Excerpt from the Blue Planet.
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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Can’t blame just Big Oil
Yesterday I wrote a post about pharmaceuticals affecting aquatic life our waterways and finished it up with a question, “Have you heard of any other ways fish or aquatic life are affected by what we put in our waterways?” Well, I’m too excited to share another culprit. We all know how oil spills affect wildlife […]
How can you tell if that fin bobbing up and down in the distance belongs to a dolphin or a porpoise?
From far away you can probably only see the fin, right? The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin will have a dorsal fin that is hooked while the Atlantic Harbor Porpoise will have a triangular dorsal fin. If you are closer you will see other differences. For instance, the dolphin is about 7-12 feet as an adult while […]
The “Osprey”, they’re bone breakers alright
The Latin name for osprey, Pandion haliaetus, means “bone breaker” and explains quite well how the bird of prey gets his main source of food, fish. Ospreys plummet down from almost 30 stories above water and use their barbed talons to grab onto mullet, menhaden, or other fish found in estuaries. These barbs can be […]
10 tips for a successful beachcombing trip
It’s my favorite time of year. This is the best time to explore the beach. It’s still sunny and warm, there are frequent storms (you’ll see why that matters later), and there are few people on the beach. For another six weeks along the mid-Atlantic (before it gets too cold), I encourage you to spend […]
What happens if the tide leaves a horseshoe crab stranded?
It’s not often you stumble across this on the beach. I asked horseshoe crab expert Danielle Chesky, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, what was happening in this picture and she said that “they’re dug in for the day after spawning until the high tide comes and they can get […]
Oh, Bermuda Triangle, where art thou?
Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand or e-mail beachchairscientist@gmail.com. Image (c) behindblondiepark.com
Who … What … Me?
Can you guess the common name designated to the animal pictured to the right? Here are some facts about the critter: Found in Antarctica Has watery-jelly like flesh Lives in the deep part of the ocean Image (c) of newscience.com
Will I really swallow anything living if I gulp saltwater?
You just ingested a plethora of bacteria, exponentially less than that in terms of phytoplankton and then even fewer of zooplankton. Totaling several hundreds of millions of organisms – yup, that were living. Gulp. You will survive though. Just don’t make a habit out of it. Also, it should be mentioned that there are a […]
Can I adopt a whale?
Of course! Now, do not expect to take a whale home. There is no way your tub can fit a marine mammal comfortably, plus, taking care of a salt water tank is all too fussy. If you are willing to donate the money you can do just about anything in the world. Adopting a whale […]
What do you call someone that collects sand?
An arenophile is someone that collects sand specimens from different beaches. Not to be confused with a person that loves aviation – an areophile. But we’ve only scratched the surface here. Check back often at http://www.beachchairscientist.com for more insight about your favorite beach discoveries.
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- Hurricane vs. Cyclone vs. Typhoon
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- Five awful puns about courtship in the sea
- Horseshoe crabs confirmed as members of arachnid family
- Beyond the bag: Other plastics being banned
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