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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Eight quotes to remember
I’ve been exploring a lot of new museums lately since I just moved to the Chicagoland area. One thing I’ve noticed is the abundance of inspirational quotes on walls. I love this method of making use of space and design. However, many (many, many) of them are quotes from men. It’s no surprise given that […]
Why do you hear the ocean echo from a shell?
The larger the seashell the louder the sound, right? It is the space inside the shell that creates the sound. Well, the space inside the seashell bouncing against the sounds of your surroundings. For the most part people are experimenting with this seashell symphony at the beach where there is a lot of space for […]
Horseshoe Crab Round Up: May 2013
And, we’re concluding the first month of the horseshoe crab mating season for 2013. Over the past couple of weeks, many articles have come through the great worldwide web including some new creative introductions on the relationship of Limulus polyphemus and shorebirds, captivating expose on the capture of two horseshoe crab poachers, updates on the […]
Can you tell how old a fish is by looking at it?
There is one possible way to tell how old a fish is while it’s still alive. And, at that, – it’s pretty invasive. You need to take some of its scales (see image). The scales are similar to the rings of a tree. Depending on how many dark rings you may see (if you were […]
What is the rarest shark species?
There are plenty of candidates. The deep-diving, plankton-feeding megamouth shark was discovered as recently as 1976 and is only known from 40 or so specimens. A group of species called “river sharks” seem pretty rare. Some have been described from just a single collected specimen. There are many deep sea sharks that have only been […]
Marine Mammal Monday: Sea lions
Please feel free to share with your friends and family where you learned something new about sea lions today! Also, ask away! If you have a question about something you found on the beach or just something you’re curious about just send an email to info@beachchairscientist.com or tweet us!
A Few Lines from Rehoboth Beach by Fleda Brown
Dear friend, you were right: the smell of fish and foam and algae makes one green smell together. It clears my head. It empties me enough to fit down in my own skin for a while, singleminded as a surfer. The first day here, there was nobody, from one distance to the other. Rain rose […]
How to handle a horseshoe crab
Many horseshoe crabs you see this time of year along the shore are probably “molts”. You can tell if the exoskeleton seems hollow. Insider science tip: If the horseshoe crab has a slight opening at the opposite end of the telson (i.e., pointy “tail”) – it’s a molt. However, if you see a live one […]
The flight of swallows
That’s a great title for a song if someone wants to use it. In any event, have you ever been to the beach or walking along the marsh and felt the gloom and doom of darkness approach even though it’s a bright and sunny day? Have you ever looked up into the sky to witness […]
5 not-so-ordinary ways to get energized for Earth Day
We can go outside again! We can go outside again! Halleluiah! It’s a miracle! And, just in time for National Environmental Education Week (April 13-19), Earth Day (April 22), and Arbor Day (April 25). But, are you ready to throw your hands up in the air at the annual celebration to take care of the […]
Resources & more …
Flickr photos …
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
Enjoying this series!