Hark! Unlike rays and skates, the nocturnal angel shark doesn’t have a mouth on the underside of its body, but rather in front. Learn more here.
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Oh, Christmas tree (worm)! Oh, Christmas tree (worm)!
What are Christmas tree worms and where did they get their name? I’m more than happy to let you know that it would not be a good idea to decorate your house with Spirobranchus giganteus. The Christmas tree worm got its name because the spiral plumes that radiate from its main body resemble that of […]
Test your knowledge: Alphabet soup
See if you can guess what these marine-related acronyms stand for with the clues provided. AFS: Organization of fisheries professionals. Seattle is hosting their conference this year. BCS: A nice and funny blogger who enjoys making marine science entertaining (and it has nothing to do with college football). CBP: A regional partnership that has led […]
Why are our seas collapsing?
ReUseThisBag.com and oBizMedia.com have come together to produce a powerful infographic outlining 8 threats to the ocean (overfishing, whaling, factory fishing, global warming, pollution, factory fishing, bycatch, and pirate fishing). Creator Samantha Sanders did a phenomenal job designing the infographic with rich and vivid images detailing supporting evidence such as the destruction of coral reefs […]
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 […]
How does an oyster make a pearl?
Oysters are another bivalve animal. In the case of all bivalves, the part of the animal that lines the shell is known as the nacre and the part of the animal that make up the outer shell is known as the mantle. A pearl is created rather by accident when something foreign gets stuck inside […]
“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 […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: J for JOIDES
JOIDES stands for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Sea Sampling. This project began in the 1970’s as a collaboration between many prominent universities and oceanographic institutes (including Woods Hole and Scripps) to take core samples and study the bottom of the ocean. The vessel used for the project was known as the Glomar Challenge. […]
Beach Chair Scientist’s Top Ten Posts
Now that we have posted 200 entertaining posts of random beach trivia we thought it would be fun to review the most visited posts to see what our audience enjoys reading from us. So during this holiday season let’s make a toast to the top ten most read entries. Thanks for reading all the posts […]
A naturalist’s must-see destination: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
I have it on my bucket list to explore at least ten more National Parks in the next decade, but I am going to have to rely on family and friends to share their adventures since I just spent some time in Maine visiting Acadia National Park. My brother, wife, and their sons (8 and […]
What makes the swirly tracks at the ocean edge?
What I think you are referring to is the trail of a moon snail, or sometimes called a sand snail. This univalve animal has a cinnamon bun swirled shell. The shell is extremely thick to protect itself from the ocean and other animals that may try to eat it. If you try to pick it […]
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