‘Drumroll’ means spawning season for some fish species

Did you know the fish species, red drum and black drum (pictured right), are in the same family as spotted sea trout and Atlantic croaker?  All of these fish have an ability to produce a drumming sound on their air bladders … Which, is how they got commons names such as “croaker” and “drum”. This drumming sound is very noticeable during spawning seasons.

Do you have another good question for the Beach Chair Scientist? Go to http://www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know. Or you can e-mail your question to info@beachchairscientist.com.

image (c) landbigfish.com

Better Practices needed for BP

Still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, coastal Louisiana is watching from the sidelines as slow moving oil slick creeps upon its shores. The oil is from the tanker DeepWater Horizon leased by the BP (used to stand for British Petroleum but in 2007 Britain’s third largest company started marketing themselves as Beyond Petroleum for a more global, greener image). The tanker exploded and sank approximately 40 miles offshore, killing 11 workers. Early estimates proved too optimistic, reports now say about 200,000 gallons of oil per day could be spewing from the site. This disaster may surpass the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Even today, more than two decades later, the Prince William Sound in Alaska is still recovering.

This is devastating for Louisiana. The state’s economy relies on its coastal ecosystem. It is the largest producer of seafood in the lower 48 states. Over $1.8 billion dollars is spent on the retail sales of seafood and $1 billion dollars in the sport fishing industry. Louisiana has 40% of the US total wetlands. Wetlands are vital areas for fish and shellfish to grow, they act as a type of nursery grounds. Sadly, the oil spill happened at the peak spawning time for fish.

How did this accident occur? Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is investigating the 30 offshore oil rigs and 47 production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. I hope it did not happen because last year a senior BP executive was successful in thwarting the regulation of mandatory safety codes for oil rigs (these would apparently be too much of a hassle and slow construction).

BP is responsible for the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico, but President Obama said at the White House Thursday that “every single available resource” would be used.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-rose-garden

For its part, BP has enlisted the federal, state and local governments for assistance, and it’s been issuing regular updates on its company website, unfortunately BP officials don’t seem to be making any guarantees they are equipped to stop the flow of oil from reaching Gulf shores alone.

http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7061565

One aspect of the cleanup effort involved the burning of the oil off the surface of the water. Many compassionate environmentalists have been volunteering for the cleanup efforts as well. Floating barriers have been put up to block the contact of the oil to the wetlands.

One great irony of the week is that the federal government did make an effort for the US to be more energy independent. Interior Secretary Salazar approved the construction of Cape Wind, the first offshore wind turbine. The 130 turbines will be in an area off the coast of Man130-turbine proposal for the Horseshoe Shoal area of Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Nantucket Sound near Massachusetts. Once the two year construction project is complete, Cape Wind should generate around 1.5 million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, or enough to supply about 230,000 homes.

Another is that the oil disaster happens just as President Obama recently announced plans to expand offshore drilling. Yet just as reports of the first oil was reaching Louisiana shores, a senior adviser to President Obama told The New York Times that those plans could be on hold.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/us/01gulf.html

“The deadly explosion of an offshore oil rig last week and the resulting spill have complicated Mr. Obama’s recently announced plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, with some politicians and environmental advocates calling on the president to halt any planned expansions until more safeguards are put into place against future disasters,” the newpaper reported.

Too bad those safeguards come too late for Louisiana.

Explore the Ocean with Google

What is the seaweed that reminds me of bubble wrap called?

That is commonly called rockweed (Fucus vesiculosis). The pockets of air that you want to pop are what keep the the rockweed afloat. When I am swimming in the ocean, I like to gently pick up one of these clumps of rockweed and shake it to see what creatures may be hiding in it. Sometimes you may find little bitty zooplankton trying to make their way to adulthood.

Click here to learn how seaweed is used for in our daily lives.

Image (c) Educational Technology Clearinghouse of the University of San Francisco.

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 is a mix of woody shrubs, including bayberry (very fragrant).

The interesting thing about the cordgrasses is that the entire marsh ecosystem depends upon them to die. The dead cordgrasses fall to the ground to build a base for mud flats, in between the other living plants. What happens next is that layers of peat will continually form on each new level of cordgrass, and protect the entire salt marsh from flooding over.

Another important contribution (and the reason I think salt marshes to be more valuable than oceans themselves) is that salt marshes are considered the nursery ground for many saltwater fish species. The saltwater fish travel into the freshwater to spawn. The eggs are protected in the calmer waters of rivers, creeks, and streams. Once they hatch the young-of-year grow up in salt marsh before heading to the ocean as adults.

For more information, I highly recommend The Life and Death of a Salt Marsh by John and Mildred Teal. (1971, Ballantine Books)

Image (c) National Marine Fisheries Service.

