Hey there, restless intellect! So, guess what? Scientists went on this super cool adventure to explore an ancient underwater volcano, way down beneath the surface of the Pacific coast of Canada.

At first, they thought the volcano was sleeping and the waters around it were super cold, but guess what? It turns out this volcano is still awake and even spouting hot fluid like a dragon! 

• This volcanic mountain is covered in something magical and incredible—giant eggs! Can you believe it? These eggs are like the size of your mom’s pizza slices! Okay, maybe not that big, but close! There are so many eggs that the scientists think there could be a million of them! That’s like a gazillion eggs!
• Now, these eggs are super special because they belong to a little-known species of skate, which is like a cousin of sharks and rays. These skates are like underwater acrobats, gracefully weaving in and out of the volcano’s fronds (which are like underwater trees) and laying their eggs at the summit of the volcano, almost a mile deep underwater! That’s deeper than any swimming pool you’ve ever seen!
• The scientists were really surprised to find this skate nursery because before this, they only knew about a tiny nursery with just a few eggs in the Galápagos Islands. But this one they found in Canada is way bigger and more awesome! 
• Can you believe it? They even caught the skate mom on camera laying her eggs! It’s like catching a sneaky squirrel stealing cookies from the kitchen! These eggs are shaped like little bags, so they call them “mermaid purses” because, you know, mermaids love cool stuff like that!
• You know what’s extra cool? The warm water from the volcano helps these eggs grow faster, like magic! Instead of waiting forever, the baby skates develop in just four years. It’s like using a special potion for super-fast growth! 
• But here’s something we need to take seriously—this egg-covered volcano might be in danger from fishing activities. So, the scientists are keeping an eye on it to make sure these amazing creatures have a safe place to grow and thrive. After all, we want to protect their super cool nursery, right?
• So, what have we learned today? Volcanoes can be active even underwater, and they can create magical nurseries for marine creatures like skates! Nature is full of surprises, and it’s essential to take care of our oceans and the creatures that live there. Keep exploring, keep learning, and who knows what other awesome things we’ll discover next!
• And that’s the end of our fun and fascinating adventure with the underwater volcano and the skate nursery. Until next time, stay curious, my little explorer! 

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