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.
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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What are the world’s largest oceans and seas?
Great question! Here is a quick break down of the world’s largest oceans and seas using the size information found in the descriptions from The World’s Biggest Oceans & Seas by Our Amazing Planet. If you have another question please don’t hesitate to find me on Twitter using @bcsanswers or just email info@beachchairscientist.com. Have a […]
Can’t blame just Big Oil
Yesterday I wrote a post about pharmaceuticals affecting aquatic life our waterways and finished it up with a question, “Have you heard of any other ways fish or aquatic life are affected by what we put in our waterways?” Well, I’m too excited to share another culprit. We all know how oil spills affect wildlife […]
Are spider crabs harmful?
Great question as Halloween approaches! Common spider crabs, or sometimes called mud crabs, are harmless. In fact, their shells are covered with fine short hairs. When you (if you) attempt to pick one up they would actually feel as though their body was covered in felt. The short little hairs are really what helps the […]
Connecting to my watershed – Part I
I rarely preach on this blog. But, I just watched a documentary called “No Impact Man” where the writer, Colin, and his family decide to reduce their impact on the environment. He wanted to reduce to nothing. They even went for 6 months without any electricity in their 5th Avenue apartment. I was skeptical. He […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: G for Gorgonians
Gorgonians are a group of corals known as the ‘horny corals’. This is includes the sea whips, sea fans and sea feathers. They are similar to the soft corals because they all have eight-part symmetry. Most jewelry that is made from coral is made from the gorgonians. If you ask me though corals are too […]
How did the loggerhead sea turtle get its name?
The loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, was given the common name because it has such a massive head. On this massive head is an incredibly powerful jaw that aids the turtle in consuming any type of food it can get its mouth on. This can include corals, sponges, crabs, jellies, fish, other sea turtles, sea […]
A seal on the shore isn’t always stranded
It’s critical that you do not disturb seals when viewing. All marine mammals (e.g., seals, whales, walruses, porpoises, dolphins) are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. If you do see an animal in distress contact your local member of the Northeast Region Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Network.
Why are horseshoe crabs essential to biotechnology?
First of all, let’s chat biotechnology, or, ‘biotech’, as those in the industry call it. The concept of biotech has been around for ages, just, not given the fancy term. For instance, planting seeds to produce food, fermenting juice for wine and churning milk into cheese (that are tested with the help of mycotoxin testing […]
Legitimize whaling in Japan?
Yes, there has been a draft compromise made that would make it ok for whales to be taken from the oceans for “scientific research” in Japan. Read more here … http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/news/?uNewsID=189581
Don’t be blue!
The annual BLUE Film Festival was held from August 24-29 in beautiful Monterrey, CA. The event is sponsored by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and has recently become more and more mainstream attracting many high profile ocean community celebrities. The winner of the festival last year, The Cove, even won an Oscar for best documentary! I […]
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