Omnipotent Octopus
Omiah Mitchell | December 2019
It’s 5:30 in the morning. The waves are crashing violently crashing, echoing off the surface of the water and into the sky. The stars are disappearing into the unknown, falling victim to the streaks of vibrant red and pink that are slowly filling the world around us. My sister, Charly, and I walk barefoot through the cold untouched sand. We are silent. We understand that this is a moment that we should just be. Enjoy this time. Revel in the emptiness of the beach and observe the beauty of the sunrise. Together.
Even the air feels crisper. My senses feel sharper. The waves are quieting now as the moon disappears into the sky. The birds are waking up and flying over the horizon looking for their breakfast. We sit, watching the sunset as I begin to think what animals are awake and swimming around in the ocean. The ocean is one of man’s greatest mysteries. The vastness of it is utterly terrifying, yet, there is something within me that feels at home when I am near it.
The sun is almost done rising, so we get up and begin walking back to the house.
“Wow. That was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, I commented.
We walked in silence for a moment longer, “Yeah. I have not felt so content in a really long time. It was as if time just stopped,” she replied.
I let that statement simmer in my mind not even realizing that my sister had stopped in her tracks. She pulled me to an abrupt stop, and I didn’t know why until I followed her gaze down to the sand beneath our toes. There, in halfway buried beneath the sand was a lumpy shape. My sister poked it and moved with her shoe.
“It’s an Octopus.” I said, “I don’t know how it ended up here though. They are supposed to be at the bottom of the ocean for the most part.”
My sister shrugged it off, her curiosity satisfied, and prompted us to continue our walk to the house. I could not shake of our discovery as quickly as she. My mind was riddled with questions. Why was the Octopus beached? Were things like that normal? I was surprised to find this seemingly small thing to hit me so hard.
There are over 300 species of Octopuses that have been identified. Scientist have found a common ancestor from which all octopuses derive—The Nautilus (Nautiloidea). The now modern Cephalopods has evolved greatly over time; the oldest known fossil being of this invertebrate being dated back to over 296 million years ago during the Carboniferous period.
As scientists began to understand what magnificent creatures Octopuses are, they have started to discover more intriguing characteristics about them through research. Their evolutionary changes are what has helped them remain alive for long. Evolutionary traits like having three hearts has helped them thrive. Two out of three hearts focus on moving blood around while the third heart’s only purpose is to keep the circulation flowing to its other organs.
They are truly fascinating beings, identifiable by their large bulbous heads and eight arm-like tentacles that stretch out from their bodies. They use their strong extremities to gracefully propel themselves across the ocean floor. Their large languid bodies can condense into the smallest of spaces and blend in with their surroundings or enlarge themselves to intimidate predators if need be.
Scientists are slowly beginning to comprehend the complexity of these creatures. For example, their central nervous system contains nearly 45 million cells which make them more sensitive to their surroundings and able to retain more memories making them smarter than other animals. They also learn from other creatures by observing their movements and actions, then they retain everything that they have learned. Octopuses ability to recall and remember things that have happened, mistakes they made, or events that were a success has been an advancement in their evolutionary process. This amount of intellectual intelligence has allowed them to observe the world around them and thrive in a way that is not often seen in the animal kingdom.
Octopuses have been here long before humans. Despite us knowing about their presence, it was not until the 1980’s that we started to acknowledge how researching them would grant us more knowledge.
Unfortunately, it was not until very recently that scientists had discovered the sensitivity of octopuses. Their incredibly complex nervous system causes them to be more sensitive to active sonars which create noise pollution. Noise pollution is any type of unwanted or excessive sound that can have detrimental effects on a species, whether it’s physical/ psychological health, or the environment in which the species lives.
The U.S. Navy as well as oil companies have been known to release sonar waves into the ocean. They do this to test the depths of the ocean or to search for a place to drill for oil. Mind you, they do this without considering what it might do to marine life. Noise pollution causes damage to the Octopuses neurological structure and affects its ability to produce, evade predators, and even hunt. If any of these three things are affected by noise pollution—much less all of them—and it has, the effects become devastating for the Octopuses population.
Octopuses also face the monster of habitat destruction. Most Octopuses live at the bottom of the ocean, but the ones that do not generally live at the surface of the ocean in the beginning of their lives and then slowly gravitate to the bottom of the ocean floor as they age. The older they grow the more they enjoy the colder waters within the depth of the ocean. Octopuses ability to adapt to different areas of seawater has been a large reason as to why their species as survived for millions of years. They live in dens within reefs and pilings.
Unfortunately, their homes are being destroyed by pollution and heavy tourism. They cannot find safe places to lay their eggs. The toxins from the pollution within the water causes their sensitive nervous systems to shut down and they cannot function enough to survive. This has caused a steady decrease in the Octopus population.
