Whereas cephalopods have captured the creativeness of marine biologists, science fiction writers, and curious people, it’s solely lately that the general public has turn into considerably enthusiastic about studying extra about these animals. A part of their enchantment has come from current research revealing the intelligence behind a few of their subtle behaviors.
Now, feeding into this rising recognition, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) introduced suggestions for proposed pointers that might, if handed, give varied protections to cephalopods studied inside a laboratory setting.
This announcement outcomes from years of research on cephalopod ache sensation, intelligence, and adaptation, mixed with letters to US Congress members concerning the humane therapy of cephalopods.
Ought to these pointers be enacted, they’d redefine the that means of “animal” in laboratory analysis rules and provides invertebrates varied protections for the primary time in US historical past. This safety would cowl all cephalopod species, together with octopus, cuttlefish, and squid. If permitted, the US would additionally be part of a rising listing of nations with moral pointers for cephalopod analysis, together with New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the European Union, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland.
Rising public concern about octopuses
With their unfurling tentacles and mesmerizing colour adjustments, it’s simple to be fascinated by octopuses and cuttlefish. Many cephalopod behaviors are laborious to not anthropomorphize, as they’re relatable and acquainted to viewers. This can be why a whole lot of books and hundreds of scientific papers have been devoted to additional understanding these animals.
From the 2010s until now, a sequence of classy cephalopod-themed books have hit the cabinets, together with The Soul of an Octopus; Different Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness; Kraken: The Curious, Thrilling, and Barely Disturbing Science of Squid; Big Squid; Octopus: The Ocean’s Clever Invertebrate, to call just a few. These books cowl every thing from private interactions with cephalopods to exploring totally different elements of their outstanding biology, intelligence, and consciousness.
In 2020, the recognition of octopuses skyrocketed due to the Oscar award-winning Netflix documentary My Octopus Trainer, through which naturalist Craig Foster follows and interacts with an octopus in his personal watery yard in South Africa for over a 12 months. Due to the movie, viewers worldwide watched face-to-face interactions with a curiously playful octopus, watching her develop and adapt to her environment.
In line with a 2021 Harvard Gazette article: “For a lot of, it was seemingly the right pandemic-era antidote: a feel-good, otherworldly escape from a horrific 12 months.” Following the movie’s resounding success, others have continued to inform tales about octopuses, seemingly contributing to public help for his or her safety.
