Chitin (kai-tin) is the main material for 1) the exoskeleton of shrimp, crabs and lobsters, 2) the beak of squid and octopi and 3) the radula of mollusks. It is very similar in make up to glucose and similar in function to keratin (which is what makes up our hair, skin and nails).
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How to win a game of Survivor if stranded on a beach
While I am not here to tell you how to form alliances, I can mention some edible seaside plants found along the Atlantic coast. These include: Sea rocket, sea lettuce, prickly pear, bull thistle, dewberry and winged sumac. You can eat the blackberries of the dewberry with milk and honey. For a refreshingly cool drink […]
Linda Thornton, an inspiring aquaculturist on a mission for sustainability
If you’ve got some spare time this weekend, take some time to enjoy this fantastic documentary of one woman’s quest to transform shrimp aquaculture practices. Andrew Revkin of the New York Times helped produce this 16 minute documentary of Linda Thornton, a biologist who uprooted herself from her home in Illinois to Belize, and set out […]
We need to March for the Ocean! Earth is unbalanced and it’s the ocean’s fault
I am a volunteer for the Illinois Ocean Coalition. This is a new position for me – as my family and I recently relocated from the Washington, D.C. area to the Chicagoland area. One question I get a lot now is “You know there isn’t an ocean in Illinois, right?” As a biology and earth […]
What are jellyfish?
It was another great weekend on the beach for my family and everyone had new and exciting Beach Chair Scientist questions. The best part about being a Beach Chair Scientist is clarifying misconceptions, so I am going to start with the question that seemed to garner the most discussion this weekend “What are jellyfish?”. Jellyfish, […]
Why does a sea urchin attach seashells to itself?
You may not notice it, but sea urchins have very thin tube-like suction cup feet, just like their close relative the sea stars. These feet are useful to grasp onto pieces of seashells, pebbles, or seaweed to disguise the sea urchin from other nearby predators. Click on this post to see what eats a sea […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: H for Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe crabs are an arthropod more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crabs and lobsters. They have a three part body: prosoma (head), opisthosoma (heavy shell with legs under it) and the telson (tail). This amazing body structure has been unchanged for over 200 million years. Interestingly enough, this is this Beach Chair […]
bcsanswers@twitter
Do you want short (often humorous) ocean science information? Follow the Beach Chair Scientist on twitter @bcsanswers. Often many job posting, fun pictures or just links to relevant information. Thanks. If you have any questions please e-mail beachchairscientist@gmail.com or let us know at http://www.beachchairscientist.com. photo (c) twitter.
Christmas critter countdown: Cookie cutter shark
Another day of the countdown. This time it’s the ferocious cookie cutter shark. There’s nothing short of remarkably awesome when it comes to these sharks. They are small but also skillful in their ability to sneak up and eat prey much larger. They even have the largest tooth-to-body-length ratio of any shark (including the great […]
A plea of the manatee
In early 2009 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) reported that there was a significant increase in the population of the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), a marine mammal. Almost a year later it was reported that there was a record number of deaths of manatees. Even though the FWCC pointed out that […]
14 fascinating facts about the blue whale
A toddler can fit into a blue whale’s blowhole. The spray can reach up to 30 feet high. The blue whale’s scientific name is Balaenoptera musculus. Blue whales live in all oceans of the world. A blue whale’s tongue weighs more than an elephant. Blue whales are the loudest animal on Earth reaching up to […]
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