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.
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Top to bottom: Octopus; Whale; Cuttlefish; Otters
Did you know that some lobsters are blue?
That’s right! American lobsters can be blue (rather than the brownish/green color they typically are prior to cooking) due to either a genetic modification or an abnormal diet. Both colored lobsters taste the same. One in every two million lobsters can be blue. Enjoy this funny video from the folks at CapeCast.
What are the nubby little things on pilings near the beach?
Most likely, acorn barnacles. Let me guess, they look like tiny volcanoes? And they hurt if you rub up against them? That is the outer shell made of calcium. They put this protective layer up when they are not under water. When it is hide tide the acorn barnacle opens up the volcanoes structure and […]
National Hagfish Day is October 20th
You may not know it, but, tomorrow is National Hagfish Day. The day was created to draw attention and appreciation of all marine animals and plants. So please do not forget to appreciate not only the charismatic bottlenose dolphin, but, also the not-so-charismatic hagfish, sea cucumbers and horseshoe crabs. Here is a little bit of […]
What is the biggest fish in the sea?
The whale shark is the biggest fish on the planet. The largest whale shark measures about 66 feet long and 74,957 pounds. Not to be confused with the blue whale, a mammal, which is the largest animal on the planet. The largest blue whale measured about 110 feet and up to 400,000 pounds! The whale […]
Can we eat sea cucumbers?
There’s a funny animal that lives on the floor of the ocean and likes to eat what most of us would only wipe off the bottom of our shoes. It’s name is the sea cucumber. The sea cucumber is an echinoderm and is closely related to sea stars, sea urchins, and sand dollars.To protect itself […]
“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” P.J. O’Rourke
Today Ira Flatow discussed summer science reads on Science Friday, my favorite radio program. So, I got to thinking about two very special books that I always wander back to when I want to reconnect with the ocean. Henry Beston’s, The Outermost House, and Jennifer Ackerman’s, Notes from the Shore, are two books written in […]
Can you tell what type of whale is under the surface by the spray it produces above the surface?
Yes. For instance, the sperm whale will blow forward and to the left. The vapor will be about 6 feet tall. Right whales and bowhead whales will have a v-shaped blow. The right whales will be about 15 feet tall while the bowhead whales will be higher at 21 feet tall. Humpback whales have a […]
The First Beach Chair Scientist post is about my favorite animal – The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
Some might say that the horseshoe crab is quite possibly the scariest looking creature along the shoreline. However, I disagree. There’s actually a sweetheart of an animal underneath that tough, pointy, chitin exoskeleton. I am certain that the horseshoe crab has survived since before the time of the dinosaurs due to its ability to adapt […]
Who is afraid of Atlantic wolf(fish)?
The Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) may look rather frightening, but, the fish will only harm you if it is out of water. This is rather understandable since it is out of its natural habitat. It prefers to live on rocky bottoms of the ocean floor in very deep, cold waters. These fish have high concentrations […]
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- 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
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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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