For those who think that rebreathers are new (or for the birds), a recent
paper published in Nature (7/96) establishes the Nautilus mollusc as the
world's earliest user of underwater rebreather technology.

Nautilus' captured in baited traps off Port Moresby, PNG were studied to
examine how they survive in the extremely low oxygen environments they
inhabit. (Presumably when not being lured into bait boxes set by
fish/mollusc nerds). The Nautilus is able to slow its metabolism and use
progressively less and less O2. (Check Farb at 400 fsw) Still, careful
measurements indicate that the Nautilus was using more O2 than available
in the surrounding depths (Check HeyyDude at 40 fsw).

Scientists established that the Nautilus carries its own O2 in its shell!
And has been doing this since even before Henry Fleuss (let alone Heidi
Fleiss) - approximately 1 million years (give or take an eon). The
Nautilus picks up a tankful on its evenings spent in the shallows and
rebreaths at depths during the day. Definitely a Rebreathing Dudemollusc.

Which only leaves me with two questions: What do you fish nerds put in the
bait boxes to attract a Really Big Snail?  And, how does a distant
dudemollusc know the bait is there - smell?

buttering up the garlic,

-peter heseltine

PS. Beat you to it! I just registered the nautilus shell as a rebreather
logo.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]