For Weeks 1-9 of the semester, we will have Octopus! Thursday, when we will discuss a chapter you have read in the book and review your responses to the questions found in ANGEL. Remember that in order to be prepared for the Thursday discussion, you will need to respond to the questions in ANGEL by 11PM on Wednesday (the night before).
Week 1 – Introduction, Octopus! #0
- Based on just the content in the Introduction, which ocean literacy principles apply to the octopus and why?
- Would you call an octopus “smart”? Why/why not?
- Why should we study octopus? What do you think we can learn? Include information from the Introduction and some of your own thoughts.
Week 2 – Chapter 1, Octopus! #1
- Propose to me how and where you would go out and capture a photo of an octopus. What would you bring? What would you wear?
- How important is the octopus to the economy and culture of Galicia and Vigo?
- How global is the octopus trade? Who catches, who consumes, and how much?
Week 3 – Chapter 2, Octopus! #2
- Describe at least two ways an octopus can be tenderized. Is one method more ethical than the other? Explain your thoughts.
- You read about the studies on octopus DNA in Puerto Rico. Besides testing for false packaging, why do this work? What else might this technology be good for?
- Compare and contrast how important the octopus is to the economy and culture of Gythio to Vigo (recall what you read in Chapter 1).
Week 4 – Chapter 3, Octopus! #3
- What are the challenges of hunting and raising octopus through aquaculture?
- How does an octopus move around? How fast does it move?
- What is ocean acidification? Is ocean acidification good or bad for the octopus, and why? Which is a bigger threat – ocean acidification or temperature change, and why?
Week 5 – Chapter 4, Octopus! #4
- List some of the defense mechanisms that an octopus will use.
- What “disguises” can an octopus produce?
- Why are humans so interested in octopus skin? List three reasons, of which one is your own and not listed in the book. Do you think we will be able to solve the skin mystery? Why/why not?
Week 6 – Chapter 5, Octopus! #5
- Do you think that someday, we will be able to train an octopus to take a selfie? Explain. Think back to what the chapter says about octopus facial recognition and manipulation of objects. (In case you missed the story about the monkey selfie in August, click here)
- The UK has legal protection from scientific experimentation that is deemed psychologically harmful. Should the United States have the same protection for the octopus in the laboratory, and only allow octopus to be studied in the field (in their natural habitat)? Explain.
- Now that you have finished the chapter, think back to early in the chapter where it shared that The National Resource Center for Cephalopods is now defunct. From what you have read about octopus “brain power,” should this Center be re-established? Explain why we need more people and resources studying octopus brain.
Week 7 – Chapter 6, Octopus! #6
- You read about how studies on octopus limbs may help inform regenerative medicine research. Is there anything you can think of that we can learn and apply from studying octopus suckers?
- Describe the propulsion system of an octopus (in other words, how does an octopus swim?).
- Do we really need a robotic octopus? What purpose could it possibly serve?
Week 8 – Chapter 7, Octopus! #7
- What methods does an octopus use to hunt for food?
- Why would the octopus evolve the ability to come on land? What purpose does this serve?
- What are the senses of sight (vision) and sound (hearing) in an octopus? Do these senses vary depending upon the depth at which an octopus lives? Explain.
Week 9 – Chapter 8 & Epilogue, Octopus! #8 & #9
Octopus! #8 (Chapter 8)
- Describe octopus courtship. Do octopuses “mate for life”?
- How does a female octopus spend her time after she lays her eggs?
- What happens to the mother and baby octopuses after the eggs hatch?
Octopus! #9 (Epilogue)
- To be a species or a subspecies… why is it so difficult to scientifically categorize the octopus?
- What is projected to be the impact of weather and climate on the octopus?
- Overfishing the octopus population is a concern for some people, not for others. How will we know if we are overfishing the octopus? Can we actually know if we have reached those overfishing limit? Explain.