The Aliens are Here: Invasive Species

Diver With Lion Fish

Exotic beauty hides a deadly beast.  The lionfish is but one of over 4,000 invasive species found in the United States doing damage to wildlife, plants, our economy, and our health.

An invasive species, also called alien species, is a non-native plant or animal that may have no natural enemies and possibly possess other advantages that allow it to propagate to such a degree that it causes damage. 

This may include the killing of already endangered plants, habitat loss, damaging crops, clogging pipes in power plants or otherwise wreaking havoc.  Their success makes them impossible to eradicate and very difficult to control.

One example, the lionfish, is of great concern in the Southern United States, killing off 65% of the local fish population within two years. Some of these prey fish are critical for cleaning the coral, so the coral reefs are also dying off.

Stock Images of Invasive Animals & Plants

It's believed this invasion was caused by a few pet lionfish owners releasing them into the wild from their home aquariums.  

The lionfish has no natural predator in the United States. It is carnivorous and eats voraciously. A single female lionfish can lay over two million eggs a year. 

Lionfish are difficult to eradicate because they hang out on the sea floor, up to 1,000 ft down.  They cannot be caught by nets, nor by fishing hook and line. A diver needs to spear them one at a time. Their venomous sting is 50 times more painful than a wasp's and can take months to heal. Divers need to carry special hard-shelled containers for their catches to protect themselves from the lionfish barbs. 

This is one of approximately 4,300 invasive species currently causing loss of wildlife and income in the United States.

Fun Gifts of Scary Invasive Species

How do invasive species get here? People, and the goods we use, travel around the world very quickly and often carry uninvited species with them.

As people become more aware of invasive species and how to prevent them, the situation can improve.

In the case of the lionfish, people have discovered it is delicious to eat. High demand from restaurants is now putting a dent in the lionfish population. The lionfish will never be eradicated, but as long as we have hungry diners, there's a chance of getting them under control.

• bbc.com
• earthrangers.com
• washingtonpost.com
• wikipedia.com
• sailorsofthesea.org
• oceanservice.noaa.gov
• pbs.org
• nationalgeographic.com

A Wizard of Oz Moment for Black and White Images

 In a Wizard of Oz moment, artists are bringing full color to black and white images, while chronicling the past in a never before seen way. 

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, colorized images play an important role in education.  The famous image of Pavlov with his dogs is recognizable to many but not everyone notices all the tools involved in his findings. Digital coloring highlights these areas, helping students understand how Pavlov made his important discoveries in psychology.

In scientific images, digital color can locate everything from stars to microbes in the grayscale of SEMs and old photos, making them perfect for textbooks and other publications.

Stock Gallery of Colorized Images

Colorized images also have a historic significance. Black and white photographs may depict an event in the past but fail to capture the full appearance of an era. Historians have recently discovered that many sculptures from ancient Greece were painted. Now artists can reintroduce this color, revealing the past in a more authentic way.

Colorized mugs, phone cases and more

Colorized Mugs, Phone Cases and T-shirts

As we move forward with technology and our understanding of science and history, colorized images are playing an important role in enhancing the accuracy and beauty of stock images. Explore more in the links above.

The Fascinating Journey of Blood Through Your Body

Did you know that your body houses millions of vessels that are circulating blood at this very moment? In fact, if all the blood vessels in the average adult were connected in one line from beginning to end, they would stretch 100,000 miles. The circulatory (or cardiovascular) system carries blood all throughout your body to transport nutrients, allow for essential body functions like breathing, and maintain an overall homeostasis.

Arteries, veins, and capillaries are the three different types of blood vessels that make blood circulation possible. Veins transport deoxygenated or waste-rich blood that will eventually be filtered, and arteries carry the filtered, oxygenated blood. Capillaries are the middleman of blood circulation, as they enable the exchange of blood between arteries and veins.

Stock Video of Blood Flow and Circulatory Anatomy

Blood Drop on Finger

There are two types of blood circulation: pulmonary and systemic. Pulmonary circulation is the transportation of blood to the lungs so that the blood becomes oxygenated and can return to the heart. This oxygenated blood is then used within systemic circulation.

During systemic circulation, the heart pumps oxygenated blood out to the rest of the body through the arteries. Capillaries deoxygenate the blood by swapping out the oxygen with carbon dioxide, and they then deliver the deoxygenated blood to the veins. The veins carry the deoxygenated blood back to the heart to start the pulmonary cycle over again.

This intricate and elegant system is happening constantly within your body. Without it, you would have no digestive system or immune system, and even your hormones wouldn't be able to be expressed.

Staying healthy, hydrating, and exercising regularly can help ensure that you're taking care of your circulatory system and everything is flowing smoothly.

Circulatory System Mugs, Notebooks, and Other Custom Gifts

• fi.edu
• ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• innerbody.com

The Beauty of Illustration in an Age of Photography

Photograph of a normal human brain and a 3D illustration of a human brain.

You may associate nature and medical illustration with dusty old tomes, but it's more relevant and beautiful than ever. In a world that's getting more complicated and where technical knowledge can make or break careers, precise and informative illustration is more critical than ever.

