X-Ray Mag #12

What? Animals in the sea armed with missiles? And thousands of them? Yes, you’ve read correctly. No, sea lions or dolphins have not been stealing Tomahawk missiles from any of the American navy bases. But did you know that jellyfishes, sea anemones and corals contain thousands of “miniature missiles” to kill prey and sting intruders? We will look at bit closer at this missile battery mechanism here.

How the corals get their algae. In the previous issue of X-ray Mag the problem of coral bleaching was discussed. Mechanisms were described which might provide resistance and protection to increased temperature and light intensities. It was stated that, due to rising sea-temperatures, the symbiotic algae that help supply nutrients to the polyps of the corals were dying off.

From the Basic Nitrox levels through to advanced Trimix, we base our calculations of dive profiles on a specific partial pressure of oxygen—pO₂.

Managing and controlling the pO₂ lies at the foundation of any level of technical diving as it enables us to perform longer, deeper and safer dives compared to diving air. But there are also a few points to watch.