The decorator crab will hold a piece of decoration against it shell until it begins to grow there! Find out what’s used as a decoration here.
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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When I cannot escape seaside, I am grateful for Josie Iselin’s unique eye
Running Advice for Overweight Runners Get active, stay safe, and build your fitness over time Runners, despite what may be advertised, come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re overweight, running is a great option that can help you improve your health, get in shape, boost your confidence, and achieve a healthy weight. Read the latest […]
Where do seagulls nest?
It is interesting to think that seagulls may want to rest at some point, but they tend to want to re-energize somewhere safe inland (i.e., old boat yards, rock jetties, water towers, etc.) – not necessarily near the dunes or on the beach. Seagulls are full-grown when they leave the nest. They have to be […]
I found a great whale watcher
I miss my time aboard the Atlantic Star where we would head out to sea in the early morning and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins would be at the surface near the bow of the boat as if leading the way for a great trip. Ah, those were the days. As a substitute I did discover Ms. […]
What they’re into … with Wallace J. Nichols
It’s Tuesday and you know what that means by now if you’ve been following BCS this summer. Time for another installment of “What Marine Conservationists Are Into …”! This is a series I featured in the summer of 2012 to get a special sneak peek at the many different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and […]
Why does it feel like the ocean is pulling on you when your just standing in the water?
The “pull” of the water that you feel as you stand in the shallows near the shoreline is just moving water rubbing against your skin. So, why is the water moving out to sea near the beach? Several different forces push – or pull – an excess of water up onto the beach, and then […]
Mother Nature vs. Santa Claus? 13 reasons Mother Nature should always win
Say it isn’t so! Unfortunately, it’s the truth: Toys ‘R’ Us has pitted Mother Nature against Father Christmas. In case you missed the buzz in late October and early November about the Trees vs. Toys commercial I’ll share some of the outrage (that I share, but haven’t expressed until now) from Twitter. So how exactly […]
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 […]
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 […]
The “Osprey”, they’re bone breakers alright
The Latin name for osprey, Pandion haliaetus, means “bone breaker” and explains quite well how the bird of prey gets his main source of food, fish. Ospreys plummet down from almost 30 stories above water and use their barbed talons to grab onto mullet, menhaden, or other fish found in estuaries. These barbs can be […]
How much salt is in the ocean?
The amount of salt in the ocean, known as ‘salinity’, is a measure of the of the amount of salt dissolved in 1000 grams of water. The amount is expressed as parts per thousands (ppt). Refractometers are a tool used to measure the amount of salinity in the ocean. The salinity in the ocean is […]
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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
Enjoying this series!