Extreme Life of the Ocean
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Bowhead whales were only thought to live 50-60 years until harpoon heads like this brass one were found inside scars of living animals. These harpoons have not been thrown at whales for a century, and so these whales must have been far older than previously guessed. Later, researchers invented a new method for telling the age of a whale that confirmed the longevity of bowheads, making them the oldest mammals known.
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Corals grows large by adding to their height and width slowly day by day. This coral is one of the largest known and lives off the coast of Ta’u in the Samoan Archipelago. It is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. (R. Dunbar)
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Similar crystals in fish blood can quickly kill them, so they evolved an anti-freeze protein. (John Weller)
