— What Is Octolab? —
Octolab is an organization dedicated to furthering the knowledge that all people have of the octopus. This includes everybody — from youngsters to adults; from novice enthusiasts to recognized marine biologists and everyone in between.
The octopus is one of the most fascinating creatures in the sea. Its appearance with its eight arms and large bulbous head makes it iconic whenever you conjure up an underwater scene. It is one of the animal shapes that even young infants can easily recognize. Be it in cartoons, movies, or even the wall mural at your favorite seafood restaurant, the image of the octopus is all around us.
Why is that? Much as the shark is the iconic representation of the sea’s alpha predator, strong and fierce — the octopus occupies the iconic role of the sage of the sea, the smart one. Think of it as holding the role that the owl occupies on land — the wise one. This creates an air of mystery surrounding the octopus. Once you learn a little bit about them you want to know more. How smart are they? How advanced is their cognition? Are they as sentient as vertebrates?
— Why Did We Start Octolab? —
The pursuit of the knowledge required to answer the questions posed by those curious about the octopus is our main quest. Using a scientific methodology to provide our audience with reliable answers is our mission. Accomplishing all of this in a way that is entertaining and easily digestible to the broadest audience possible is our primary purpose.
— Octolab Is Interactive —
From the beginning, we here at Octolab wanted to be more than just a repository of information related to the octopus. We wanted to make learning about these marvelous cephalopods an experience that would resonate with our audience.
To accomplish this we structured the project to revolve around a continuous series of observational experiments designed to enhance our understanding of the octopus — to expand what we know about their intelligence and behavior.
In so doing, we also wanted to involve our visitors by providing them with an opportunity to take a direct role in the Octolab project. Our visitors can request their own intelligence experiments for us to conduct with the octopuses. This means that if a visitor has a question regarding the intelligence of the octopus that we have not answered in our question and answer section or in one of our previous experiments, they can submit an idea for an experiment themselves.
This way, the whole community can benefit from each other’s curiosity and admiration for the octopus.
— We Really Care About Our Octopuses —
Our staff is comprised of individuals who are passionate about octopuses and who are highly knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to their care.
All of the eight-armed friends who are part of ther Octolab project were rescued from the catch of fishermen. Their fate would have been gruesome otherwise. Quite literally they would have been smashed on the rocks while still alive to “tenderize” them and then hung to dry in the sun before being sold to local seafood restaurants and markets.
Instead, the octopuses that are part of the Octolab team (yes, we do see them as official team members) have been given a new lease on life. No longer do they have to worry about being caught by fishermen, no longer do they have to contend with predators, no longer do they face the potential of becoming part of someone’s main course. Our octopuses now reside in large tanks designed to replicate a habitat that they are used to and enjoy. A habitat that keeps them happy and healthy.
Please take note of the word “tank,” not “aquarium.” While we also make use of aquariums, these are only temporary quarters for the purposes of conducting individual experiments. Think of it as someone in an office cubicle. They only work in the cubicle, they don’t live in it. The same is true for the octopuses at Octolab. They only spend time in the smaller aquariums for observation and filming purposes during the experiments. They spend the rest of the time in the much larger tanks which have been conditioned to satisfy even the pickiest of octopuses in terms of space to roam, natural substrates, temperature, acidity levels, and privacy. Yes, octopuses really love their privacy.
— Do the Experiments Put the Octopus in Danger? —
Absolutely and unequivocally, no!
As we have mentioned, our octopuses are official members of the team. At no time would we place them in any sort of situation that would put them at risk or that would bring them discomfort — much less pain.
At Octolab we adore the octopus. All of our experiments are limited to the study and analysis of the behavior and cognitive functions of the octopus. They are NOT designed to conduct stress tests. They DO NOT incorporate pain stimuli. Think of the Octolab experiments as those that are conducted by child behavioralists. The variables are set and the children are observed to obtain the results from a hidden camera or two-way mirror. The same is true with our octopus experiments.
The Octolab octopuses are always as safe and as comfortable as your child would be if they participated in a routine behavioral study.
— The Octolab Roadmap —
Accumulating knowledge about a creature as wondrous as the octopus is a dynamic process. For that reason, the plans for Octolab must be equally as dynamic.
Visitors to our site can make use of our question and answer section to obtain insight on the octopus or to pose their own questions. They can obtain broader knowledge by reading the articles in our blog section. They can watch videos of different octopus species in the wild, including those species which live in the deepest parts of the ocean and are usually difficult to capture on video. And, of course, they can watch the videos and read through the findings of the official Octolab experiments.
At Octolab we will always be engaged in adding new material to the categories mentioned above. At the same time, we will also be seeking new ways to collect data, analyze it, process it and present it to our visitors in ways that will satisfy their curiosity about the octopus. We will always strive to inform and impress, never settling for dull presentations. Think of Octolab as science with flare.