Octopuses have survived multiple extinction events in the past. Their bodies easily evolve along with their environment. Their intelligence has allowed them to learn and adapt in ways that have granted them the ability to thrive for millions of years. I ask with these new sonar technologies that has never been seen before; How can their nervous systems adapt in time for their survival for the end of the Anthropocene? While they outlive the Sixth Extinction like they have so many others? Will these attacks on their homes and physiological states lesson so that they can live as freely and pain free as they once had before?
I truly wish I did not have to question the future of other species because of the multiple selfish mistakes that humans have repeatedly made. I wish that my sister and I’s peaceful experience was not shattered by the harrowing discovery of a rotting corpse of an Octopus that lead such a complex and long life.
Sources
André, J, et al. “Effects of Temperature on Energetics and the Growth Pattern of Benthic Octopuses.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 374, 2009, pp. 167–179., doi:10.3354/meps07736.
André, Michel, et al. “Low‐Frequency Sounds Induce Acoustic Trauma in Cephalopods.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 9, no. 9, Nov. 2011, pp. 489–493., doi:10.1890/100124.
Courage, Katherine Harmon. “There Are Plenty of Octopuses In the Sea-Or Are There?” Scientific American Blog Network, 27 Dec. 2014, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/octopus-chronicles/there-are-plenty-of-octopuses-in-the-sea-mdash-or-are-there/
Dragon, Jackie, et al. “The Octopus Is a Pretty Amazing Creature- but, Its Home Is at Serious Risk.” Greenpeace USA, 3 July 2015, https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/octopus-pretty-amazing-creature-home-serious-risk/.
Harmon, Katherine. “Octopuses and Squids Are Damaged by Noise Pollution.” Scientific American Blog Network, 12 Apr. 2011, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/octopuses-and-squids-are-damaged-by-noise-pollution/.
Hochner, Binyamin, et al. “The Octopus: A Model for a Comparative Analysis of the Evolution of Learning and Memory Mechanisms.” The Biological Bulletin, vol. 210, no. 3, June 2006, pp. 308–317., doi:10.2307/4134567.
Leite, T.s., et al. “Habitat, Distribution, and Abundance of the Commercial Octopus (Octopus Insularis) in a Tropical Oceanic Island, Brazil: Information for Management of an Artisanal Fishery inside a Marine Protected Area.” Fisheries Research, vol. 98, no. 1-3, 2009, pp. 85–91., doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2009.04.001.
Omiah Mitchell | December 2019
It’s 5:30 in the morning. The waves are crashing violently crashing, echoing off the surface of the water and into the sky. The stars are disappearing into the unknown, falling victim to the streaks of vibrant red and pink that are slowly filling the world around us. My sister, Charly, and I walk barefoot through the cold untouched sand. We are silent. We understand that this is a moment that we should just be. Enjoy this time. Revel in the emptiness of the beach and observe the beauty of the sunrise. Together.
Even the air feels crisper. My senses feel sharper. The waves are quieting now as the moon disappears into the sky. The birds are waking up and flying over the horizon looking for their breakfast. We sit, watching the sunset as I begin to think what animals are awake and swimming around in the ocean. The ocean is one of man’s greatest mysteries. The vastness of it is utterly terrifying, yet, there is something within me that feels at home when I am near it.
The sun is almost done rising, so we get up and begin walking back to the house.
“Wow. That was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, I commented.
We walked in silence for a moment longer, “Yeah. I have not felt so content in a really long time. It was as if time just stopped,” she replied.
I let that statement simmer in my mind not even realizing that my sister had stopped in her tracks. She pulled me to an abrupt stop, and I didn’t know why until I followed her gaze down to the sand beneath our toes. There, in halfway buried beneath the sand was a lumpy shape. My sister poked it and moved with her shoe.
“It’s an Octopus.” I said, “I don’t know how it ended up here though. They are supposed to be at the bottom of the ocean for the most part.”
My sister shrugged it off, her curiosity satisfied, and prompted us to continue our walk to the house. I could not shake of our discovery as quickly as she. My mind was riddled with questions. Why was the Octopus beached? Were things like that normal? I was surprised to find this seemingly small thing to hit me so hard.
There are over 300 species of Octopuses that have been identified. Scientist have found a common ancestor from which all octopuses derive—The Nautilus (Nautiloidea). The now modern Cephalopods has evolved greatly over time; the oldest known fossil being of this invertebrate being dated back to over 296 million years ago during the Carboniferous period.
As scientists began to understand what magnificent creatures Octopuses are, they have started to discover more intriguing characteristics about them through research. Their evolutionary changes are what has helped them remain alive for long. Evolutionary traits like having three hearts has helped them thrive. Two out of three hearts focus on moving blood around while the third heart’s only purpose is to keep the circulation flowing to its other organs.
