This past week our short film ‘Oyster Vision’ was included in the second episode of Adult Swim‘s new ten-minute mind-boggle of a show, Off the Air. The episode is titled ‘Food’, check it out above.

We are psyched to announce the fourth release in our South Florida-centric 7″ vinyl series; the debut 7″ (‘Big Problem’ / ‘Dead Gulf’) from Miami’s ANR. Typical of our 7″ singles, the record is a limited edition run of 100 copies in black vinyl with individually lino-block printed sleeve art by the band. We have rubber stamped our corallimorph logo onto the b-side of the center-sticker and stamped/ numbered the a-side.

Little Munich in Lake Worth is graciously hosting the 7″ release party this Saturday, January 15th, featuring live sets from ANR, Beings, the band in Heaven, and Sumsun. We will have the record for sale for $8 at the release party and at the run of ANR performances supporting Washed Out the following week (including a Miami show). A portion of the remaining records will be going to Rough Trade’s London shop and to Sweat Records in Miami. The rest will be available at the Coral Morphologic store.

We are infinitely excited to announce our first public art project: Artificial Reef, a nightly projection series showcasing local coral reef-life in massive scale on prominent buildings across Miami Beach from December second to the fifth. The concrete used in constructing these buildings is largely composed of the pulverized fossils of coral and marine life that once colonized South Florida when submerged in millennia past. The Artificial Reef projections will “encrust” and “colonize” the Wolfsonian Museum, the 407 Building, and the Art Deco Welcome Center facades like rocks of the reef. Artificial Reef has been made possible by a generous grant from the Knight Foundation.

During the week/end we will have an accompanying solo show of of our multi-media works at the Art Deco Welcome Center. Video loops, photography and projections will be shown. The opening reception for Artificial Reef will take place at the Art Deco Welcome Center on Friday, December 3rd from 8PM – 12AM. We are additionally psyched to host special live “soundscape” performances by ANR and Sumsun during the reception, with an accompanying collage of our Natural History films curated and affected by video artist Jamie Harley. The video collaboration will be projected onto the bands as they perform. We will have complimentary Prestige beer at the reception.

We are proud to announce the third release in our South Florida-centric 7″ vinyl series; a double A-side (‘LKLL’ / ‘Metrozoo’) via Miami’s Beings. The record is a limited edition run of 100 copies in black vinyl with individually lino-block printed sleeve art by the band. We have rubber stamped our corallimorph logo onto the b-side of the center-sticker and stamped/ numbered the a-side.

The Vagabond & Sweat Records are hosting the 7″ release party this Friday, October 29th with live sets from Beings and Plains. We will have the record for sale for $8 at the show.

For those who wish to purchase the Beings 7″ online, please see the Coral Morphologic store.

We are proud to present the debut 7″ vinyl release (‘Innovator’ b/w ‘Stuck In The Night’) from Miami’s Plains. The record is limited to 100 copies in black vinyl with individually-stenciled sleeve art by band leader/ songwriter Michael McGinnis. We have rubber stamped our corallimorph logo onto the b-side of the center-sticker and stamped/ numbered the a-side.

BAR is hosting the 7″ release party this Friday, September the 3rd with live sets from Plains and Animal Tropical. We will have the record for sale for $7 at the show.

For those who wish to purchase the Plains 7″ online, please see the Coral Morphologic store.

We are proud to present the debut 7″ vinyl release (‘Take Your Time (With Me)’ b/w ‘Never Seen Snow’) from West Palm Beach’s Guy Harvey. The record is limited to 100 copies in black vinyl with individually-screened sleeve art by the band. We have rubber stamped our corallimorph logo onto the b-side of the center-sticker and stamped/ numbered the a-side.

To celebrate The Vagabond is hosting the 7″ release party this Friday the 13th with sponsorship by Sweat Records and the live sounds of Guy Harvey and The Jameses. We will have the record for sale for $7 at the show; see you there!

For those who wish to purchase the Guy Harvey 7″ online, please see the Coral Morphologic store.

‘The Heart Urchin Pea Crab’
Dissodactylus primitivus on Meoma ventricosa
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Barely 7mm in size, the aptly named heart urchin pea crab (Dissodactylus primitivus) lives its entire life as a passenger upon the slow-moving red heart urchin (Meoma ventricosa). It is an example of the unusual life that can be found by looking in unexpected places on Floridian coral reefs. The red heart urchin is an unusual member of the echinoderm clan (e.g. urchins, sea stars, sand dollars, sea cucumbers) that spends most of its time burrowing in the sand. It sifts through the grains of sand searching for organic detritus that constitutes its diet. Likewise, the heart urchin pea crab lives a well-protected life (usually below the sand) amongst the spines of this fist-sized urchin. While most crabs move swiftly, this pea crab moves slowly in order to navigate through the corridors of spines, even spending time inside the urchin’s mouth. It is likely that the crab feeds upon some of the food that would otherwise be consumed by the urchin. This commensal relationship appears mildly parasitic, as the urchin doesn’t seem to gain any sort of direct benefit from the crab living amongst its spines. Frequently, several heart urchin pea crabs will live communally without any noticeable negative impact to their host urchin’s health.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the rhythmic working of its gills and circulatory system within the heart urchin pea crab’s translucent, eggshell exoskeleton.

‘The Porcelain Crab’
Petrolisthes galathinus feeding on passing plankton
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

The porcelain crab’s common name is derived from its propensity to drop claws like a fragile tea cup breaking. When attacked, the would-be predator is usually left with nothing more than a few amputated (and still-twitching) limbs. In a few days the porcelain crab will undergo an ’emergency molt’ of its exoskeleton and begin regenerating its lost appendages.

The porcelain crab shown here, Petrolisthes galathinus, is a common resident of Floridian and Caribbean reefs, living under rubble and coral heads. Turning over loose rocks will often yield a fleeting glimpse of scurrying, purple legs. They can move incredibly fast and generally remain cryptic to the passing scuba diver. While many crab species are territorial and agressive towards members of their own species, these porcelain crabs can be colonial with several dozen porcelain crabs living together under the same rock.

Despite the similar appearances, porcelain crabs are not ‘true’ crabs; they are in fact more closely related to the squat lobster clan (Galatheidae) than the archetypal brachyuran crabs we are all familiar with. Porcelain crabs’ flattened bodies are adapted to their life under rocks and in crevices. One of the defining features of porcelain crabs are the comb-like appendages called ‘setae’ that sweep the water currents in order to collect edible particles that happen to float by. Another pair of specialized appendages scrape the the setae and bring the collected food to their mouthparts. This feeding strategy, with its alternating rhythm, appears robotic in its efficiency.

‘The Lettuce Slug’
Elysia crispata on Halimeda opuntia
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Lettuce sea slugs (Elysia crispata) are a commonly found in protected nearshore Floridian waters where green macroalgae proliferates. They belong to a clan of sea slugs, the sarcoglossans, that are characterized by their ‘sap-sucking’ feeding habits of algae. These slugs slowly patrol mangrove roots and rocks searching for green algae upon which they feed. They store some of the chloroplasts from eaten algae in their tissue, giving it the green coloration. The chloroplasts continue to function, providing the slug with photosynthetic energy. The ruffles along the back of the lettuce sea slug are called parapodia, and help provide more surface area for the chloroplasts to inhabit. They also camouflage the slug amongst the leafy algae that they live amongst. It is very easy to swim past a lettuce nudibranch without ever noticing it.

The scrolled rhinophores (antennae) on the head of the lettuce sea slug help detect the chemical fingerprints of their preferred algal species. If you look carefully, just behind the rhinophores, you’ll notice the small black eye spots that act as rudimentary eyes to detect changes in light and dark.

