Arcturididae Maxi Scarf

Inspired by benthic macrofauna living in the South-West Indian Ridge (SWIOR), the this series will take you to some of the most remote places on Earth.

At the beginning of this project, the SWIOR was an unexplored region which is of particular interest due to its position in relation to major ocean currents, gradients of primary productivity, and temperature. At the end of 2011, a research expedition was undertaken onboard the RRS James Cook (JC066) to investigate, for the first time ever, the benthic deep-sea fauna within a depth range of 200-3,000 meters below the surface along five seamounts of the SWIOR: Coral seamount, Melville Bank, Middle of What, Sapmer, and Atlantis Bank.

Results showed diverse ecosystems, large deep-water coral reefs, beautiful colourful coral gardens, sponge grounds, and incredible macrofauna biodiversity.

-Designed in our studio in Scotland.
-Size: 140cm x 200cm.
-100% silk or 90& modal 10% cashmere
-Each scarf is finished by hand with hand-rolled edges (silk); fringed and hemmed edges (modal-cashmere).
-Made in the UK with care and love.
-Dry Clean Only.

Your scarf comes inside a beautiful plastic-free, embossed Crùbag gift box with a design story card, an ‘art and science’ booklet sharing the science story, images and inspiration, and a Marine Science is Beautiful postcard. 

Seamounts are underwater mountains. Like mountains on land, they tower above the immediate surrounding area. In contrast to mountains on land, which can be quite barren, devoid of flora and fauna in comparison to the valleys below, seamounts are often covered in the most abundant and incredibly beautiful animals.

To be classified as a seamount, these undersea mountains must reach at least 1,000 metres in height, but some of the examples studied have reached heights of 3,000 or even 4,000 metres these depths whose exploration even now pushes the boundaries of science and technology and leads to new discoveries. Many seamounts are located in very remote places far from land, so it can take many days even to reach the sites by ship.

The sheer variety of animals such as corals and sponges that can be seen on seamounts with a remotely operated vehicle (ROVs) is impressive in itself, but there are many more organisms that can only be seen with a microscope. These are incredible, diverse underwater landscapes just teeming with life.

In 2011, Bhavani and Natalia were part of a team exploring seamounts in the southwest Indian Ocean for six weeks, sampling across five different seamounts along the ridge. They discovered amongst other things, a new species of crustacean isopod called Arcturididae (family), Arcturides (genus) on three of the seamounts.

To date, this family of Arcturididae contains only one genus: Arcturides. However, new information indicates that it may contain at least two other species.Two of them had been described before, but were previously thought to be found only in Africa, and a third that was completely new. The DNA of these species is now undergoing further analysis to see how they are related to each other and to other species within the same order. This will help establish how they have evolved.

As you can see, we are sharing the news of a new marine species through fashion before it has been published in science. This is a world first!

Each scarf its paired with its written ocean literacy story, sharing the science and images that inspired the collection. 

Every purchase helps fund and communicate leading research. Our impact partners are dedicated to solving global issues through marine science.

By wearing your Crùbag products and sharing the story, you are part of the ocean advocacy movement, educating, inspiring others around you.

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All orders in the UK, unless otherwise agreed, will be shipped via: Royal Mail, Signed For 1st Class.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS are charged at £12.50 and may take up to 7-10 working days or longer to reach their destination. We are not responsible for any delays caused by customs clearance processes.

International orders, unless otherwise agreed, will be shipped via: Royal Mail or Fedex International Priority.

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