Marjorie Eileen Doris Courtenay-Latimer was the South African museum official who in 1938 brought to the attention of the world the existence of the coelacanth, a fish thought to have been extinct for sixty-five million years.

How can a “thumbs up” sign help us remember five processes that impact evolution? The story of the Five Fingers of Evolution gives us a clever way of understanding change in gene pools over time.

The coelacanth is pretty weird! David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of similarly amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.

It's astonishing that we don't know more about the animals that live on Earth. For years, we even thought that the coelacanth was extinct. But what about animals that we all know? They're slippery. They're slithery. And while they totally look like underwater snakes, eels are, in fact, unique fish that can breathe through their skin and even survive out of water. James Prosek tracks the life journey of Eli the Anguilla eel as she (yes, she) travels her mysterious "backward" migration from the sea to fresh water and back again. But what do we still need to learn about eels?

What about blue whales?

In the deep, dark ocean, many sea creatures make their own light for hunting, mating and self-defense. Bioluminescence expert Edith Widder was one of the first to film this glimmering world. At TED2011, she brings some of her glowing friends onstage, and shows more astonishing footage of glowing undersea life.

It's gravely important to conserve our natural resources. Plants and animals not only help us survive into the future, but they hold important truth about our past. Here are a couple of lessons about conserving animals: the sea turtle and coral reefs.

Paleontologists rely pretty heavily on the fossil record to reveal stories of the prehistoric world. What are other ways that we can record species today for posterity? What about art? How did fishermen record their trophy catches before the invention of photography? In 19th century Japan, fishing boats were equipped with rice paper, sumi-e ink, and brushes in order to create gyotaku: elaborate rubbings of freshly caught fish. K. Erica Dodge recounts the story of this competitive fishing culture, plus some tips on how to make your very own etchings.

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