In shallow areas of the tropical Indo-Pacific, you"ll come across the blue linckia sea star. Oftentimes it"s found anchored to or hiding under rocks. This duo was spotted near the coast of New Ireland, an island in Papua New Guinea. Even though "blue" is in the name, this species of sea star has also been observed in purple, pink, or orange. The vibrant colors make the linckia popular in the seashell trade, unfortunately, and intensive poaching has diminished their populations. But new research could lead to calls for their protection: Scientists have studied potential anti-tumor and antibacterial properties inherent to the blue linckia.
Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Waiting for winter
-
It’s NASA’s 60th birthday
-
Perfect timing
-
Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China
-
Homeward bound
-
A river runs through rice fields
-
Nesting season for the leatherbacks
-
Womens History Month
-
International Jazz Day
-
Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
-
Walking among the giants
-
Celebrating National Dentist Day
-
Mediterranean red sea stars
-
International Museum Day
-
World Rivers Day
-
A winter light show
-
The tale of squirrels like Nutkin
-
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
-
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
-
1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
-
The monsoon arrives in the desert
-
This grizzly has Napping Day down
-
Merry Christmas!
-
Siblings Day
-
Celestial Spain
-
Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
-
The call of the wild in Alaska
-
Sky island views
-
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia
-
50 years of World Heritage Sites