Monsoons are winds that change directions with the season and are most often associated with Africa and South Asia. Winter monsoons are dry while summer monsoons bring rain. Very weak monsoons develop on the Gulf of Mexico.
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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Do sharks have bones?
No sharks do not have bones. Sharks do have skeletons, but they’re made of cartilage rather than bone. Cartilage is the flexible stuff in the tip of your nose. A cartilage skeleton has its advantages. It’s light, flexible, and it heals faster than bone. In some spots though, sharks need a little extra strength. Their […]
Visit to the Smithsonian
I am excited to bring you a look into the Smithsonian’s American Museum of Natural History. We are taking a sneak peek into the Department of Ichthyology with Research Curator, Melanie Stiassny. Ichthyology is the study of fishes. In this collection you will see the ceolacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, the three lobed caudal finned fish considered […]
Why is being near saltwater good for your health?
I can not believe I am answering this question since I am not a doctor or a beautician on any level. However, I will happily give you my opinion as a person that has grown up near the ocean. Salt water is amazing for skin – it really moisturizes and tones. That being said, my […]
Answers to “Seashell, seashell by the seashore”
From the post on February 8, 2010 “Seashell, seashell by the seashore” 1. Sea Biscuit 2. Cushion Star or Bahamas Star 3. Purple-spined Sea Urchin 4. Pear Whelk 5. Fighting Conch 6. Calico Scallop
Who was the first person to explore the deep sea?
New records are always being broken, but, the first person to make it into a deep abyss and record his findings was William Beebe. William Beebe never set out to become an ocean explorer and did not make his record breaking trip until he was 57 years old. Up until then he was content as […]
Christmas critter countdown: Snowy plovers
Snowy plovers are among some of the cutest shorebirds, don’t you think? Or, are they a seabird or a wading bird? Find out what the difference is here.
Are laughing gulls really funny?
NO! Not at all. Laughing gulls, or Larus atricilla, are quite aggressive. These birds travel up and down the coasts and never have to stray far inland. They are extremely confident and spend their days foraging food from overly-relaxed beach goers. They will easily push larger birds, for instance, a pelican, right out of the […]
What is shark finning?
There has been a lot in the news recently about shark finning. It’s the inhumane practice of capturing a shark, slicing its fins off (shark fin soup is an expensive delicacy popular at Chinese weddings and Chinese New Year celebrations), and tossing the rest of the animal overboard to bleed out a die. As noted […]
When did life in the ocean begin?
It is said that Earth was created about 4.5 billion years ago (bya). Life began about (note “about”) 3.5 bya. And, in fact, it is thought that life began in the oceans! Follow the evolution of the whale on the National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Oceans Hall on-line ocean portal and see if the […]
How much salt is in the ocean? Revisited
In late 2008, I wrote a very simple post explaining ‘salinity’ and the overall general amount of salt in the ocean. Now, with new data being collected by NASA (in a joint mission with Argentina) using the Aquarius instrument aboard a satellite, Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas, we are able to more completely understand “How salty […]
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