Under the Sea

Here at FAU, we all live within driving distance of the ocean - some of us are even within walking distance. In fact, we even have a campus called SeaTech with an ocean engineering department. Whether or not you enjoy the beach, there are some fascinating creatures that live under the sea.

For instance, scientists discovered the oldest living animal at the bottom of the ocean - that is, until they killed it. The approximately 405-year-old clam was just, well, doing whatever clams do off the coast of Iceland when it was picked up by researchers and killed. In their defense, it looked just like any other clam.

Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that the oldest living animal turned out to be a clam. I was hoping that it would be a tortoise or, by some stroke of luck, a giant gorilla; maybe I'm just strangely partial to land animals. (I'm not going to lie; fish freak me out a little bit.)

Anyway, besides just being good for a photo op, the scientists plan to use the clam to track climate changes in the past by analyzing the rings on its shell; that's also how the scientists figured out the age of the clam. I'd hate to be the researcher who had to sit down and count all the lines on the clamshell. That has to be the most tedious job in the world, but I guess someone had to draw the short straw.

Another magical creature we've found at the bottom of the ocean is the ever-vicious cone snail. Apparently there's a deadly snail and its venom can paralyze a person, according to LiveScience. Fortunately, the venom also has benefits, such as possible treatment for strokes and chronic pain.

I still think it's neat that we can turn components of lethal venom into a treatment, especially from a creature as ugly as a snail. Granted, the treatments are still in the laboratory, but it's a step in the right direction.

If you would like to learn more about the killer snails, Frank Marí, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry here at FAU, is giving a presentation on the snail's benefits on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. The presentation will take place in the Charles E. Schmidt Biomedical Science Center in room 126 on the Boca campus.

Or you could skip the presentation and just go to the beach instead.