Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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What is shark finning?
There has been a lot in the news recently about shark finning. It’s the inhumane practice of capturing a shark, slicing its fins off (shark fin soup is an expensive delicacy popular at Chinese weddings and Chinese New Year celebrations), and tossing the rest of the animal overboard to bleed out a die. As noted […]
A Scientist’s Inspiration
For Dr. Penny Chisholm, a single look into the microscope as an undergraduate student set off a chain of events that led to a lifetime of work, important new research changing our understanding of the oceans and, just recently, an honor from President Obama at the White House. The Lee and Gerldine Martin Professor of […]
Are flounder born flat?
They hatch from the egg looking exactly like typical fish, swimming in the upper waters. After two weeks the bridge of the fish’s nose fades away and then one of the eyes, depending on the species, shifts to one side. The process of becoming a complete “flat” fish takes a bit of time, but, once […]
6 ocean related blogs you should know about.
Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice, and Sunset “Doing my small part to preserve ocean biodiversity while advancing the vast left wing conspiracy and queer, godless agenda.” http://coralnotesfromthefield.blogspot.com/2008/08/great-ocean-blogs.html Sustainable Ocean Project “Changing the way we think about our oceans.” http://sustainableoceanproject.com/ Blue Planet Divers “A Place for Researchers Divers of All Levels to Connect and Learn.” http://blueplanetdivers.org CephalopodCast […]
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 […]
Two eggs and a side of glasswort, please
While I was trolling the aisles of Whole Foods the other day, I stumbled upon a familiar salt marsh plant known as glasswort (Salicornia virginica). When I would lead early morning nature walks along the beaches in Florida this marsh herb was a plant I enjoyed finding! Here’s the interesting anecdote I’d share with my […]
How did fiddler crabs get their name?
The male fiddler crabs have one claw that is much larger than the other. This extra large claw is shaped like a fiddle. It is useful for two main reasons. The first being that if waved in a certain manner it attracts some hot chicks, er, female fiddler crabs. The second is that it is […]
Swiped bass
The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York and New Hampshire. The fish is commonly referred to as the rockfish. The fish supports a $6.5 billion per year industry with 60,000 jobs as a recreational game species. Read more about […]
Ringing in the New Year with Carnival of the Blue
Here it is January and we’ve all sang our last rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Conversely, what this Beach Chair Scientist has to say is that these marine science bloggers should not be forgotten! As the host for the Carnival of the Blue No. 44, I proudly bring to you these powerful, poetic, funny, insightful […]
Is there seaweed in ice cream?
Some products need a little something extra to basically hold it together. Certain ice creams, lip sticks and even beer use a derivative of red seaweed, called carrageenan, to emulsify the products. Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the […]
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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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