One of the common cuttlefish in the Marine Resources Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory
One of the common cuttlefish in the Marine Resources Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory

Cuttlefish smart enough to wait for better reward

Using a modified version of the Stanford marshmallow test, researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory (The University of Chicago) discovered that cuttlefish had the ability to delay gratification for a better reward—and those that were able to do it for a longer duration possessed better cognitive learning abilities.

The findings, which demonstrated the link between self-control and intelligence, was published recently in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal.

Corals in the Pacific Ocean
Corals in the Pacific Ocean

Coral count leads to reassessment of extinction threat

There are currently about half a trillion corals in the Pacific. Of the species studied, two-thirds of the coral species have population sizes exceeding 100 million colonies, while 20 percent of the species have population sizes that are more than a billion colonies.

“We need to know the abundance of a species to assess its risk of extinction,” said lead author Andy Dietzel from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU).

Kristin Moger Portfolio

Octopus, by Kristin Moger. Micron ink on paper, 8 x 10 inches
Octopus, by Kristin Moger. Micron ink on paper, 8 x 10 inches

American artist Kristin Moger, who is based in Pennsylvania, creates beautiful, precise and intricately patterned black-and-white drawings of marine life, bringing to life the animals’ dynamic and sublime personalities on paper. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about her creative process and perspectives on art, nature and conservation.