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A naturalist’s must-see destination: Acadia National Park

March 26, 2012 by 3 Comments

I’ve researched some significant reasons why Acadia National Park is a popular place to go.

  • The center of Acadia National Park is the core wintering area for purple sandpipers.
  • Recently, a fungus lethal to bats – but harmless to humans, was found in Acadia National Park. The animals infected are said to come down with white-nose syndrome. It’s particularly detrimental because bats are crucial to stabilizing the mosquito population.
  • The word ‘Acadia’ is said to be a derivative of the word ‘Arcadia’. Italian explored Giananni de Verazzano used the word ‘Arcadia’ to describe the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The word ‘Acadia’ was used to designate the current area of Canada’s maritime Providences.
  • The park was established as Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929 and is the fifth smallest national park.
  •  In 2010, the Huffington Post named it one of the top 6 national parks to visit.
  • Acadia National Park lies on Mount Desert Island, which is the sixth largest island in the continental United States.
  •  There is a famous rock formation, known as Thunder Hole (pictured), that when hit by waves creates a thunderous roar as air and water shoot out!
  • The movie, Cider House Rules, featured two spots on Mount Desert Island: Sand Beach and Thurston’s Lobster Pound.
  •  The peak of the highest mountain, Cadillac Mountain, in Acadia National Park is the first place to witness the rays of the sun shining on the United States.
  • When writing letters in support of the park, President Woodrow Wilson stated, “It is a true park area in the highest sense, totally different from any other that we have”, “It is rich in historic association, in scientific interest, and in landscape beauty”, “There is no other place along the Atlantic coast where so wide a range of geologic facts are shown or where such valuable material is offered for research”, “It will give a healthy playground to multitudes of hard-working men and women”, and “With its adjacent inlets and headlands, it stands out as offering the greatest natural diversity.”
  • The state motto, Dirigo, is Latin for “I direct” or “I guide”.

In case you cannot tell, I am very excited for the Maine coast vacation next week. Pictures will surely follow!

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Atlantic horseshoe crab infographic

March 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

Whether we know it or not, the Atlantic horseshoe crab has made a significant impact on many of our lives. The significance of this living fossil can be found in its capacity to resist change for millions of years, its special copper-based blood is crucial to the medical field, and its ability to provide food for millions of migratory birds year after year.

Filed Under: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Wrack Line Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sea turtle track safari!

March 16, 2012 by 1 Comment

With amazing spring temperatures so early this year, sea turtles may begin creeping out of the sea earlier than usual. If you’re in the southeastern U.S. during sea turtle nesting season (typically May through October) you may have the opportunity in the early morning to stumble across the flipper tracks of a female sea turtle that dug a nest the night before.

  • Loggerhead sea turtles tracks alternate (comma-like) left and right flippers and there is no tail mark.
  • Green and leatherback sea turtles use their right and left flippers at the same time to crawl up the beach and they both have tail marks.
  • Leatherback sea turtles are the widest at approximately 6-7 feet across. Leatherback sea turtles travel over 3,000 miles to get to their nesting beaches.

Mother sea turtles lay 100-150 eggs in each nest. They may lay up to 3-8 nests per season. The juveniles hatch after 45-70 days under the cover of darkness.

Please note that it is a federal law to harass, feed, hunt, capture or kill sea turtles in the U.S. Do not interact with any nesting sea turtles as it could be interpreted as harassment. Check out the local National Park Service in the area for information on guided tours to witness a nesting female.

Image from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute: Guidelines for Marine Turtle Permit Holders

Filed Under: Sea Turtles Tagged With: , , , , ,

“One can acquire everything in solitude except character.” ― Stendhal

March 16, 2012 by 6 Comments

It’s seems as good a time as any to recognize and share some inspiring and insightful blogs. Especially, since the blog, 365 Days, acknowledged Beach Chair Scientist as a Kreativ Blogger (a much appreciated, peer award). In that spirit of camaraderie, here are 7 compelling and very insightful 7 bloggers, as well as more on 365 Days. The protocol on the Kreativ Blogger recognition calls for me to write 7 facts about myself. Earlier this week though I published my Bucket List over at Bucket List Publications and it’s peppered with plenty of information for you to get to know me better.

1. 365 Days: A fellow ‘shoe lover, need I say more? This blog is exceptional because of the commitment of the self proclaimed ‘nerdy’ mom. She’s on a mission to take a picture every day and share it with her readers. But, also sprinkled throughout the blog are crafts, games, and snippets that are anything but typical.

2. Ann Novek | With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoor: She enjoys the outdoors and she also doesn’t have an ‘e’ at the end of her first name.

3. Earth First! Newswire: If you want to be up-to-date on worldwide environmental issues you should be following this blog.

4. Dispatches from the Potomac: As a new-to-Virginia outdoors lady, I resonate with the words and images of this writer and outdoorsman. Plus, his dog has the same name as my daughter.

