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.
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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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 […]
Why do we have life guards?
According to the Discovery Health Channel, it is estimated that 1 in 3 beach goers do not know how to swim. The rational is that if you were not taught as a child then there is a hesitation to learn to swim as an adult. Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and […]
Why does it feel like the ocean is pulling on you when your just standing in the water?
The “pull” of the water that you feel as you stand in the shallows near the shoreline is just moving water rubbing against your skin. So, why is the water moving out to sea near the beach? Several different forces push – or pull – an excess of water up onto the beach, and then […]
Do all jellies sting?
Yes, they do. All jellies have specialized structures called cnidoblasts. Inside the cnidoblasts are capsules called nematocysts. Inside each nematocyst is a coiled, hollow thread. Nematocysts are triggered by mechanical (touch) or chemical stimuli. When they fire, the thread turns inside out, pierces its prey and delivers its venom. A jelly’s tentacles and oral arms […]
Christmas critter countdown: Cookie cutter shark
Another day of the countdown. This time it’s the ferocious cookie cutter shark. There’s nothing short of remarkably awesome when it comes to these sharks. They are small but also skillful in their ability to sneak up and eat prey much larger. They even have the largest tooth-to-body-length ratio of any shark (including the great […]
‘Baby beluga’ dies
I’m not certain if my dear family friend Janie had been watching too much CeeLo Green on television this summer or if she got wind that the little white whale that inspired the classic children’s song ‘Baby Beluga‘ by Raffi Cavoukian died last week, but in any event she asked me to write a post […]
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 […]
What is the difference between a marine biologist and an oceanographer?
A marine biologist studies the life in the ocean (“bio” = life). An oceanographer studies the physical elements of the oceans. A marine biologist will study dolphins. An oceanographer will study tides. A marine biologist will study jellyfish. An oceanographer will study the salt content of seawater. A marine biologist will study algae. An oceanographer […]
10 facts about manatees
Manatees are marine mammals and breathe air through their nostrils. Manatees belong to an order of marine mammals called the Sirenians. Dugongs are the other member of this family. Stellar sea cows were also a member of this family, but they were hunted to extinction within 27 years of their discovery. Manatees can weigh up […]
What is sea foam?
Sea foam can be thought of as the air bubbles in seawater that bounce off one another. When they bounce off one another it also releases sea spray. Air bubbles in freshwater basically just unite and don’t bounce off one another. If there is foaminess in freshwater it is pollutant related. Makes you think where […]
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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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