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Kate Hildenbrand
Marine Ecologist, Filmmaker, Photographer, and Educator.
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Category Archives: Climbing the Tree of Life

Sea urchins: Spiky balls of ouch

Climbing the Tree of Life, EpisodesBy Kate HildenbrandMarch 14, 2023

Introduction Sea urchins are essentially folded-up sea stars. Very poky folded-up sea stars with spikes poky enough that even I might consider putting some shoes on my feet. Maybe. Today, we’re finishing our exploration of the hedgehog-skinned echinoderms. Climbing up the Tree of Life one group at a time. Most sea urchins look exactly like…

Sea cucumbers are more than fat blobs

Biodiversity & Nature, Climbing the Tree of Life, EpisodesBy Kate HildenbrandJanuary 18, 2023

There is a photo from one of our dive trips that confused the shit out of me. A fuzzy structure that looked somewhat coral-like but wasn’t. When my husband said it was a cucumber, I was sure he was joking. Months later, I found a similar photo online and realized he’d not only meant it…

Sea star on colorful rock reef

Sea stars and brittle stars

Biodiversity & Nature, Climbing the Tree of Life, EpisodesBy Kate HildenbrandNovember 10, 2022

When I learned how to dive, a whole new world opened up—but it soon felt like this world was dying! Sargassum seaweed was taking over where kelp forests had been, and bristle stars took over entire reefs. It was at the height of the mysterious sea star wasting syndrome, and many thought one of the…

Marine Crabs: The Soldiers of the Ocean

Biodiversity & Nature, Climbing the Tree of Life, EpisodesBy Kate HildenbrandOctober 7, 2022

Eating baby turtles got crabs a bad reputation, but there is much more to these ten-legged living armors—and more to their relationship with turtles, too. So, let’s take a deep breath and dive in.

The Life of a Lobster: Clawed Lobsters, Crayfish, and Lobster Imposters

Biodiversity & Nature, Climbing the Tree of Life, EpisodesBy Kate HildenbrandSeptember 7, 2022

Between lobsters the color of cotton candy, depressed lobster men, and misinformation spread by the wonderful Phoebe from Friends, there is a lot to learn about lobsters. Let’s dive in.

The Cleaners of the Ocean: Marine SHRIMP in Nature

Climbing the Tree of LifeBy Kate HildenbrandAugust 26, 2022

Shrimp are the cleaners of the ocean and can even influence the current of the ocean. I’ll tell you all about shrimp. They are way more interesting than you think!

The Crittery Biology of Crustaceans

Climbing the Tree of LifeBy Kate HildenbrandJuly 10, 2022

Shrimp are underwater bugs? Or are bugs flying shrimp? In this one, we’re talking about crustaceans. From land crabs the size of dinner plates to tiny krill that feed the whales, this group holds some cool members.

Octopus bimaculoides - California Two Spot Octopus

The Fascinating Biology of Octopuses

Climbing the Tree of LifeBy Kate HildenbrandJune 10, 2022

We are finally talking about octopuses. Octopuses are definitely in the top three of my favorite animals, so I’m more than excited. Between the vampire squid from hell and cute little Dumbo-eared octopuses, there is a lot to talk about, so let’s dive in.

The Magical Biology of Cuttles and Bobtails

Climbing the Tree of LifeBy Kate HildenbrandMay 26, 2022

Sea cuttles, also wrongly named cuttlefish, are masters of disguise. Chameleons don’t even compete. But that’s not the only cool thing about these cute blobs of awesome. So, let’s talk about cuttles!

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