242 
THE CORAL TRIANGLE: HEARST BIODIVERSITY EXPEDITION 
Two sizes of containers were 
selected: 1 liter (32 oz) (n = 8) 
and 2 liter (64 oz) (n = 2). Both 
sizes have tight-fitting screw-on 
lids that are easy to manipulate 
under water. To prepare the jars 
for our purposes, a 5.08 cm (2 
inch) hole was drilled into each 
lid, and 1 mm fiberglass window 
screen was glued over the open¬ 
ing with cyanoacrylate glue. 
These containers were used to 
both collect and ship the coconut 
octopuses collected on the sec¬ 
ond expedition. Following col¬ 
lection, specimens were returned 
to our field station by banka 
(approximately 30 minute transit 
time) and immediately staged in 
holding containers placed in 
shallow water just offshore of 
our field station. The 11 specimens were held overnight in the plastic collecting containers,locked 
between two heavy plastic milk crates, and secured on the bottom using large round stones (Fig. 
4). The next morning the animals were removed from the ocean and transported to Manila where 
they were prepared and exported to the Steinhart Aquarium. 
Shipping. — The coconut octopuses we collected in May 2011 were professionally packed at 
an aquarium export facility (Aquascapes Philippines, Manila) with oversight by Steinhart Aquari¬ 
um biologists. Animals collected in metal dens (cans) were removed from their dens prior to ship¬ 
ping to avoid the risk of the corroding metal contaminating the transport water. All specimens were 
shipped in clear plastic deli cups with 1mm mesh window screen tops to protect them from being 
trapped in the comers of the shipping bag, while still allowing access to well-oxygenated water. 
The deli cups created a den-like, contained space for the animals, and prevented them from biting 
through the shipping bag. Each individual deli cup was placed in a large, clear, plastic shipping bag 
filled with a total volume of approximately 2 liters, consisting of 50% seawater and 50% oxygen. 
The salinity of the shipping water was adjusted to match the salinity of the water with which the 
octopus were collected. Shipping bags were placed inside a second bag (double-bagged) with a 
newspaper liner in between the two layers, and then packed tightly inside Styrofoam coolers with 
cardboard outer liners. Small pieces of ice were used to keep the temperature inside the shipping 
boxes cool for the time between packing and when they were loaded on to the aircraft. All eight 
specimens of coconut octopus were shipped on a direct flight from Manila to SFO (total transit time 
of 14 hours). Export permits were arranged with BEAR and coordinated with Aquascapes Philip¬ 
pines and our stateside customs broker (Service Express, San Francisco, California, USA). 
As with the first collection, the animals from our second collection were professionally packed 
at an aquarium exporter (Aquascapes Philippines, Manila) and the salinity of the shipping water 
was adjusted to match the water in which the octopuses were collected. This time, however, all 
specimens were shipped inside the plastic collecting jars. The jars were placed inside a large plas¬ 
tic shipping bag with a ratio of approximately 50% seawater and 50% oxygen (Fig. 5). In contrast 
Figure 4. Plastic collecting containers and storage erates were used for 
temporarily staging the eoeonut oetopus. The eolleeting eontainers were 
seeured between the two erates, weighted down with large stones and plaeed 
in shallow water off of our field station in between eolleeting and shipping. 
Photo by Eric Hovland. 