They are truly fascinating beings, identifiable by their large bulbous heads and eight arm-like tentacles that stretch out from their bodies. They use their strong extremities to gracefully propel themselves across the ocean floor. Their large languid bodies can condense into the smallest of spaces and blend in with their surroundings or enlarge themselves to intimidate predators if need be.
Scientists are slowly beginning to comprehend the complexity of these creatures. For example, their central nervous system contains nearly 45 million cells which make them more sensitive to their surroundings and able to retain more memories making them smarter than other animals. They also learn from other creatures by observing their movements and actions, then they retain everything that they have learned. Octopuses ability to recall and remember things that have happened, mistakes they made, or events that were a success has been an advancement in their evolutionary process. This amount of intellectual intelligence has allowed them to observe the world around them and thrive in a way that is not often seen in the animal kingdom.
Octopuses have been here long before humans. Despite us knowing about their presence, it was not until the 1980’s that we started to acknowledge how researching them would grant us more knowledge.
Unfortunately, it was not until very recently that scientists had discovered the sensitivity of octopuses. Their incredibly complex nervous system causes them to be more sensitive to active sonars which create noise pollution. Noise pollution is any type of unwanted or excessive sound that can have detrimental effects on a species, whether it’s physical/ psychological health, or the environment in which the species lives.
The U.S. Navy as well as oil companies have been known to release sonar waves into the ocean. They do this to test the depths of the ocean or to search for a place to drill for oil. Mind you, they do this without considering what it might do to marine life. Noise pollution causes damage to the Octopuses neurological structure and affects its ability to produce, evade predators, and even hunt. If any of these three things are affected by noise pollution—much less all of them—and it has, the effects become devastating for the Octopuses population.
Octopuses also face the monster of habitat destruction. Most Octopuses live at the bottom of the ocean, but the ones that do not generally live at the surface of the ocean in the beginning of their lives and then slowly gravitate to the bottom of the ocean floor as they age. The older they grow the more they enjoy the colder waters within the depth of the ocean. Octopuses ability to adapt to different areas of seawater has been a large reason as to why their species as survived for millions of years. They live in dens within reefs and pilings.
Unfortunately, their homes are being destroyed by pollution and heavy tourism. They cannot find safe places to lay their eggs. The toxins from the pollution within the water causes their sensitive nervous systems to shut down and they cannot function enough to survive. This has caused a steady decrease in the Octopus population.
Octopuses have survived multiple extinction events in the past. Their bodies easily evolve along with their environment. Their intelligence has allowed them to learn and adapt in ways that have granted them the ability to thrive for millions of years. I ask with these new sonar technologies that has never been seen before; How can their nervous systems adapt in time for their survival for the end of the Anthropocene? While they outlive the Sixth Extinction like they have so many others? Will these attacks on their homes and physiological states lesson so that they can live as freely and pain free as they once had before?
I truly wish I did not have to question the future of other species because of the multiple selfish mistakes that humans have repeatedly made. I wish that my sister and I’s peaceful experience was not shattered by the harrowing discovery of a rotting corpse of an Octopus that lead such a complex and long life.
Sources
André, J, et al. “Effects of Temperature on Energetics and the Growth Pattern of Benthic Octopuses.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 374, 2009, pp. 167–179., doi:10.3354/meps07736.
André, Michel, et al. “Low‐Frequency Sounds Induce Acoustic Trauma in Cephalopods.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 9, no. 9, Nov. 2011, pp. 489–493., doi:10.1890/100124.
Courage, Katherine Harmon. “There Are Plenty of Octopuses In the Sea-Or Are There?” Scientific American Blog Network, 27 Dec. 2014, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/octopus-chronicles/there-are-plenty-of-octopuses-in-the-sea-mdash-or-are-there/
Dragon, Jackie, et al. “The Octopus Is a Pretty Amazing Creature- but, Its Home Is at Serious Risk.” Greenpeace USA, 3 July 2015, https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/octopus-pretty-amazing-creature-home-serious-risk/.
Harmon, Katherine. “Octopuses and Squids Are Damaged by Noise Pollution.” Scientific American Blog Network, 12 Apr. 2011, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/octopuses-and-squids-are-damaged-by-noise-pollution/.
Hochner, Binyamin, et al. “The Octopus: A Model for a Comparative Analysis of the Evolution of Learning and Memory Mechanisms.” The Biological Bulletin, vol. 210, no. 3, June 2006, pp. 308–317., doi:10.2307/4134567.
Leite, T.s., et al. “Habitat, Distribution, and Abundance of the Commercial Octopus (Octopus Insularis) in a Tropical Oceanic Island, Brazil: Information for Management of an Artisanal Fishery inside a Marine Protected Area.” Fisheries Research, vol. 98, no. 1-3, 2009, pp. 85–91., doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2009.04.001.