Of corals and canaries

Aquarium researcher, Randi Rotjan, PhD, recently sat down with Jenny Attiyeh, host of ThoughtCast, to discuss a melange of marine research topics ranging from tube worms living around toasty thermal vents to moving day for hermit crabs. She even explains how some fish eat coral.

In Part I, Randi explains why corals are the backbone of underwater cities and act as the canary in the coal mine for the world's oceans. You'll also get information on those house-hunting crabs (get more in-depth information on hermit crabs' social networking here) as well as learn how bacteria are the key to tube worms living around heated underwater vents. Have a listen!



Watch Part II to see Randi's show-and-tell on coral that's been eaten by fish, and learn a nifty new word to describe this process.



Randi has traveled around the world to study corals, tube worms and hermit crabs, among many other topics. Learn more about her expeditions to Belize and Saudi Arabia on the Global Explorers Blog. If you were intrigued by Randi's stories from the Phoenix Islands, surf over to the Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA) Blog to see her stunning photos.