Squid Scientific Research
Less is known about squid than most other forms of aquatic life. It isn’t that no one is interested but it can be difficult to be able to learn about them. Many species live deep in the water and since they never come out of water it is hard to get information on them. With the technology now available though in the past decade we are finding out much more about them.
It is no secret that many types of aquatic life are in jeopardy of extinction. The squid doesn’t seem to be threatened like others so that is another area of holding up the research. Funding is often limited for such projects, and those in charge often allow it to be used to help those creatures that are at risk of being removed from the Earth forever.
There has been ongoing research for squid since about 1997. A great deal of the funding for it comes from private sources and the actual researchers themselves. They see a need to find out much more. They are also very passionate about these creatures so they love to spend their time to study them.
The giant squid are even harder to learn about then the smaller ones. Beginning in the 1990’s there were many programs in place to study them. Yet the process was slow and it was hard to get good information. The process also took a very long time and funding ran out long before these projects were successful.
This is because they live deep below the surface of the sea. It is also because they can be very large as well as aggressive. Thanks to underwater cameras though we now have plenty of pictures of them. They helped to get more funding for further types of research on squid allocated as well.
Extensive research was conducted in 2004 in Japan. It involved taking underwater pictures of the giant squid in its natural location. More than 500 pictures of these squid were taken before the project was completed. They returned in 2006 to complete a documentary on these large squid as well. Both projects have provided us with a great deal of information regarding these creatures.
Since 2007 there has been ongoing research in Monterey Bay regarding the Humboldt Squid. Plenty has been learned about their life cycle, their eating habits, reproduction, and how they move through the water. Since each species of squid has come similarities it is easy to give an overview of how they all survive. However, with the many variations among these squid, it is also opening up many more questions that need to be investigated further.
The extent of squid research also varies by country. Both the United States and Japan seem to have more of it in place than other countries. This can limit what we know about certain types of squid though. This is because of the distribution areas for the various types of species of squid out there.
Continued research for the squid is necessary in order to learn all there is about them. It is believed that there are hundreds of species of squid out there that we don’t know anything about. It is this information that often drives them to continue seeking new ways of conducting research that is productive and informative.
You can also sign up for updates with many of the current programs that are out there. You can get their newsletters so that as new information comes to light you will be among the first to find out about it. This is an exciting way to learn all you can about squid and the types of research taking place about it.