The macroalgae featured in the film is Halimeda opuntia, (named after its resemblance to the prickly pear cactus Opuntia sp.). It is unique amongst green algae in that it produces a semi-rigid, calcareous skeleton. In fact, the dead ‘leaf’ fragments of Halimeda spp. algae are a more significant producer of coral reef sand than the corals themselves. It is not uncommon to find lettuce sea slugs on Halimeda opuntia algae, as it frequently lives amidst the softer green algae that the lettuce sea slugs prefer.

‘Sally Lightfoot’
Percnon gibbsi crab amongst Anemonia bermudensis anemone garden
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

The sally lightfoot crab (Percnon gibbsi) is an agile maneuverer on the rocky shores of the Caribbean. These crabs are particularly well-suited to life on craggy limestone rock in shallow water. The rockwork is the result of sea urchins eroding the limestone as they rasp off the algae growing on the surface. The cumulative erosion by sea urchins over many years creates a jagged network of fissures and channels through the solid rock. The sally lightfoot crab’s pancake-flat body allows it to scuttle beneath the protective spines of a nearby urchin at a moment’s notice. Anemonia bermudensis sea anemones like the ones seen in the film can also be common on the rocks in this surf-washed zone. The sally lightfoot’s nimble legs allow it zig-zag harmlessly between the tentacles of these stinging animals. Between the crab’s eyes you’ll notice a pair of fast-flitting antennae that detect the ‘smell’ of food in the water. The turbulence of the environment requires accurate detection and nimble response.

‘Complex Nano’
Music by Space Voodoo Crystal
Video and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Above is a short video featuring a glow-in-the-dark perspective of the 5-gallon ‘Complex Nano’ reef aquarium. A daylight photo of this aquarium is featured in the April/May – 8th Anniversary Issue of Marc Ecko’s Complex Magazine (see below). By comparing the two differently illuminated versions of this nano reef, the true fluorescence of the corallimorphs and zoanthids immediately becomes apparent. The fluorescent pigments of the corallimorphs and zoanthids are preferentially activated under the 470 nm blue wavelength LED lighting used in the video. Notice that the normally bright orange coloration of the clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) appears nearly black in the film.

Both of the fish in the aquarium are captive-raised by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s ornamental aquaculture subsidiary ORA. ORA has been a leader in this field, and we stand fully committed to the further development of  aquacultured ornamental marine fish species. You’ll notice that the normally three-striped clownfish has an unusual cross-pattern on one side. This is the result of selective breeding on ORA’s part.  In recent years, clownfish hatcheries have developed all black, white, orange, and ‘Picasso’, variations of the standard ‘Nemo’ through patient breeding and selection.

The other fish in the aquarium is an orchid dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani). Wild versions of this fish tend to be more fiesty and territorial, whereas hatchery-raised fish tend to be more gregarious and better suited for life in a community reef aquarium.

Note the commensal (and nearly translucent) Pederson’s cleaner shrimp (Periclimenes pedersoni) on the fluorescent orange (Ricordea florida) corallimorphs in the video.

Click here for a complete species and hardware list

Special thanks to Patrick Albertson (article author) and Space Voodoo Crystal (soundtrack)

‘Oyster Vision’
Spondylus americanus oyster
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Here we look into the face of the thorny oyster (Spondylus americanus). Unlike most shallow-water oyster species, the thorny oyster is a solitary creature that lives permanently cemented to the deeper coral reef. Its fleshy mantle is adorned with sepia-toned psychedelic camouflage that can vary widely from one individual to the next. The rim of the mantle is lined with dozens of eyes that stare out into the depths. These eyes are quite simple, only detecting changes in light that might suggest an incoming predator. If a threat is detected, the oyster will quickly snap its two shells together, sealing the animal inside with its two powerful adductor muscles. It is the adductor muscle that people eat when they eat ‘oysters on the half shell’. Oysters are filter feeders, spending their time siphoning water through gills that strain out particulate matter. As seen in the film, the oyster periodically expels waste and water with a quick contraction of its adductor muscles.

