Dr Helen Scales
Dr Helen Scales is a marine biologist, broadcaster and science writer. She is the author of Spirals in Time and The Brilliant Abyss.
Recent articles by Dr Helen Scales
Nature's weirdest: The Spanish Dancer
It feeds on marine snow – and has a see-through digestive tract.
World’s weirdest: Meet the Christmas tree worm, the creature covered in feeding tentacles
Meet the bizarre underwater worm that looks like a Christmas decoration and sees through its gills.
Inside the secret deep-sea oasis where 20,000 octopuses give birth
On the side of a hill 3000m beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have discovered the world's biggest octopus nursery.
The mysterious sex life of eels: How scientists finally unveiled their (truly bizarre) life cycle
Long, silvery and mysterious, these endangered fish make a big journey to reproduce.
How mating pufferfish created one of the ocean’s greatest mysteries
Mysterious 'crop circles' found on the seabed have been discovered to be a nest built by the most unlikely of creatures.
What is a vampire squid?
All you need to know about this mysterious, glowing creature from the deep.
Megalodon: The giant ancestor of today's sharks
Huge, terrifying and now with their own movie franchise. We give you the lowdown on one of the Earth's greatest ever apex predators.
Why being fish-shaped is the ultimate energy hack of the ocean
The classic fish-shaped body — a squashed teardrop with a pointed nose and tapered tail — has evolved time and again.
Why can’t marine animals survive in fresh water?
It's all down to osmosis.
What is a wolf eel?
This voracious eater is not actually an eel...
What is the difference between a squid and an octopus?
Octopuses and squid are close cousins with much in common.
The beautiful, intricate world of seashells
Marine biologist Dr Helen Scales takes us beneath the waves to show us the stories that shells can reveal about their inhabitants.
Octopuses: 8 incredible photos of these magnificent cephalopods
Take a deep dive into the diverse world of some of the most intelligent invertebrates on planet Earth.
Mysteries of the deep sea: 5 burning questions about Earth's final frontier
Will we ever live in a deep-sea base? And how many unknown creatures lurk in the depths?
Deep-sea mountains: Earth’s unexplored ecosystems that are teeming with life
On land, the highest mountains reach up to the sky and their slopes are blanketed with cloud. In the ocean, the tallest peaks stretch towards the surface and their sides are swathed in plankton. Explore the hidden world of seamounts.
Beyond the abyss: What to expect when diving towards the ocean’s spectacular depths
If you dropped a single marble into the sea, how long would it take to reach the bottom? And what would it cross along the way? Follow the deep sea journey in this extract from The Brilliant Abyss.
How do sea turtles remember what beach they were born on?
Asked by: Seda Pirefendi
How does human noise affect ocean life?
We’ve teamed up with the folks behind BBC World Service’s CrowdScience to answer your questions on one topic - this week it's all about how human noise affects ocean life.
Sea slugs | 8 photos of the other-worldly creatures that live right here on Earth
Sea slugs sport some of nature’s most unreal adaptations, including solar-powered skin and disposable penises. Welcome to their weird world.
The technology solving the ocean's greatest mysteries
Earth’s biggest habitat is also the one that we know the least about. Now, a new wave (geddit) of innovators are engineering the technology that will help us find out more. Here’s what they are discovering.
Do fish ever get bored in fish tanks?
Asked by: Lukas Hindmarch, North Staffordshire
How do octopuses move their limbs if they have no bones?
Asked by: Toby Graham, Shrewsbury
Do fish feel pain?
Asked by: Keith Anderson, Bradford
How we can save the oceans, and how they can save us
Here are some of the brightest and best initiatives that hope to safeguard our oceans’ future, and what we stand to lose if we fail to protect them.