Not all small animals can be cute, fluffy bunnies or soft ... Oval shaped and covered in small tentacles, the researchers knew they were sea slugs, but they soon realized there was something different ...

Biology researcher Sayaka Mitoh said she loves studying Japanese sea slugs because they are small, cute and weird. They can even briefly photosynthesize like a plant drawing food from the sun.

reveals that this small sea slug is both remarkably heat-tolerant and genetically diverse across its wide range—key traits that make it an ideal partner for climate-resilient coastal restoration.