Did you know some species of puffers and other fish can live in both fresh and saltwater? It’s called euryhaline. Like … rhymes with “your-e-hey-leen!”. What’s it called when an animal isn’t this adaptable? Find out here.
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Holy, mole(y) crab!
Mole crabs are recognizable decapods with their barrel-shaped bodies and a grey colored exoskeleton and known to many of us as ‘sand fleas’. We often only see them for a wee bit when a wave (or curious hand playing in the sand) dislodges them and they quickly scurry back under the sand. These clawless crabs […]
‘I’m a Manatee’ by John Lithgow
Back in 2003 Janice Nearing, Media Relations Coordinator with Save the Manatee, interviewed John Lithgow about his new book I’m a Manatee. Here is an excerpt (click here for the full interview). Q: Your new book, I’m a Manatee, has a Seuss-ian feel to it, with rhyming verses and fun illustrations. Does your playful side […]
Merry Christmas!
I just want to extend a simple wish for a safe holiday! Here is an image of a driftwood ‘tree’ that my daughter and nephews decorated with clam shells. “A song, a song, high above the trees, With a voice as big as the sea, With a voice as big as the sea, Said the […]
Who owns the fish in the sea?
It takes at least five minutes of discussion between a grandfather and a grandson to explain who owns the ocean and who can fish in the U.S. seas. Check out this animated video produced by the Center for Investigative Reporting as they share their perspective on the catch shares system in which “the right to […]
How much salt is in the ocean? Revisited
In late 2008, I wrote a very simple post explaining ‘salinity’ and the overall general amount of salt in the ocean. Now, with new data being collected by NASA (in a joint mission with Argentina) using the Aquarius instrument aboard a satellite, Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas, we are able to more completely understand “How salty […]
What is a salt marsh?
A salt marsh is the habitat where freshwater (from rivers and lakes) mixes with the saltwater (from the ocean). The salt marshes that I am most familiar with have tall cordgrasses near the water’s edge. Usually, it is a mix of two types of cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina pattens. Away from the water’s edge […]
12 truths about diamondback terrapins (please, see #8)
Each diamondback terrapin is a work of art. Their skin color ranges from pale to dark gray, or even black. The underside of their shell (plastron) ranges from yellow to green, or even black. But, those variations aren’t the reason for its name. If have the opportunity, be sure to check out the mesmerizing diamond-shaped […]
Squid’s “Passing Cloud” camouflage technique mimicked in artificial skin
Are we one step closer to an invisibility cloak? Researchers at the University of Bristol have demonstrated how to create artificial skin that can mimic the squid. The squid, as well as other cephalopods like the octopus and cuttlefish, can blend into their surroundings to hide from predators or sneak up on prey. The squid’s […]
What I know about whale sharks
Sure, you know that whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea (reaching up to 42 feet) and they sieve plankton for nourishment. Being that you’re clever and smart you must know these ten wicked facts about whales sharks, too – but, I’ll tell you again anyway. Whales sharks have the thickest skin in […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: W for Weddell Sea
Weddell Sea is the southern most part of the Atlantic Ocean and is usually ice filled. It was discovered by James Weddell in 1823. Image (c) abc.net.au
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