Portolan refers to navigational charts dating back to the Renaissance. They were focused on coastal outlines and included seaports, river openings, shoals and hazards. The distance from one point to another was always included. Latitude and longitude were not features on the maps, neither was interior land. Portolan comes from the Italian adjective “portolana” meaning “related to ports or harbors”.
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Christmas critter countdown: Bearded seal
Bearded seals spend most of their lives in the Arctic waters, although they’ve been seen in southeast Florida! They enjoy feasting on arctic cod, shrimp, clams, crabs, and octopus and have been known to live up to 25 years. Learn more here.
6 ocean related blogs you should know about.
Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, and Sunset “Doing my small part to preserve ocean biodiversity while advancing the vast left wing conspiracy and queer, godless agenda.” http://coralnotesfromthefield.blogspot.com/2008/08/great-ocean-blogs.html Sustainable Ocean Project “Changing the way we think about our oceans.” http://sustainableoceanproject.com/ Blue Planet Divers “A Place for Researchers Divers of All Levels to Connect and Learn.” http://blueplanetdivers.org CephalopodCast […]
Nudibranchs: The elusive butterflies of the sea
The 3,000 species of nudibranchs (noo-duh-brangk) boast more colors than a box of Crayola crayons and most nudibranchs “live no more than a year and then disappear without a trace, their boneless, shell-less bodies leaving no record of their brief, brilliant lives”. These sea slugs are found all over the world and range in size […]
What makes the swirly tracks at the ocean edge?
What I think you are referring to is the trail of a moon snail, or sometimes called a sand snail. This univalve animal has a cinnamon bun swirled shell. The shell is extremely thick to protect itself from the ocean and other animals that may try to eat it. If you try to pick it […]
Whales don’t have scales
That’s right. Whales are covered in blubber because they are mammals like you and I. Now the fish in the sea are another story. You might not realize it, but, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to touch a shark they are covered in scales just like other bony fish. There are several main types […]
100 ways to live (and die) green
Conservation and marine science education are two primary themes on BCS. And, since I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to marine science education the past few months I indulged myself with this list 100 of ways to live (and die) green. It’s a list of fun suggestions – beyond recycling day-to-day – and is […]
8 reasons to kick your heels about eels
In no particular order here are some interesting (and exciting) facts about eels. In college I built some eels ladders for a stream in southern New Jersey so these little critters do have a special place in my professional heart. Moray eels have the ability to tie their bodies in knots and use this to […]
How long do seastars live?
Seastars can live up to 35 years in the wild! It really depends on the species. Their wild habitat includes coral reefs, rocky coasts, sandy bottom, or even the deep sea of all the world’s oceans. There are approximately 1,800 different types of sea stars. They have been known to live up to 10 years […]
Have you watched Ocean Frontiers yet?
Ocean Frontiers is a movie you cannot miss the opportunity to watch. If not because you are genuinely interested in a film that outlines the transition of thought from the “the outlook is grim for the future of the ocean” to “there is a light at the end of the tunnel for our ocean“, then […]
Answers to “Test your knowledge of sea stars”
Answers to “Test your knowledge of sea stars” from December 31, 2009. True or False: Sea stars are fish. They are echinoderms, a group of invertebrates. Invertebrates have no backbones. All fish have backbones. True or False: Sea stars are closely related to sea cucumbers, sea urchins and brittle stars. True or False: Sea stars […]
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