Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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5 things you might not know about oarfish
Last week 2 giant, shimmering oarfish washed ashore in southern California. This is not a common occurrence and some speculate that it may be a means to warn of an impending earthquake. Others say that it could just be a “banner week for weird fish photo ops“. In either case, I’m making the most of […]
What are those tiny black pods with tendrils near the ends?
They are egg cases from a juvenile thorny skate. The skate is related to sharks and rays. Sharks, skates, and rays all have a skeleton made up of cartilage, the flexible material that is found in our noses and ears. One tiny skate will hatch from each egg after nine months – hatching under the […]
What is the fastest marine mammal?
The 2012 Summer Olympics are less than 10 days away and with this comes lots of intense swimming competitions (among other events). This got me wondering, if I lined up various species of marine mammals which one would be taking home the gold? Check out the average top speeds of 10 species in the graph […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: C for Chitin
Chitin (kai-tin) is the main material for 1) the exoskeleton of shrimp, crabs and lobsters, 2) the beak of squid and octopi and 3) the radula of mollusks. It is very similar in make up to glucose and similar in function to keratin (which is what makes up our hair, skin and nails).
Test your knowledge: Alphabet soup
See if you can guess what these marine-related acronyms stand for with the clues provided. AFS: Organization of fisheries professionals. Seattle is hosting their conference this year. BCS: A nice and funny blogger who enjoys making marine science entertaining (and it has nothing to do with college football). CBP: A regional partnership that has led […]
Christmas critter countdown: Star puffer
Did you know some species of puffers and other fish can live in both fresh and saltwater? It’s called euryhaline. Like … rhymes with “your-e-hey-leen!”. What’s it called when an animal isn’t this adaptable? Find out here.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: W for Weddell Sea
Weddell Sea is the southern most part of the Atlantic Ocean and is usually ice filled. It was discovered by James Weddell in 1823. Image (c) abc.net.au
How did fiddler crabs get their name?
The male fiddler crabs have one claw that is much larger than the other. This extra large claw is shaped like a fiddle. It is useful for two main reasons. The first being that if waved in a certain manner it attracts some hot chicks, er, female fiddler crabs. The second is that it is […]
Five facts about my favorite animal…Can you guess what it is?
1) This animal is one of four in its genus. The other three are all native to the Pacific ocean. And, the animal is so well revered in Japanese culture that the shape of a samurai warrior’s headgear was designed after its shell. 2) This animal has its gills under its shell. The gills are […]
What do you spy with a horseshoe crab eye?
What advantages do horseshoe crabs have with their compound eyes (1000 tiny lens less than 1/10 of an inch in diameter)? Discovery Education produced this video on how horseshoe crabs see as a part of the Science Investigation series. Watch to see how Dr. Robert Barlow from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute uses a CrabCam to […]
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- Robert Emahiser on Why you should never walk on dunes
- Lesa on 10 brief facts on bioluminescence
- Lisa on Limulus Love
- Beach Chair Scientist on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Bernard Rejterada on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Brian on What is the difference between a summer and winter flounder?
- Inbound marketing on 15 facts about the Portuguese man-of-war that’ll have you saying “Didya know…?”
- Donnie Huckabee on Wordless Wednesday | Shell art
- John on Why you should never walk on dunes
- ItzJaylaD on What I know about whale sharks
Top posts & pages from BCS …
- Hurricane vs. Cyclone vs. Typhoon
- A House for Hermit Crab
- How to handle a horseshoe crab
- Snot's your house
- Wednesday Wisdom: Various quotes (Alaska scenes)
- A naturalist's must-see destination: Fossil Hunting at Bayfront State Park in Chesapeake Beach, MD
- Belly biology creates lasting memories
- 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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