Monsoons are winds that change directions with the season and are most often associated with Africa and South Asia. Winter monsoons are dry while summer monsoons bring rain. Very weak monsoons develop on the Gulf of Mexico.
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10 best in the past nine years
Sometimes it’s nice to look at the past and see what’s worked. From the past nine years of posts on Beach Chair Scientist, it seems that one post has been the “most valuable player”. 100 ocean quotes is a surefire “make you stop by BCS for the first time and join the mailing list” kinda […]
What is the difference between a tern and a gull?
Wings: Terns have long-pointed wings while gulls have broad wings. Beaks: Terns have sharp bills while gulls have hooked beaks. Body size: Terns are smaller. Predatory practice: Terns dive to water to grab fish while gulls float on water to pick up prey. Tern (l), Gull (r) Image (c) cheasapeakebay.net (tern), wikipedia.com (gull) Do you […]
What eats sea urchins? Revisited
Back in 2008 we brought you some information on what eats sea urchins. After all, it is hard to imagine anything being able to enjoy the spiny echinoderms. Here is an interactive game (you must have Flash) produced by Stanford University that takes it one step further. Try to place which animals and/or plants are […]
What you need to know about World Shorebirds Day: Saturday, September 6th
My husband isn’t happy about this … But, recently, I have found a new love of birds. It’s because we live in the woods and not near the ocean, so those flighted friends have stolen my heart just like fish did back some many years ago. My husband thinks it is hysterical since we grew […]
Test your knowledge: Social science of the ocean
Here are some more sample questions from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership‘s popular National Ocean Science Bowl. These questions come from the Social Science section. Good luck! 1.) How often have men descended to the Challenger Deep? a) Once b) Twice c) Three times d) Never (The Challenger Deep is 36,000 feet deep along the […]
What makes up the ‘salt’ in salt water?
I am writing this as a very long overdue expansion to a post that I wrote November 25, 2008, “What happens if I swallow salt water?“. The pertinent information lacking was the composition of the salt in salt water (my sincerest apologies). The salt in salt water is: 77.6% table salt; 10.88% magnesium chloride; 4.74% […]
Spend your tax refund at United by Blue!
United by Blue is an organization that is dedicated to making and seeing a difference in our world, with particular attention on the oceans. Brian Linton started the company in May of 2010 and sells amazing apparel, jewelry, and bags and makes certain to remove 1 pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways […]
Why are horseshoe crabs essential to biotechnology?
First of all, let’s chat biotechnology, or, ‘biotech’, as those in the industry call it. The concept of biotech has been around for ages, just, not given the fancy term. For instance, planting seeds to produce food, fermenting juice for wine and churning milk into cheese (that are tested with the help of mycotoxin testing […]
What they’re into …
Caring for Your Older Pet Created in Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy Many of the same problems that affect people as they age, such as arthritis and diabetes, can also affect your pet. Making a few changes to the way you care for your furry friend will help you ensure that your pet stays healthy […]
Break it down. It’s hammertime … (doooo doo doo dut .. doo dut ..doo dut.)
The hammerhead shark has evolved the interesting looking skull cap to accommodate its extra collection electrosensory organs. All sharks do have these electrosensory organs, but, the hammerhead has a bit more than the average shark species. The electrosensory organ are useful for traveling far distances in the open ocean. It is like a internal GPS […]
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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
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