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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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What is red tide?
About six years ago I went to a wedding on the Gulf of Mexico which was extraordinary except for the occurrence of red tide. Don’t get me wrong, the guests and bride and groom all had a fabulous time despite the red tide. How did it affect us? We were not permitted to swim in […]
5 must-see movies on marine debris
I am so excited to be in a town that is committed to reducing the use of plastic. Oak Park, IL will be implementing a 10-cent tax starting January 1, 2018. As trustee of Bob Tucker noted in August 2017, “What we’re really trying to do is change habits.” Change for the good lawmakers […]
Sea level rise is settled fact
“Some scientific conclusions have been so thoroughly examined and tested, and supported by so many independent observations and results, that their likelihood of being found wrong is vanishingly small. Such conclusions are then regarded as settled facts. This is the case for the conclusions that the Earth system is warming and that much of this […]
Marine Mammal Monday: Test your knowledge of state symbols
Download the pdf here. I’ll post the answers next Monday. First person to comment with the correct answers (here or on Facebook) I’ll send a copy of the Smithsonian’s Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Flexibound). Also, if I’ve missed a state with a marine mammal “symbol”, please don’t hesitate to let me know. If you have […]
Do all horseshoe crabs molt?
All horseshoe crabs molt – until they reach adulthood. They grow on average a quarter of their size each time they shed. Females grow to be about two feet across and males a bit smaller. Molting occurs several times during the first few years and slows as they age. It usually takes 17 molts to […]
In what way can a beach be compared to a desert?
…It’s Charismatic Microfauna! Well, yes there’s the sand, but there is also an unrecognized and perhaps even shocking biodiversity that lies not quite below the surface. Would you believe me if I told you that in a single handful of wet sand you could be holding a community of organisms equaling, if not exceeding, the […]
Why are some animals ‘wallflowers’ and others are ‘social butterflies’?
An animal has many reasons to behave more like a ‘wallflower’ vs. a ‘social butterfly’. Some of the more universal reasons to lean to one behavior more than the other would be 1) habitat, 2) predators or 3) availability of food. For instance, river dolphins (pictured right) typically are solitaire animals because their habitat is […]
The First Beach Chair Scientist post is about my favorite animal – The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
Some might say that the horseshoe crab is quite possibly the scariest looking creature along the shoreline. However, I disagree. There’s actually a sweetheart of an animal underneath that tough, pointy, chitin exoskeleton. I am certain that the horseshoe crab has survived since before the time of the dinosaurs due to its ability to adapt […]
Christmas critter countdown: Harp seal
This is the fluffy creature that tugs at our heartstrings and purses to fork over donations. What should you do though if you see a seal coming up on shore and lounging like he doesn’t have a care in the world? Or, if they’ve somehow lost their adorable, cute white fur and are a patchy? […]
What they’re into … with Mark Gibson (Breaching the Blue)
This is a series I’ve been featuring each Tuesday this summer to get a special sneak peek at the different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and educators (including bloggers) who play an integral role in the marine science conservation field. It’s essentially an extension of the overwhelmingly popular and well done Tumblr blog, This Is […]
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