Wednesday July 1, 2026
WWF —
The ocean absorbs roughly a quarter of all the carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere. Much of that is driven by the workings of an interconnected web of life beneath the waves. Surprisingly, the clever sea creatures known as cephalopods are more central to that web than many know.
Cephalopods are an order of marine mollusks that includes species like octopus, squid, and cuttlefish, and are among the most fascinating creatures on our planet. Beneath their unique appearance is a highly developed brain capable of complex learning and problem-solving. They can regrow limbs, change shape, color, and texture in an instant, and even edit their own genetic information (RNA), the extent and scale of which is extremely rare in the animal kingdom.
However, cephalopods often swim under the radar when it comes to their contributions to our ocean’s health. These critical links within and among marine food webs also help move and store carbon. They keep ecosystems balanced and functional, strengthening the ocean’s resilience and ability to regulate our climate.
Their unique biology has essentially wired them for change. The same traits that make them so responsive to environmental changes have allowed cephalopods to thrive in virtually every ocean region on the planet. And this adaptability is helping us better understand and predict how climate change is reshaping marine ecosystems.