NE Saltwater Fishing Show

For all the anglers out there get to the NE Saltwater Fishing Show in Providence, RI from March 19-21, 2010. Great exhibits and a wide array of seminars for the expert to the beginner.

The Cove

The Oscars are this Sunday and there is one documentary which you may want to check out. I have posted a review of “The Cove” by Kenneth Turran, a film and book critic for the Los Angeles Times.

Have you already watched the film? I would love to know what you think.

What inspired you to become an environmental educator?

Some form of this question is probably the question I get the most often on BCS. It is usually a bit more blunt, “Why do you do your Beach Chair Scientist?” or “What made you come up with the idea?” It is simple. I was sitting in a web design class at the Bethesda Writer’s Center and the term Beach Chair Scientist popped into my brain.

It was the summer and I had just returned from a trip home where I went to the beach and some of my family from Philly (Go, Phils!) continually tried to stump me with interesting beach questions. They know I have a B.S. degree (insert joke) in marine sciences so I really was the best person to ask. But, what I discovered was that I love to make the answers entertaining and somehow less intimidating (This type of environmental education somehow coined ‘edu-tainment’). I thought if I started the blog they would be able to shoot me the questions all year round, even when I am not at the beach with them. I used to teach outdoors to people about the environment for a salary (and housing). Now, I just teach people about fisheries data from an office. The blog was my outlet.

I do want to pay homage to all those who do work tirelessly teaching people about the environment. It is often a thankless, over-worked and under-paid bunch of people. People with more enthusiasm than one could ever imagine. Environmental education has many various facets and is often difficult to define. But, the one constant of anyone in the field is heart and dedication. I love you all!

I decided to ask a few of these wonderful environmental educators the same question people ask me “What inspired you to become an environmental educator?” Here are their answers. Thanks to everyone that contributed.

  • “I always wanted to make a difference. Environmental education allows me to make a difference by combining my love of nature and my ability to communicate with people.” Kate Anderson, ___ @ ___ in somwhere, MA.
  • “EE is a way for me to share one of my passions (the environment) with people and make a positive difference towards the future at the same time.” Beth Jones Cranford, Summer Camp Coordinator @ Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill, NC
  • “I have always loved nature and sharing it with others.” Travis Davis, Education Director @ Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, N.J.
  • “I LOVE sharing my passion for science with others!” Laura Diederick, Marine Education Specialist @ Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL
  • “I wanted to help conserve all of Mother Nature’s bounty and you cannot obtain conservation without education and vice versa.” Kristi Martin Moyer, Facilities and Land Manager @ Pine Jog Environmental Education Center in West Palm Beach, FL
  • “Ranger program at Rocky Mountain National Park in 4th Grade.” Katie Navin, Program Coordinator with the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education in Golden, CO
  • “I want to humans to have less of an impact on the Earth!” Leslie Sprague, Director of Education @ the San Antonio Children’s Museum in San Antonio, TX
  • “I think my inspiration came from my love of teaching and working with kids which I discovered in college combined with my love of being outdoors as a kid. The two came together when I “found” EE at Pine Jog. Oh, and hope I have made a difference (if only a small one!).” Susan Toth, Education Director @ Pine Jog Environmental Education Center in West Palm Beach, FL

To me it seems that one answer is clear: What inspires us to keep doing what we are doing is because we love it.

Image (c) agreenerindiana.com

Answers to “Seashell, seashell by the seashore”

From the post on February 8, 2010 “Seashell, seashell by the seashore

1. Sea Biscuit 2. Cushion Star or Bahamas Star 3. Purple-spined Sea Urchin 4. Pear Whelk 5. Fighting Conch 6. Calico Scallop

What is your fish of the day?

When you are going out to eat and want to eat seafood that is good for you and good for the sustainability of the ocean carry around the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide. It lists the best choices, good alternatives and what to avoid.

This guide can be downloaded and printed out, is an iPhone app, or they will kindly mail you one. The guide is even broken down regionally: west coast, southwest, southeast, northeast, central US and Hawai’i.

Here is a list of the best choices nationally:
Arctic Char (farmed)
Barramundi (US farmed)
Catfish (US farmed)
Clams (farmed)
Cobia (US farmed)
Cod: Pacific (Alaska longline)+
Crab: Dungeness, Stone
Halibut: Pacific+
Lobster: Spiny (US)
Mussels (farmed)
Oysters (farmed)
Sablefish/Black Cod (Alaska+ or British Columbia)
Salmon (Alaska wild)+
Scallops: Bay (farmed)
Shrimp, Pink (Oregon)+
Striped Bass (farmed or wild*)
Tilapia (US farmed)
Trout: Rainbow (farmed)
Tuna: Albacore (troll/pole, US or British Columbia)
Tuna: Skipjack (troll/pole) – pictured.

+ part or all of this fishery is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Read more about being a socially responsible consumer of seafood.

Image (c) Monterey Bay Aquarium.