In the second installment (next week) we will explore the upper shell of the oyster and the community of organisms that has colonized it.

‘The Sun Coral’
The feeding of a Tubastrea coccinea coral cluster
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

This week’s video features a colony of Tubastrea coccinea coral polyp clones feeding on passing zooplankton. The film is sped up 10 times to emphasize the feeding abilities and coordination between the sticky tentacles and the polyps’ mouths.

Tubastrea coccinea or ‘Sun Corals’, have an unusual background story, being the only invasive stony coral to become established in the Caribbean basin. Native to the tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans, they were first noted living on ships’ hulls in Puerto Rico and Curacao (Southern Caribbean) in the mid 1940’s. Over the ensuing decades, they eventually spread elsewhere throughout the entire Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico on the prevailing water currents. It is believed that these sun corals may have originally entered our region as larval stow-aways in the ballast water of intercontinental ships that passed through the Panama Canal.

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‘Purple Forest’
Decorator Crab (Microphrys bicornuta) on Asparagopsis taxiformis algae
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

This week’s video features an aquascape comprised of the beautiful purple macro algae Asparagopsis taxiformis. However, if you pay close attention to the left 1/3 of the screen, you’ll notice something… moving with claws. Nestled amongst the algae is a perfectly camouflaged decorator crab (Microphrys bicornuta). Keep paying attention… at 26 seconds into the clip you’ll notice a tiny isopod crustacean float by in the current and descend helicopter-style right onto the crab’s back. The unsuspecting isopod has no idea that it has landed upon an algae covered beast. Furthermore, it appears that the crab is not aware of the unexpected visitor until the isopod begins to explore its decorated exoskeleton.  50 seconds into the clip the isopod meets its fate with a few swift snatches of the crab’s claws. Without missing a beat, the crab continues scavenging amongst the rocks and algae. And life on the reef goes on.

Decorator crabs are amazing creatures in that they pick up pieces of their surrounding habitat and place them on their carapace (back, exoskeleton) in order to blend into their surroundings. Decorator crabs that live amongst sponges decorate with sponges, those that live amongst zoanthids use zoanthids, and so on. This instinctual logic is truly remarkable. The crab in the video has attached small pieces of the Asparagopsis upon itself, and as a result is all but indistinguishable from its surroundings.

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‘The Christmas Tree Worm’
Spirobranchus giganteus – Amber Morph
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) are an abundant creature on Floridian reefs, making their permanent homes encased inside the limestone skeletons of live coral. Found in a seemingly endless variety of colors and measuring 2-3 cm in diameter, dozens of these worms will typically adorn massive coral heads in local waters.

Using only the perception of light and vibration, these animals will retract at lighting speed at the first sense of something ominous approaching. Fortunately the worms come equipped with a a protective double-horned operculum that seals the worm safely inside the impenetrable coral. A sharp, calcareous spike extends forward of the tube’s opening, acting as a further deterrent to a would-be predator.

The spiraled, ‘branchial crown’ serves as both breathing and feeding apparatus for the worm, and is the only part of the worm’s body that is extended into the water column. The feathery appendages, known radioles, collect plankton that drift by in the current. The radioles are lined with cilia that direct the captured food down the spiral to the worm’s mouth.

‘Unidentified Ricordea Shrimp’
Unidentified commensal shrimp on Ricordea florida corallimorphs
Music, Video, and Aquarium
2010 Coral Morphologic

Shown above is the first documented video of a currently unidentified shrimp commensal with Ricordea florida corallimorphs. The nearly invisible shrimp measures only 9mm in total length. The ricordea polyp is about 30mm in diameter for comparison. We first reported and photographed this shrimp in October 2009. Subsequently, we sent a preserved specimen to taxonomist Dr. Richard Heard at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Dr. Heard was unable to match the specimen with a described shrimp species. We will be sending additional specimens in the near future to confirm this shrimp’s newness to science.

