Secrets of the Octopus Takes Us Inside the World of These “Aliens on Earth” | ArsTechnica

This article interviews Alexandra Schnell, a former MBL Grass Fellow. Schnell worked extensively with MBL Senior Scientist Roger Hanlon, who was on her PhD committee. Hanlon also appears in "Secrets of the Octopus."

With Earth Day fast approaching once again, it's time for another new documentary from National Geographic and Disney+: Secrets of the Octopus. It's the third in what has become a series, starting with the remarkable 2021 documentary Secrets of the Whales (narrated by Sigourney Weaver) and 2023's Secrets of the Elephants (Natalie Portman as narrator). James Cameron served as producer on all three. Secrets of the Octopus is narrated by Paul Rudd. ...

The animals were filmed in their natural habitats over 200 days, and all that stunning footage is accompanied by thoughtful commentary by featured scientists. One of those scientists is Dr. Alex Schnell, a native Australian and self-described storyteller who has worked at Macquarie University, the University of Cambridge, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, among other institutions. Her research focuses on the intelligence of marine animals, particularly cuttlefish and octopuses. ArsTechnica caught up with Schnell to learn more.

ArsTechnica: How did you become interested in studying octopuses?

Alex Schnell: I had this pivotal moment when I was young. I had the luxury of actually growing up on the beaches of Sydney, so I would spend a lot of time in the water, in rock pools, looking at all the critters. When I was about 5 years old, I met my first octopus. It was such a monumental moment that opened up a completely different world for me. That's the day I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist. Read the full interview at Arstechnica.com.

Source: Secrets of the Octopus Takes Us Inside the World of These “Aliens on Earth” | ArsTechnica