Oceans of Opportunity

this little fish…

Kids love learning about this little fish with a big name, Derilissus lombardii – a new species of mesophotic clingfish.. Send us your student artwork – see what other students have provided us below!

K-6 Ocean Literacy

Ocean Opportunity Inc. works closely with educators to find innovative ways to bring our work to the classroom and inspire next generations of explorers through improved literacy of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) topics. We have worked collaboratively to develop lesson plans, resource guides, and participate in classroom activities.

K-6 students are a current priority focus area, as early excitement for STEM topics can carry through for a lifetime of self-study and practical problem solving.

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a little fish with a big name

In 2011, our deep diving team of Jeff Godfrey and Michael Lombardi descended along the margins of the abyss in the Bahamas, and in just minutes of focused scientific inquiry, collected a single specimen of cryptic mesophotic clingfish for further study. The specimen, later named Derilissus lombardii (Sparks & Gruber 2012), has gone the distance in boosting ocean literacy with our education partner, Anne Krauss from Cobbles Elementary School. The original specimen used for taxonomy is archived in repository at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The discovery is insignificant in the broader scope of marine science, but it represents just how important it is to keep exploring – there are literally thousands (or more!) of unknown life forms right here on Earth. 

The following are some useful resource links related to D. lombardii: