Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: F for Fulmar
Fulmar is a name given to the group of scavenger seabirds that inhabits the North and South Poles. Shearwaters and petrels are in this group of birds that have been nicknamed ‘stinkers’. The great fulmar of the Antarctic has a wingspan of over 6 feet and is almost 3 feet tall.
Snot’s your house
If you’re a larvacean, you work constantly without a break to save the planet. Larvaceans are tiny invertebrates that are always filtering food – or, microplastics – from the sea. They build a system around their body with mucus that comes out of their heads. Once the cozy “snot house” is clogged the larvaceans shed […]
‘Wicked Tuna’ is food for thought
Tomorrow the National Geographic Channel (of which approximately over 50% is owned by NewsCorp, a Murdoch Company) is debuting the television show Wicked Tuna. The show is intriguing because the species itself is remarkable. Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) can swim up to 40 miles per hour and can dive up to 3,000 feet. Their […]
Witness the horseshoe crab molting process
I’d like to share this remarkable two and a half-minute video of a horseshoe crab during the molting process. Produced by the Hong Kong Coast Watch and filmed by Kevin Laurie in May 2011, this film shows a juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus (one of the three species found in the Pacific ocean along the coast of […]
Why is being near saltwater good for your health?
I can not believe I am answering this question since I am not a doctor or a beautician on any level. However, I will happily give you my opinion as a person that has grown up near the ocean. Salt water is amazing for skin – it really moisturizes and tones. That being said, my […]
How does coral bleaching result?
Coral bleaching is due to the fact that the algae part of the coral reef ecosystem can no longer photosynthesize properly – therfore, losing the “reef” structure and the corals remain white – since the zooxannthellea are not around (that’s the algae – and responsible for the color of the coral). This occurs due to […]
Where are the highest tides found?
The highest tides are found at the Bay of Fundy (Atlantic Ocean) off the coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada, as well as Maine in the United States. The tides are typically 5 to 10 times higher than other coasts!
The story of the hurricane …
Bob Dylan explained it once, but I’ll explain the natural phenomenon from another angled. A hurricane develops due to the hot, hot air temperatures of summer moving along the hot, hot ocean. This collision of heat joins forces to form a mass of air and water that starts swirling, blowing, sinking, and rising in a […]
How to handle a horseshoe crab
Many horseshoe crabs you see this time of year along the shore are probably “molts”. You can tell if the exoskeleton seems hollow. Insider science tip: If the horseshoe crab has a slight opening at the opposite end of the telson (i.e., pointy “tail”) – it’s a molt. However, if you see a live one […]
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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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