Alaska Pacific University
  • Academics
  • Admissions & Costs
  • Student Life & Activities
  • About APU
  • Virtual Campus Tour
  • DONATE
  • Request Info
  • Apply
  • 1 (800) 252 7528
  • myAPU
  • Directory
  • Library
  • Courses
  • Catalog
  • Blackboard
  • (907) 564-8362
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • myAPU
  • Directory
  • Library
  • Courses
  • Catalog
  • Blackboard
  • (907) 564-8362
  • DONATE
  • Request Info
  • Apply
  • 1 (800) 252 7528
Alaska Pacific University

Discover Active Learning

  • Academics
  • Admissions & Costs
  • Student Life & Activities
  • About APU
  • Virtual Campus Tour
  • DONATE
  • Request Info
  • Apply
  • 1 (800) 252 7528
  • myAPU
  • Directory
  • Library
  • Courses
  • Catalog
  • Blackboard
  • (907) 564-8362

APU Professor Discovers Underwater Settlement of Octopuses

September 21, 2017

Octopus underwater.

Scientists (including an APU professor) have recently discovered an octopus “city” off the eastern coast of Australia, a find that suggests members of that species, Octopus tetricus, may not be as isolated and asocial as originally thought.

Known as Octlantis, the settlement made of discarded shells is the second of its kind. In the 10 hours of video recordings of the site, scientists counted as many as 16 of the octopuses dwelling there, a significant sum, considering it was previously thought that that species of octopus only met up to mate.

Professor David Scheel is listed as lead author of the study published in the journal Marine and Freshwater Behavior and Physiology, along with MSES alum Stephanie Chancellor (now at University of Illinois at Chicago). Scheel has been studying cephalopods in high-density coexistence since 2009 when the first area, dubbed Octopolis, was found.

Scheel explained that a diver originally found the first site. Thinking scientists should know about it, they posted the find on a list-serve, to which Peter Godfrey-Smith, a colleague of Scheel’s responded.

“I was interested in understanding animal cognition and consciousness, and read a news media account of Peter’s interest in the site,” Schell explained. “I contacted Peter and he invited me to join the team.”

That original site finding resulted in three published papers, the most recent being in 2016, the same year the second site was discovered.

Though the animals inhabit the same area, they aren’t always friendly towards one another. Chancellor told the International Business Times that some of the octopuses were “seen evicting other animals from their dens. There were some apparent threat displays where an animal would stretch itself out lengthwise in an ‘upright’ posture and its mantle would darken. Often another animal observing this behavior would quickly swim away. But we still don’t really know much about octopus behavior. More research will be needed to determine what these actions might mean.”

“We have a lot of questions now, and are accumulating video recordings of behaviors that will allow us to address some of them,” Scheel said.

From here, the group will be analyzing the videos to look at mating systems, cognitions, and the evolutionary roots of complex social behavior, as well continue looking into how these settlements got started and if they’re particularly common.

Scheel said that discovered like this will continue to provide more opportunities for Alaska Pacific University students.

“The first site has already supported undergraduate senior projects and internships,” Scheel said. “Developing out of the Australia work, I now have opportunities for students interested in octopus cognition to develop senior projects starting immediately.”

Filed Under: Marine Biology Tagged With: Alaska pacific university, APU, David Scheel, octopus

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Active Learning (173)
  • Admissions (15)
  • Advancement (11)
  • Alaskan Culture (9)
  • Alumni (12)
  • APU Spotlight (29)
  • Business Administration and Management (12)
  • Business Administration Department (23)
  • Commencement (4)
  • Community (45)
  • Consortium Library News (2)
  • Counseling Psych & Human Services (6)
  • Counseling Psychology (6)
  • Early Honors (6)
  • Earth Science (12)
  • Education (6)
  • Environmental Public Health (2)
  • Environmental Science (34)
  • Expedition Alaska (4)
  • Faculty (3)
  • Farmers Market (4)
  • FAST Lab (7)
  • Featured Item (19)
  • Geology (2)
  • Graduation (4)
  • Kellogg Campus (20)
  • Liberal Studies (51)
  • Marine Biology (26)
  • Master of Arts (5)
  • Master of Business Administration (16)
  • MS Environmental Science (16)
  • MSOEE (7)
  • News Page (14)
  • Newsletter (4)
  • Nordic Skiing (21)
  • Nursing & Health (3)
  • Outdoor Studies (23)
  • President's Blog (33)
  • Press Releases (42)
  • Raven Reconnaissance (3)
  • Recently completed theses (7)
  • Research (19)
  • Scholarships (2)
  • Spring Creek Farm Journal (4)
  • Student Activities (15)
  • Student Stories (12)
  • Sustainability Studies (22)
  • We Are APU (37)
  • World Class (34)

Recent Blog Posts

NNA-CO’s Arctic Together Podcast – Episode 3 is now available for streaming

August 7, 2023

Alaska Pacific University receives a grant to diversify and expand nursing in the state

June 12, 2023

Alaska Pacific University awarded nearly $3 million grant to strengthen and diversify Alaska’s nursing workforce 

May 31, 2023

APU president says the school can help address Alaska’s outmigration woes

April 26, 2023

APU professor finds when it comes to salary, majors matter more than colleges

April 24, 2023

You Are Here: Home / Marine Biology / APU Professor Discovers Underwater Settlement of Octopuses

Footer

Alaska Pacific University
4101 University Drive • Anchorage, Alaska 99508
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Conferencing Services
  • Campus Store
  • Transcripts

© 2023 Alaska Pacific University · All Rights Reserved · Notice Regarding Web Accessibility · Privacy Policy · Website Credits