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Why are mussels always found on pilings?

July 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Well, it is important to mention that not all mussels are found on pilings. Mussels attach themselves to any type of hard substrate in the intertidal regions, including pilings. On pilings the top most mussels indicate the high tide line.

To go off on a random tangent, here is a yummy mussel recipe: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cooking-Mussels/Detail.aspx

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Bivalves, Mollusks

What is the difference between a marine biologist and an oceanographer?

July 27, 2009 by 6 Comments

A marine biologist studies the life in the ocean (“bio” = life). An oceanographer studies the physical elements of the oceans.

A marine biologist will study dolphins.

An oceanographer will study tides.

A marine biologist will study jellyfish.

An oceanographer will study the salt content of seawater.

A marine biologist will study algae.

An oceanographer will study the volcanic activity of the sea.

A marine biologist will study horseshoes crabs.

An oceanographer will study the plate tectonic action of the ocean.

Of course, I do not think they are at all exclusive. But, that is the general break down of who studies what.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Ocean

14 fascinating facts about the blue whale

July 24, 2009 by 6 Comments

Blue Whale

  1. A toddler can fit into a blue whale’s blowhole. The spray can reach up to 30 feet high.
  2. The blue whale’s scientific name is Balaenoptera musculus.
  3. Blue whales live in all oceans of the world.
  4. A blue whale’s tongue weighs more than an elephant.
  5. Blue whales are the loudest animal on Earth reaching up to 188 decibel.
  6. A blue whale’s heart weighs up to 2,000 pounds. Their heart can be the size of a Mini Cooper.
  7. Blue whales are the fastest growing animal or plant on Earth.
  8. Blue whales can be up to 100 feet long. That is about the length of a NBA basketball court.
  9. A medium sized dog can comfortably walk through a blue whale’s arteries.
  10. Blue whales can live up to 90 years in the wild.
  11. Blue whales look blue underwater, but gray above the surface of the water.
  12. Blue whales tend to sleep in the middle of the day.
  13. Blue whales eat krill.
  14. Blue whales can swim up to 30 miles per hour.

Do you have another great question? Email info@beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Marine Mammals Tagged With: , , , , ,

How do female terrapins navigate to a nesting site?

July 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment

The answer is “very carefully”.250px-Diamondback_Terrapin

Female terrapins need to look for a spot above the high tide line to lay a nest for their eggs (They lay on average 2 clutches of approximately a dozen eggs each summer).

The challenge is getting to a spot on the beach above the high tide line (dunes are usually the best spot) all the way from the estuaries (a.k.a. bays – spots where fresh and saltwater mix).

Terrapins lay their eggs at all times of day and night so you may see them venturing from the bay to the beach at anytime.

All too often you may see female terrapins crushed on the side of the road since a motorist was not paying attention as the female tried to make her way from the bay to the beach or back again. A good idea is to stop your car and let the terrapin continue across the road in the direction she was headed.

For more information check out the Northern Diamondback Terrapin Association.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Image (c) Wikipedia Commons.

Filed Under: Reptiles

Happy Birthday, Beach Chair Scientist!

July 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Today marks the one year anniversary of the first Beach Chair Scientist post!

Thank you all so much for all of your amazing contributions. Without your insightful inquiries the forum would not be nearly as entertaining.

To mark this occasion I thought we would simply count down the top ten most visited posts over the past year.

10. What are jellyfish? from July 21, 2008

9. What is the biggest fish in the sea? from November 18, 2008

8. What are those tiny colorful clams? from July 23, 2008

7. What are those tiny black pods with tendrils hanging on the ends? from October 24, 2008

6. How much salt is in the ocean? from November 22, 2008

5. What eats sea urchins? from September 10, 2008

4. How do sea spiders get their nutrients? from November 21, 2008

3. How many plants and animals are in the ocean? from November 21, 2008

2. Do lobsters mate for life? from November 24, 2008

1. Why are horseshoe crabs amazing? from July 13, 2008

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Ocean

How do fish know where to find food?

June 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment

This is amazing! It was just discovered that the nine-spined stickleback fish (found in the UK) uses a technique called “hill climbing” to select the place where to be most successful for finding food. Basically, the fish stands aside and watched other fish and their feeding habits to learn from their successes and challenges! Read more at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616205515.htm

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Ocean

What is shark finning?

June 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Basically, there is a very high demand for the fins of sharks in China for a soup. The current practice is to cut off the fins off sharks and toss the body back into the ocean.

The shark does not grow a fin back like a seastar would regenerate an arm.

The shark will not be able to swim and not be able to have oxygen over its gills.

The shark will die.

Some may say sharks have a reputation that might grant this type of control. However, they only produce a few young every one or two years and take up to ten years to even be mature enough to make babies.

Sharks populations are being fished at rates above a safe biological limit. Sharks are crucial top predators in the ocean ecosystem. Without sharks at a stable population the balance of the sea is at stake.

Please visit this page for information on how to stop the practice of shark finning:   www.change.org/oceanconservancy/actions/view/stop_shark_finning

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand or send an e-mail to beachchairscientist@gmail.com!

Filed Under: Sharks

What is a barnacle?

May 30, 2009 by 1 Comment

This is the first post I’ve answered directly from my phone (Please excuse the brevity). Barnacles are crustaceans. Other crustaceans include crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are a type of crustacean that are permanently attached to a solid surface. Also, what is obviously missing is the sensory parts, such as eyes and feelers. Up close, you should be able to recognize that barnacles have the same bony plates that you find on crabs and lobster.

Do you have another great question? Email me at info@beachchairscientist.com.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Filed Under: Ocean

What is seaweed used for?

May 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Agar is a form of red algae. It can be used as the agar gel that lines the bottom of scientists petri dishes. Agar is also a stabilizer for some foods, including ice cream (not Breyers’). It is also a stabilizer in cosmetics and paint.

Carrageen, from a red algae called Irish moss, is also used in food. It helps in foods that needs ingredients to be suspended prior to refrigeation. For instance, it is in chocolate milk to make certain the chocolate does not sink to the bottom.

Kelp, a leafy green algae found in the Pacific, is used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world.

Betcha didn’t know many different types of seaweeds have been used in medicine that help treat tuberculosis, arthritis, influenza, the common cold and some worm infections.

Also, algae is a major source of oxygen and the very important beginning of the ocean food chain.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds)

Why are horseshoe crabs essential to biotechnology?

April 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment

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 kits for the quality) are all processes that use some derivative of a plant or animal to benefit mankind. In the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields of today, the Atlantic horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) blood is a very important component in the process for testing drugs that can benefits humans that can be produced using nonhuman primate CRO method.

Their blood is used for the  Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test is used to test for gram negative bacteria contamination in certain products before being released to the public. Horseshoe crab blood cells (amoebocytes) attach to harmful toxins produced by some types of gram negative bacterias. What is unique with the LAL, is that LAL does not distinguish between living or dead gram negative bacteria and detects either.

You do not want anything with a gram negative bacteria contamination. Gram negative contamination include: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Neisseria meningitidis, Hemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumonia.

The blood of the horseshoe crab has this unbelievable property where it will congeal in the presence of either living or dead gram negative bacteria (both are undesirable). This adaptation has never been able to be duplicated and consequently horseshoe crabs are often captured to have their blood drained and then released, all in the name of science.

Do you have another great question? Check out www.beachchairscientist.com and let us know what you always ponder while digging your toes in the sand!

Filed Under: Atlantic Horseshoe Crab