During the nights of Art Basel Miami Beach our 2009 film reel was displayed on the 80′ X 42′ LED screen on the facade of the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami as part of the Media Mesh Project. The video compilation was curated by artist George Sanchez-Calderon and featured short films by the following artists: Lou Ann Colodny, Aiden Dillard, Alvaro Ilizarbe (Freegums), Justin Long, Ferran Martin, Coral Morphologic, Gavin Perry, Carlos Rigau, Bert Rodriguez, Damian Rojo, TM Sisters, and Jen Stark.

Cuddle Fish is the creation of Miami contemporary artist Bhakti Baxter. The limited-edition zine, also compiled and printed by Baxter, features images contributed by a collection of his peers. The cover image is a Sepia sp. Cuttlefish that Colin photographed back in 2007 in Tulamben, Bali. You can find this zine in physical form at happenings around Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach 2009.

CORAL MORPHOLOGIC Art Basel Miami Beach 2009 schedule:

American Airlines Arena – Jumbotron Projection

Miami’s Independent Thinkers – Aquarium Installation

The Museo Vault – Aquarium Installation

Moksha Art Fair – Projection

Sweat Records – Aquarium Installation

WLRN, one of Miami’s local PBS stations, put together a segment on us titled Aquascaping. Special thanks to Andrew Hevia, who produced the piece.

Still photo (above) of aquarium/ projection of our contribution to the Sweat Records X Iggy Pop t-shirt release party, August 22, 2009 at the Awarehouse in the Wynwood Art District. This installation consists of a 10″ X 10″ X 4″ acrylic aquarium atop an overhead projector projecting a 15′ X 15′ image onto the courtyard wall. The live-action component of the installation features a performance by thirty photosynthetic jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) collected in the mangrove estuary near the Virginia Key Wastewater Treatment Plant, here in Miami, FL.

Still photo (above) of aquarium/ projection of our contribution to The Collabo Show, July 25, 2009; an installation dubbed ‘Cassiopeia 1’, featuring photosynthetic jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) collected in the mangrove estuary near the Virginia Key Wastewater Treatment Plant, here in Miami, FL.

Saturday, July 25th we will be exhibiting a live aquarium and video projection in The Collabo Show, a one-night only showcase of contemporary Miami artists. 85 NW 71 Street, Little Haiti. 7PM – 12AM.

Erik DeLuca, composer of the incredible sonic experience The Deep Seascape, visited our lab last Friday with a hydrophone (underwater microphone) in tow. We placed the hydrophone in the aquarium cubicle above and threw in some pellets of food for the harlequin serpent stars to get excited about. The sounds that are heard in the recording below are that of the stars racing towards and devouring the food.

Coral Morphologic acquired this awesome piece of ocean-related vinyl via our good friend Lauren Reskin, owner of Sweat Records. The following clips are digital conversions of Side 1 and 2 of a special vinyl insert in the January 1979 issue of National Geographic.

Last week I had the opportunity to shoot some photos of the Maine seashore while on vacation. The Gulf of Maine is known for many things, mainly lobsters, but some less glamorous life-forms are attracting some renewed attention for good reason in this time of finite resources.

Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), a type of fucoid seaweed adorns the barnacled, wave-worn Appalachian rocks along some 3,000 miles of New England seashore. Rockweed serves as a habitat for small invertebrates and fish, which in turn provide nourishment to the many seabirds that make the Gulf of Maine a perfect migratory outpost. Essentially, Rockweed enables an entire food-chain of organisms normally incapable of surviving extreme weather, temperature, and voracious predators to thrive and in turn create a most healthy shoreline.

European colonists quickly found Rockweed to be an excellent agricultural fertilizer, and began harvesting the seemingly endless supply of this “weed.” These days, Rockweed is processed to extract carageenan-like compounds called “alginates” that are used as stabilizer/thickener agents in some our most common day-to-day products like cosmetics, toothpastes, and soups. While commercial benefits of this seaweed are vast, a sustainable harvest is of high priority, considering over-harvesting this macro algae can have negative effects on ecosystems both above and below the water.