Excerpt from the Blue Planet.
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Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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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 […]
Test your knowledge: What am I?
I am a bivalve that grows in the Atlantic Ocean. I do have several species closely related to me that live in freshwater. I am very closely related to clams and oysters. I tend to grow to about 4 inches long. I live in colonies and attach to bulkheads, rope and rocks very easily. To […]
What they’re into … with Jessica Servis (Reach Program for US Sailing)
And so it concludes, this is the last installment of the “What Marine Conservationists Are Into …” series. This is a series I featured this summer to get a special sneak peek at the many different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and educators (including bloggers) who play an integral role in the marine science conservation […]
How did fiddler crabs get their name?
The male fiddler crabs have one claw that is much larger than the other. This extra large claw is shaped like a fiddle. It is useful for two main reasons. The first being that if waved in a certain manner it attracts some hot chicks, er, female fiddler crabs. The second is that it is […]
How deep is the ocean?
A picture is always worth a thousand words. So, to illustrate this question I’m using a nifty infographic from Our Amazing Planet relating the world’s tallest mountain to the ocean’s deepest trench. This poster will show you where Denver is in to relation to your average plane flying overhead and how deep sperm whales dive […]
A naturalist’s must-see destination: Cape May County (and, the rest of south Jersey)
Earlier this year I was happy to see that the federal government had awarded New Jersey a $1 million grant to protect the ecologically sensitive wetlands in Cape May County (“Where Nature Smiles for 30 Miles” and where my hometown is located). The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will use the money to […]
Answers to “Test your knowledge of sea stars”
Answers to “Test your knowledge of sea stars” from December 31, 2009. True or False: Sea stars are fish. They are echinoderms, a group of invertebrates. Invertebrates have no backbones. All fish have backbones. True or False: Sea stars are closely related to sea cucumbers, sea urchins and brittle stars. True or False: Sea stars […]
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 […]
Adaptations
As a new mama, the wheels in my head are constantly wondering how my daughter’s surroundings will influence her personality. I sure hope she’s not bitter like the anglerfish featured in yesterday’s Sherman’s Lagoon cartoon. I will just remind the little one to keep smiling and tell her that adaptations are what led to the […]
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- 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
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