http://www.istitutotethys.org/gargano/
They suspect a high ingestion rate of plastic bags.
Do you have a question for the Beach Chair Scientist? E-mail info@beachchairscientist.com
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
Follow BCS on Twitter
My TweetsWant updates on BCS posts?
Scroll through the BCS archives …
Learn more on …
Random posts from BCS …
How do flamingos get their color?
From their diet. They eat foods high in beta carotene, mostly shrimp and algae. They also will eat mollusks (clams or snails) or crustaceans (crabs). They gather their food by gulping water with their beak and then straining the water and eating the leftover food. So, that being said, the color often varies between bird […]
Connecting to my watershed – Part I
I rarely preach on this blog. But, I just watched a documentary called “No Impact Man” where the writer, Colin, and his family decide to reduce their impact on the environment. He wanted to reduce to nothing. They even went for 6 months without any electricity in their 5th Avenue apartment. I was skeptical. He […]
Wordless Wednesday | Limulus Love
For more images from Beach Chair Scientist, please visit Flickr.
Test your knowledge: Marine mammals
It’s time for another “Test your knowledge” quiz. This time it’s brought to you by page 211 of one of my favorite books, Seaside Naturalist (written and illustrated by Deborah Coulombe). Here’s a true/false quiz all about those marine mammals we all know and love … well, take the quiz and see how well you […]
17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and my Irish heritage, here’s a post on the humble and charming sea potato. The dried shell (also known as the test) of this urchin resembles a potato, hence the common name – sea potato. The sea potato, Echinocardium cordatum, is a common echinoderm found along beaches on all […]
The Majestic Plastic Bag – Part III
Two months ago, the esteemed Carl Safina posted a piece titled, “For Seabirds As For The Graduate, One Word: Plastics“. It seems a suitable tie-in for the The Majestic Bag conservation series. For Seabirds As For The Graduate, One Word: Plastics. By Carl Safina March 10th, 2011 If something can be neither fish nor fowl, […]
How does a sea star move?
I came across this image of a dissected sea star and had to share it. It does a great job of identifying intricate details of the sea star physiology that are involved with the locomotion and vascular system of the invertebrate. The vascular system is part of the circulatory system that helps transport nutrients back […]
Do whales and dolphins get sunburn?
According to this article from The Royal Society (published November 2010) whales are very prone to the harmful rays of the sun. The scientists discovered whales that spend more time at the surface of the sea had more skin cells exposed and therefore were showing more damage from the ultraviolet radiation. It was even pointed […]
More reasons why I love the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab…
As I mentioned before, the horseshoe crab is a rather frightening looking creature, however quite the opposite is true, they are the steadfast, strong member of the ocean community. This animal, not only is a vital part of the Atlantic coast food chain, but has remained rather unchanged since before the time of the dinosaurs! […]
“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” P.J. O’Rourke
Today Ira Flatow discussed summer science reads on Science Friday, my favorite radio program. So, I got to thinking about two very special books that I always wander back to when I want to reconnect with the ocean. Henry Beston’s, The Outermost House, and Jennifer Ackerman’s, Notes from the Shore, are two books written in […]
Resources & more …
Flickr photos …
What people are saying …
- Robert Emahiser on Why you should never walk on dunes
- Lesa on 10 brief facts on bioluminescence
- Lisa on Limulus Love
- Beach Chair Scientist on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Bernard Rejterada on 17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
- Brian on What is the difference between a summer and winter flounder?
- Inbound marketing on 15 facts about the Portuguese man-of-war that’ll have you saying “Didya know…?”
- Donnie Huckabee on Wordless Wednesday | Shell art
- John on Why you should never walk on dunes
- ItzJaylaD on What I know about whale sharks
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
Speak Your Mind