{"id":1852,"date":"2026-06-05T13:58:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T13:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1852"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:24:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:24:46","slug":"the-underwater-undead-starring-zombie-cucumbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1852","title":{"rendered":"The Underwater Undead: Starring Zombie Cucumbers"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#foogallery-gallery-1858 .fg-image { width: 640px; }<\/style>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"foogallery foogallery-container foogallery-image-viewer foogallery-link-image foogallery-lightbox-foogallery fg-center fg-image-viewer fg-ready fg-light fg-border-thin fg-round-small fg-shadow-outline fg-shadow-inset-large fg-loading-default fg-loaded-fade-in fg-hover-semi-zoomed fg-caption-always fg-hover-fade fg-hover-plus3\" id=\"foogallery-gallery-1858\" data-foogallery=\"{&quot;item&quot;:{&quot;showCaptionTitle&quot;:true,&quot;showCaptionDescription&quot;:true},&quot;lazy&quot;:true,&quot;template&quot;:{&quot;loop&quot;:true}}\" data-foogallery-lightbox=\"{&quot;thumbs&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;thumbsCaptions&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsBestFit&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsSmall&quot;:false,&quot;thumbsCaptionsAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;info&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;infoVisible&quot;:true,&quot;infoOverlay&quot;:true,&quot;infoAlign&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;fade&quot;,&quot;hoverButtons&quot;:false,&quot;fitMedia&quot;:false,&quot;noScrollbars&quot;:true,&quot;preserveButtonSpace&quot;:true,&quot;buttons&quot;:{&quot;fullscreen&quot;:true,&quot;info&quot;:true,&quot;thumbs&quot;:false},&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;autoPlay&quot;:true}}\" style=\"--fg-title-line-clamp: 1; --fg-description-line-clamp: 2;\" >\n\t<div class=\"fiv-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"fiv-inner-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Tube-Foot-1.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"A tube foot tissue one year after excision. (Credit: Sara Jobson).\" data-attachment-id=\"1853\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"A tube foot tissue one year after excision. (Credit: Sara Jobson).\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2026\/06\/Tube-Foot-1\/2459034102.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22640%22%20height%3D%22360%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20640%20360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">A tube foot tissue one year after excision. (Credit: Sara Jobson).<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Tube-Foot-2.jpg\" data-caption-title=\"A tube foot tissue  several years after excision showing increasing wound closure and healing at the wound site over time. Shifting colors from red to lighter white and pink reflects pigmented cells forming and consolidating aggregates of healthy tissue and the progression of transparent connective tissue (Credit: Sara Jobson).\" data-attachment-id=\"1854\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"A tube foot tissue  several years after excision showing increasing wound closure and healing at the wound site over time. Shifting colors from red to lighter white and pink reflects pigmented cells forming and consolidating aggregates of healthy tissue and the progression of transparent connective tissue (Credit: Sara Jobson).\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/cache\/2026\/06\/Tube-Foot-2\/3958605383.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22640%22%20height%3D%22360%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20640%20360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">A tube foot tissue  several years after excision showing increasing wound closure and healing at the wound site over time. Shifting colors from red to lighter white and pink reflects pigmented cells forming and consolidating aggregates of healthy tissue and the progression of transparent connective tissue (Credit: Sara Jobson).<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"fiv-ctrls\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"fiv-prev\" title=\"Prev\"><span>Prev<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t<label class=\"fiv-count\"><span class=\"fiv-count-current\">1<\/span>of<span class=\"fiv-count-total\">2<\/span><\/label>\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"fiv-next\" title=\"Next\"><span>Next<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ee46f215 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">A recent study, featuring <strong>Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences<\/strong> Senior Research Scientist <strong>Rachel Sipler<\/strong> and led by researchers at&nbsp;Memorial University of Newfoundland, documented the continued survival of <strong>amputated sea cucumber tissue<\/strong> for more than three years in natural seawater.<br><br>This is the first known report of severed tissue showing long-term survival and growth outside a highly controlled, sterile environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">While it may sound like the plot of a science fiction movie, the discovery could offer important insights into regenerative biology and help inform future biomedical breakthroughs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a32e9598f3f1&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a32e9598f3f1\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized wp-lightbox-container\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1859\" style=\"width:430px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1-500x333.png 500w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-05-27-1.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Microscopy image of an excised tube foot stained with 5-bromo-2\u2032-deoxyuridine showing cell differentiation, with denser green coloring reflecting areas of more active cellular processes (Credit: Sara Jobson).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-3e41869c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bigelow.org\/news\/articles\/2026-05-27.html\">Read the Full Story<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study, featuring Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Senior Research Scientist Rachel Sipler and led by researchers at&nbsp;Memorial University of Newfoundland, documented the continued survival of amputated sea cucumber tissue for more than three years in natural seawater. This is the first known report of severed tissue showing long-term survival and growth outside a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","css_class_manager_body_classes":"","css_class_manager_use_in_post_loop":false},"categories":[11,13],"tags":[67,32,93],"class_list":["post-1852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-ocean-function","category-science-oceans-potential","tag-discovery","tag-press-release","tag-rachel-sipler"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1852"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1869,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1852\/revisions\/1869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}