellyfish
by Mares - 1st September 2017
When I asked my child what jellyfish were, she said they are half fish, half jelly… Well nothing could be…
![Marjan Radovic](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/marjan-radovic-2-150x150.jpg)
Sea Turtle Recovery Center – Croatia
by Marjan Radovic - 7th August 2017
At the Verudela Lighthouse in Pula - Croatia, the release of sea turtles back into the wild was organized by…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Copepods rise and shine to internal genetic clocks
by Herbert - 7th August 2017
The Calanus finmarchicus is a copepod that packs a big punch. Although just two to four millimetres, this zooplankton’s genetic…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
The living dinosaurs of the sea
by Mares - 4th August 2017
Out of the seven species of sea turtles, six have made it onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature's…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
‘Weedy’ fish species to dominate future oceans due to ocean acidification
by Herbert - 24th July 2017
Such fish are “marine equivalent to rats” For the first time, researchers at University of Adelaide have demonstrated that the…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
The secret beauty of Nudibranchs
by Mares - 13th July 2017
Nudibranchs come in many different colours, shapes and sizes. According to various sources, there are between 2000 - 3000 different…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Lubricated lips helps fish feed on mucus of corals
by Herbert - 12th June 2017
Scientists have discovered a species of fish that has developed a set of self-lubricating lips to consume corals. They have…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
Why do krill stocks in Antarctica fluctuate?
by Herbert - 9th June 2017
Climatic influences not as important as previously thought Although just six centimeters long, the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) plays an…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Compass jellyfish in Boka Bay, Montenegro
by Mares - 13th May 2017
Jellyfish...so graceful and elegant, yet at the same time found in so many different colors and shapes. Their movements remind…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Master of the coral reef – The Giant Moray Eel
by Mares - 12th May 2017
Sometimes ugly, sometimes frightening, and of imposing size, the Giant Moray Eel is the master of the coral reefs of…
![Herbert](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Herbert-150x150.jpg)
First cave fish in Europe discovered
by Herbert - 5th April 2017
Fish is also world's most northerly cave fishFew species are as well hidden as those that live underground. In Europe,…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Elevated carbon dioxide levels impairs cone snails’ hunting skills
by Mares - 7th February 2017
Cone Snails become hyperactive and “meandered around” Cone snails are expected to find it hard to catch their prey if…
![Mares](https://blog.mares.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mares_blog-2-150x150.jpg)
Studying the effects of coastal erosion in the Arctic
by Mares - 18th January 2017
The thawing and erosion of the arctic permafrost coasts has increased so drastically in the past that more than 20…