Hark! Unlike rays and skates, the nocturnal angel shark doesn’t have a mouth on the underside of its body, but rather in front. Learn more here.
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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A naturalist’s must-see destination: Acadia National Park
I’ve researched some significant reasons why Acadia National Park is a popular place to go. The center of Acadia National Park is the core wintering area for purple sandpipers. Recently, a fungus lethal to bats – but harmless to humans, was found in Acadia National Park. The animals infected are said to come down with […]
Molly Malone’s cockles and mussels
On the way home from work yesterday I had a driveway moment and could not stop listening to a story on All Things Considered on the benefits of forgoing the pub this Sunday and instead preparing some heartwarming Irish food at home to celebrate Erin go bragh. The story featured a recipe – Molly Malone’s […]
Test your knowledge: What am I?
I am a bivalve that grows in the Atlantic Ocean. I do have several species closely related to me that live in freshwater. I am very closely related to clams and oysters. I tend to grow to about 4 inches long. I live in colonies and attach to bulkheads, rope and rocks very easily. To […]
Christmas critter countdown: Jingle shells
Christmas critter countdown continues! Fishermen have been known to toss jingle shells over oyster beds in a process known as “shelling” to create a habitat for oysters can settle. Fishermen want to create habitat for oysters … not so much jingle shells because the raw meat of the jingle shell is sharply bitter to the […]
What are skates and how are they different from rays?
Recently, a subscriber wanted to learn more about skates. Great question since many of us think of ‘roller’ when we think ‘skate’. Skates are a species that often get overshadowed by rays, especially considering rays tend to be boldly colored while skates tend to be rather dreary and drab in coloration. Rays are also found […]
Who are the deepest divers in the sea?
After gathering data from marinebio.net, the University of California – San Diego, National Science Foundation, Softpedia, and Scientific American the folks from LiveScience.com have presented this amazing graphic of the 8 deepest divers in the sea. As a bonus, it explains how penguins manage to pull off diving to a depth greater than the height […]
Share new environmentally friendly memes
I recently started a course with the Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab on Environmental Education Outcomes. Much of the reading and discussion is centrally around some themes that I studied in graduate school over ten years ago. It’s fantastic to get a refresher and also see what’s new on the horizon. Easily one of the […]
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 […]
Can you name the state fish of Hawai’i?
It’s “Humuhumunukunukuāpua’a” in case you missed it when the bartender mentioned it in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. As a bonus, I’ll also give you a rundown of all the other states with a state saltwater/game fish. Some you may already know, but some might surprise you! I never would have thought that so many states have […]
Action Project Ideas: Garden & Garage (2 of 5)
One idea I had when I started this website almost ten years ago was that I wanted to make science simple and accessible. I hope I have created a place where questions on anything from barnacles to whales can be answered in a knowledgeable no-nonsense or overly jargon tone. My secondary goal has also been […]
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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
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- 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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