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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Where do seagulls nest?
It is interesting to think that seagulls may want to rest at some point, but they tend to want to re-energize somewhere safe inland (i.e., old boat yards, rock jetties, water towers, etc.) – not necessarily near the dunes or on the beach. Seagulls are full-grown when they leave the nest. They have to be […]
Marine Mammal Monday: Elephant seals
Please feel free to share with your friends and family where you learned something new about elephant seals today! Also, ask away! If you have a question about something you found on the beach or just something you’re curious about just send an email to info@beachchairscientist.com or tweet us!
How do fish know where to find food?
This is amazing! It was just discovered that the nine-spined stickleback fish (found in the UK) uses a technique called “hill climbing” to select the place where to be most successful for finding food. Basically, the fish stands aside and watched other fish and their feeding habits to learn from their successes and challenges! Read […]
What are those yellow looking things that look like a floppy spinal cord?
The strand of half dollar sized pods is an egg case. Actually each pod has about twenty tiny animals in each pod. The tiny animal that will grow from this egg case is the knobbed whelk. This is basically a northeast version of a conch (pronounced conk). If you hold the tiny discs up to […]
How long do seastars live?
Seastars can live up to 35 years in the wild! It really depends on the species. Their wild habitat includes coral reefs, rocky coasts, sandy bottom, or even the deep sea of all the world’s oceans. There are approximately 1,800 different types of sea stars. They have been known to live up to 10 years […]
What is the fastest marine mammal?
The 2012 Summer Olympics are less than 10 days away and with this comes lots of intense swimming competitions (among other events). This got me wondering, if I lined up various species of marine mammals which one would be taking home the gold? Check out the average top speeds of 10 species in the graph […]
What are those sand flea thingees and why do they follow me home?
I have two answers for you here – Mole Crabs or Sand Hoppers. Mole Crabs: Unfortunately, not all crabs are as interesting in appearance or function as the great Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, but the mole crab has some merit. Mole Crabs, or one type of sand fleas thingees, are properly referred to as Emerita analoga. […]
What is the largest bony fish in the ocean?
Not to be confused with the question, “What is the biggest fish in the sea?” the largest bony fish in the ocean is the ocean sunfish. The biggest fish in the sea is the whale shark, but, sharks do not have bones, they have cartilage. Cartilage is the bendy material that makes up our noses […]
Ninja-like crustacean
Excerpt from the Blue Planet. Do you have a question for the Beach Chair Scientist? e-mail info@beachchairscientist.com.
How do sea spiders distribute nutrients throughout their bodies?
If anyone has ever come upon a sea spider you immediately think – where are its guts and stuff? The answer is that their stomach, intestines and reproductive parts are housed within the sea spider’s legs. The animal breathes and manages waste by direct diffusion along the surface of it’s bodies. They can be a […]
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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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