Explorer Series | Ocean First Institute

Butterflyfish are some of the most brightly colored fish on the reef.

Discover how marine animals use camouflage to capture a meal and avoid becoming one.

Learn what a cleaning station is and about the marine animals that rely on them to remain pest-free.

Equipped with stinging cells, these jelly-filled animals are prepared.

Take a peek into what makes the coral reef such a unique marine ecosystem.

Find out how these unique invertebrates thrive above and below the waves.

Equipped with both arms and tentacles, cuttlefish are voracious predators able to hide in plain sight with perfectly adapted feats of camouflage.

Learn more about these “spiny-skinned” invertebrates that inhabit the ocean floor.

Learn more about electroreception, the unique characteristic shared by sharks, skates, and rays.

There are more fish than mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians combined, find out more about this diverse group of animals.

Find out more about flippers and the marine animals that rely on them to get around.

There are seven species of sea turtle. Discover what makes the green turtle so unique.

One of six sea turtle species found in U.S. waters, discover more about the hawksbill sea turtle.

While they might look like plants and act like plants, kelps are actually algae. Learn more about these vital seaweeds.

While intriguing to observe on the reef, lionfish have become an invasive species in their new distribution throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.

Dive in to explore manta rays—their unique adaptations, ecological role, and the conservation efforts protecting them.

The mola mola, or oceanic sunfish is one of the more unique fish in the sea.

The ocean covers more than 70% of Earth, while it may seem indestructible, it is not. Discover more about our impacts on the ocean.

Learn how these shell-less mollusks have found a unique way to protect themselves.

Discover octopus, one of the most intelligent invertebrate animals under the sea.

More than 70% of Earth is covered by ocean, much of it far from the sight of land. Discover the creatures that live in the open ocean.

Not all predators are equipped with sharp teeth! Discover the many ways the creatures of the ocean find food and defend themselves from predators.

Discover the shark species that frequent coral reefs and their importance to the ecosystem.

Some fish school for protection, others to increase their chances to find food. Discover more about schooling fish.

Equipped with stinging cells these sedentary creatures pack a wallop! Learn more about sea anemones.

Discover why sea lions are so agile and how to distinguish them from their relatives, the seals.

Learn more about sea stars, basket stars, sea lilies, and brittle stars.

Able to lock itself into crevices on the reef for safety, the triggerfish is uniquely adapted to life under the sea. Learn more about this unique fish.

Venom is one way marine animals protect and defend themselves from predators. Discover a unique group of fish that rely on venomous spines for protection.