5. Ocean Acidification: This blog is a central place for all information available on ocean acidification, as well as its consequences on marine organisms and ecosystems.

6. Literarybex: She likes creative writing and the ocean and she shares her thoughts in a most unique style. It’s always a good read!

7. Photography + Science = Chanel: What can I say except that Chanel is ‘livin’ the dream’. She shares great articles on marine biology and photography, as well as random rants with an energy and enthusiasm that I hope she keeps forever!

8. Bucket List Publications: This is a blog started by traveler extraordinaire Lesley Carter. It is essentially a community of people all sharing their bucket list adventure on one blog. I have to say it is incredibly inspiring!

Filed Under: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, Biodiversity, People Tagged With: , , ,

Call for permanent ban of whale products sold on Amazon.com

March 7, 2012 by 1 Comment

If you have not, please sign this petition calling for a permanent end of the selling of whale products on Amazon.com. 

“Whales have an important lesson to teach us. Whales have a large and complex brain but show no signs of threatening their own destruction. They haven’t reproduced themselves into oblivion, they haven’t destroyed the resources upon which they depend, they haven’t generated giant holes in the ozone, or increased the earth’s temperature so that we might end up with the greenhouse effect. The lesson whales teach us is that you can have a brain of great complexity that doesn’t result in the death of the planet”. – Dr. Robert Payne, Founder and President of Ocean Alliance. He is best known for his discovery (with Scott McVay) that humpback whales sing songs.


Filed Under: Marine Mammals, Ocean, People

‘Inside the Arctic Circle’: What if James Lipton interviewed a polar bear?

February 27, 2012 by 1 Comment

In honor of International Polar Bear Day, I was wondering how a polar bear – if interviewed by the esteemed James Lipton and could speak – would answer to the following questions on an episode of “Inside the Arctic Circle”. Please feel free to disagree and add in your comments.

  1. What is your favorite word? Seal
  2. What is your least favorite word? Endangered
  3. What turns you on? Conservation efforts, small or large.
  4. What turns you off? Thinking others will take care of shared problems.
  5. What sound or noise do you love? Besides my young cubs learning to hunt, it would be a room full of scientists and policy makers agreeing to do something about climate change.
  6. What sound or noise do you hate? I’d like to quote Simon and Garfunkel and say the ‘sound of silence’. People doing nothing and ignoring the fact that my population has reduced more than 30% in three generations due to climate change is disheartening.
  7. What is your favorite curse word? Coke. That company used an unflattering picture of my sister on their packages, and, frankly, the word has become synonymous with unhappiness here in the Arctic. I think they can do a lot more.
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A writer.
  9. What profession would you not like to do? Mining, I don’t want to look like all those other bears.
  10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Thanks for trying your best. That’s all that was needed. Balance will prevail.
Filed Under: Marine Mammals Tagged With: , , ,

Cirque Du Baille (or Circus of the Sea)

February 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

Now that my little one is getting to the age where she’s off on fun excursions with daycare (today she went to the National Zoo!), I started having nightmares she might ask her father and I to take her to the circus.  I haven’t been to the circus since I was 6 and am not even certain if they still have them or that I want to take her. I do love the idea of taking her to Cirque Du Soleil to enjoy the music and dancing, though.

Then I started to daydream …  “What if I could take her to a circus of the sea“? So, here is my representation of “Cirque Du Baille” featuring the spinner dolphin as the amazing acrobat, the clownfish as everyone’s favorite (or creepy) jokster, the dumbo octopus as the ideal replacement for the elephant, and once the lionfish figures out a way to get those tentacles through hoops he’ll take down the big top.

Filed Under: Animal Homes, Cephalopods, Coral Reef Ecosystems, Fish, Marine Mammals

Results! Who is your favorite (fictional) marine biologist?

February 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Well, first of all … I said I would post the results from the poll “The Dating Game: Marine Biologist Edition” and so here they are:
Matt Hooper: (62%), Steve Zissou (30%), and finally, George Costanza (8%).

Secondly, thanks to everyone that took the time to share their opinion! Lastly, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Filed Under: Ocean

Why the ocean?

February 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

12% of land is protected, while only 2% of the sea is protected. That’s not proportional when you think that the ocean takes up over 70% of our planet. 

Please watch this incredibly creative, punchy, entertaining, and most importantly, inspiring video from One World One Ocean.  I was inspired enough to want to share it with you.

“We are the luckiest generation because we know how to solve the problem. All it takes is will.” Sylvia Earle

Hat tip to Kate Martin @GroovyGrapevine for this one!

Filed Under: Random Fun!

Love of fishes

February 9, 2012 by 1 Comment

I present ‘love of fishes‘ by cemkoc from The World of Cartoon.

Filed Under: Ocean