Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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A Natural Eye: Delaware official sees science and art in state’s coastline
Tony Pratt’s career in science began because of a love for the outdoors. And yet, the more he climbed up through management, the less time he spent outside. Pratt runs the Shoreline and Waterway Management section of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which oversees regulation of coastal construction, dredging projects and beach […]
How do fish give birth?
There are three general ways fish in the sea give birth to a new generation. I will start off explaining what is most familiar to us, fish that give birth to live young. This is called being viviparous. There is a structure similar to the placenta that connects the embryo to the mother’s blood supply. […]
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 […]
Two eggs and a side of glasswort, please
While I was trolling the aisles of Whole Foods the other day, I stumbled upon a familiar salt marsh plant known as glasswort (Salicornia virginica). When I would lead early morning nature walks along the beaches in Florida this marsh herb was a plant I enjoyed finding! Here’s the interesting anecdote I’d share with my […]
When did life in the ocean begin?
It is said that Earth was created about 4.5 billion years ago (bya). Life began about (note “about”) 3.5 bya. And, in fact, it is thought that life began in the oceans! Follow the evolution of the whale on the National Museum of Natural History’s Sant Oceans Hall on-line ocean portal and see if the […]
Snapple real fact #800: Most lipstick contains fish scales
Yes, that is correct. Not a surprising real fact once you realize the shiny fish scales are used to create that pearl essence look. The scales are taken as a by product from a relatively large scale commercial fish processing industry of herring. Herring are one of the most abundant and most important fish groups […]
What do you do if you see a marine mammal stranded?
Keep calm. Also, remain at least 100 feet back so as not to scare the animal back into the ocean. If the animal is injured you want to be sure to get experts there immediately to investigate. If you are on the Atlantic coast call one of the following members of the Northeast Stranding Center. […]
Five surprising facts about sharks
Why are we so enamored with sharks? Why are we glued to the television in the summer during the last hours of daylight to watch fish on TV rather than playing a final game of wiffle ball or pick-up basketball? Does it have something to do with the fact that there are over 400 different […]
Guess who’s coming to dinner?
Socially responsible fish! So, it is the end of a long day on the beach and now you want some seafood. Completely understandable. And, I applaud this question and the quest to be socially responsible. Your choices will make a difference. It is a tough question to always have a correct up-to-date answer, especially since […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: T for Trilobite
Trilobites are not an opportunity to taste test three different bites of food. They are an extinct marine arthropod, that looked like a squashed centipede, dating back to the Cambrian period. They’re quite significant because paleontologists use them as an index fossil for dating back other rock structures. Image (c) smithsonianmag.com
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