Water is Life's Mater and Matrix

“Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”
~ Hungarian Biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

I'm upset about the BP oil disaster and I'd like to dedicate this and other upcoming Art Thursdays to water-related art.

Mothership sea urchin sculpture located in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland
by Rachael Joynt

Physophora hydrostatica
Photo by Larry Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Physophora hydrostatica is modular, made up of multiple units, each specialized for a function like swimming, feeding, or reproduction. Some grow very large — over 100 feet long in the deep ocean.

by Lisa Denning

Fossilized Shells
Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The tiny shells of single-cell organisms that died and sank to the ocean bottom contain chemical clues to water temperature and rainfall in that area of the ocean.

Coral Reefs
Photo by Jessie Kneeland, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Ocean Planet
Illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution:
"Earth is an ocean planet. More than 70% of its surface is covered by ocean with an average depth of just over two miles. But how much water is there really? In this illustration, the sphere on the left represents Earth with all of the water removed. The blue sphere to the right shows the approximate volume of all of Earth's water. The tiny blue dot on the far right represents the available fresh water."

Links:
~ Milstein Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History
~ Google's Ocean Showcase
~ Atlas of Our Changing Environment
~ Learn about various marine animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific online learning center.
~ Discovery's Planet Green was celebrating World Oceans Day (June 8th -- just missed it) and they suggest ways that you can help.