Stock Images of Nature & Medical Illustration

Illustration can show the unseen and explain the unclear. Think about a photograph of internal human anatomy. Even if it is a high resolution, super sharp image, it may still be difficult to decipher. A science or medical illustration, on the other hand, can show each anatomical part in a different color, label it, and indicate its function. Unimportant details can be left out and critical information highlighted.

In many cases, a photograph can't display the same level of detail as a well-designed illustration. Volcanos are spectacular on the outside but their inner workings are hidden from view without a well-placed cross-section. Illustrations can also represent processes such as DNA sequencing and distinctions between organisms that are similar in appearance, such as bacteria and viruses.

Finch Family Tree Throw Pillow

 

Throw Pillows, Framed Art, and Other Nature Illustration Gifts

To this day scientific illustrations play an important role in the education of doctors, geologists, paleontologists, physicists and many other careers.  

With the advancement of 2D and 3D software and the continued efforts of talented scientific artists, illustration will continue to play an important role in the future of science education.

Animals Were Just as Cute Back Then

Do you remember the monkey chef on daytime TV, tea time with the family collie and the elephant conga line at the traveling circus?

Get reacquainted with Retro Animals! Revisit the show dogs of the golden era, the loyal companions of the boy scouts and the neighborhood heroes of the local fire department.

Retro tote bags and t-shirts

 Stock Images of Retro Animals and Their Owners

Modern technology has brought full color to these classic images. Witness an art form in the making, as black and white photography and lithography enters the digital age. 

Be sure to check out our storefront for retro animal phone cases, tote bags, t-shirts and more.

Coffee Cups, Phone Cases, and Tote Bags

Were the pets of the old days really this well-behaved? Maybe not. But the nostalgia's well worth it.

Wild Weather & Climate Change

As levels of CO2 in the atmosphere rise from man-made emissions, the likelihood of extreme weather is increasing. Over recent decades, scientists have seen a trend of increased storm activity along with higher temperatures.

Stock Images & Stock Video of Wild Weather

Drought, flooding, deadly hurricanes, and tornadoes are now more common around the world. Along with loss of life and property, animals are also struggling to survive.

Hurricanes, also called typhoons or cyclones, form near the equator, over warm ocean water. As the water evaporates, it creates clouds that rise, allowing cooler air to swirl in beneath them.   

As the ascending air cools, it descends, creating moving air masses.  The earth's rotation moves them, making the system spin faster.  Eventually, the air speeds up and an area of calm air forms in the center, called the eye of the hurricane.
  
The system continues to move over warm water, picking up more evaporated water and growing stronger.

When a tropical storm reaches 74 mph or higher it becomes a hurricane.  Speeds beyond 157 mph or higher make it a category 5 or Catastrophic Storm.

2017 was the costliest hurricane season on record with estimated damages at $282.16 billion. It was also amongst the most active, featuring several category 5 hurricanes.  

Art Prints of
Wild Weather Images

 

Worldwide, heavy rains, tornadoes, floods and other forms of extreme weather continue to increase.

In the Atlantic, hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th with peaks in August, September & October. If you live or are traveling in the area, stay alert to warnings from your local weather service and be prepared. 

 

globalchange.gov
scientifiamerican.com
e360yale.edspaceplace.nasa.gov
bbcnews.com

Phytoplankton & CO2

One group of creatures produces 70% of the earth's oxygen and also consumes carbon dioxide at an amazing rate. They are phytoplankton, and most are tiny single-celled organisms.

Phytoplankton come in many shapes and forms. The majority are single-celled plants, but some are bacteria and others are protists. Common types of phytoplankton are cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and coccolithophores.

Phytoplankton plays an important role in human life in that they produce 70% of the oxygen we breathe. A much greater amount than terrestrial plants.

They are part of the carbon cycle, as they consume atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 resides naturally in the atmosphere, but human beings, mostly through the burning of fossil fuels, have released ever greater amounts into the atmosphere.

Stock Images and Stock Video of Phytoplankton

Along with CO2, phytoplankton need sunlight and other nutrients to survive.

At certain times, phytoplankton grow at an explosive rate over the course of days or weeks, creating what is called a "bloom." These blooms may last several weeks, even though an individual phytoplankton lives only for a few days. Despite being of a microscopic size, Phytoplankton blooms are so large they are clearly seen and photographed from satellites.

Aside from providing oxygen, phytoplankton are a major part of the food chain which includes everything from tiny zooplankton to shrimp, jellyfish, fish and whales.

Plankton Beach Towels, Tote Bags and More

Sometimes, phytoplankton can produce biotoxins, killing marine life and people who eat this marine life. "Red tides" are a type of toxic algal bloom. Once the bloom is over, the bacteria feeding on the dead phytoplankton deplete the oxygen in the water, thereby suffocating other animals.

These tiny creatures are truly a fascinating link in the chain of life.

www.diatoms.org

earthobservatory.nasa.gov

oceanservice.noaa.gov