From far away you can probably only see the fin, right? The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin will have a dorsal fin that is hooked while the Atlantic Harbor Porpoise will have a triangular dorsal fin. If you are closer you will see other differences. For instance, the dolphin is about 7-12 feet as an adult while the porpoise gets to be about six feet. Also, the porpoise has a rather blunt nose while the dolphin has a much more pronounced, almost bottle-shaped, nose. Lastly, the porpoise is usually darker in color than the dolphin. 
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!
How can you tell if that fin bobbing up and down in the distance belongs to a dolphin or a porpoise?
April 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
What makes up the ‘salt’ in salt water?
April 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
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% epson salts;
- 3.60% calcium sulfates;
- 2.47% potassium sulfates;
- 0.34% lime; and
- 0.51% trace minerals.
(Did you know that a lot of cities are now using a form of magnesium chloride on roadways instead of rock salt during icy conditions? It is not as toxic to nearby plants and waters.)
Do you have another great question? Email info@beachchairscientist.com and share your thoughts!
What do you do if you see a marine mammal stranded?
April 12, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Keep calm. Also, remain at least 100 feet back so as not to scare the animal back into the ocean. If the animal is injured you want to be sure to get experts there immediately to investigate. If you are on the Atlantic coast call one of the following members of the Northeast Stranding Center.
Maine:
College of the Atlantic (207) 288-5015
University of New England-Hot Line (207) 580-0447
Massachusetts, New Hampshire & Maine:
New England Aquarium (617) 973-5247
Connecticut & Rhode Island:
Mystic Marinelife Aquarium (860) 572-5955
New York:
Riverhead Foundation (631) 369-9829
New Jersey:
Marine Mammal Stranding Center (609) 266-0538
Delaware:
Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Inst.(302) 228-5029
Maryland:
Cooperative Oxford Laboratory (800) 628-9944
National Aquarium in Baltimore (410) 408-6633
Washington, DC:
Smithsonian Institute (202) 357-1923
Virginia:
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (866) 493-1085
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center (757) 437-6159
Typically you can volunteer at a stranding center. This would involve being available for crowd control and keeping the animal damp with towels during the interim time when an animal is spotted until experts can show up to diagnosis the animal. You must be properly trained before you become a proper marine mammal stranding volunteer.
For more information check out the place I volunteered during my old undergraduate days: http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/main.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!
What is the state with the longest coastline?
April 10, 2009 by 11 Comments
I have lived in New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida – someone in each state has claimed that their state has the longest coastline along the Atlantic. Seriously – even, New Jersey! Usually, the phrase, “Well, we have a lot of coves and bays that jig jag in and out of the coast” is always part of the conversation when I start to look skeptical.
I did some research and here is the low down on the general coastline bragging rights (not including tidal coastlines):
10. Massachusetts – 192 miles
9. Maine -228 miles
8. Oregon -296 miles
7. North Carolina -301 miles
6. Texas -367 miles
5. Louisiana -397 miles
4. Hawaii -750 miles
3. California – 840 miles
2. Florida – 1,350 miles
1. Alaska – 6,640 miles
(according to Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, “figures are lengths of general outline of seacoast. This does not include freshwater coastlines. Measurements are made with a unit measure of 30 minutes of latitude on charts as near scale of 1:1,200.000 as possible. Coastline of bays and sounds is included where they narrow to width of unit measure, and distance across at such point is included.“)
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!
What is sea foam?
April 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Sea foam can be thought of as the air bubbles in seawater that bounce off one another. When they bounce off one another it also releases sea spray.
Air bubbles in freshwater basically just unite and don’t bounce off one another. If there is foaminess in freshwater it is pollutant related. Makes you think where your water comes from, huh?
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!
How can I be a responsible fisherman?
April 8, 2009 by Leave a Comment
A lot of folks these days are interested in making certain their favorite past time 
of fishing is going to be around for future generations to enjoy.
Here is a short list of tactics to remain ethical, while still keeping fishing that ever intense sport of glory.
Best practices:
– Respect the space of one another while out there on the water to make it enjoyable for everyone.
– Be informed of the catch and size limits of the waters that you are fishing.
– Practice “catch” and “release” fishing techniques (see below). Doing so regularly might plausibly transform you from a greenhorn to a Fly Fisher Pro.
The “catch” part:
– Use barbless hooks, because they reduce damage and handling time of the fish. Remove the hook gently. Make sure to go through various types of fishing reels to ensure that the reel moves smoothly while retrieving the fish without any hindrance.
– Keep the fish in the water or wet your hands if you handle the fish to unhook it.
– Don’t put your fingers in the gill covers or hold the fish by its eye sockets (!) or squeeze it too hard.
– When you do make contact with the fish make sure your hands are continuously wet. It will help to keep the animal’s natural mucus intact. The mucus protects the fish from getting infections.
The “release” part:
– Hold the fish in their normal swimming position and move them back and forth slowly to have water run across their gills.
– Revive exhausted fish by moving water through its gills. Fish that were caught kicking and screaming like a teenager going off to Sunday school use an increased rate of oxygen.
Lastly, I am a big fan of saving the best for last – the most important rule – have fun!
Photo (c) of my older brother.
Where do fish sleep?
March 6, 2009 by 2 Comments
Well, most fish are just like us and simply want to find a place away from all the chaos of the day to day rat race to take a nap and rest – slowing down their busy lives – gaining energy for the next day.
These places could be under logs, coral crevices, or other sorts of reefs spots – basically out of the way of predators.
Here is an interesting adaptation – the parrotfish uses its spit to create a translucent “sleeping bag bubble” around its body while it sleeps. The bubble helps to hide the parrotfish’s scent so other fish will not find it. If another animal bumps into it – the parrotfish will be warned of the other animal nearby and make a quick get away. Parrotfish are found on the coral reef.
But we’ve only scratched the surface here. Check back often at http://www.beachchairscientist.com for more insight about your favorite beach discoveries.
How long do seastars live?
March 6, 2009 by 4 Comments
Seastars can live up to 35 years in the wild! It really depends on the species. Their wild habitat includes coral reefs, rocky coasts, sandy bottom, or even the deep sea of all the world’s oceans. There are approximately 1,800 different types of sea stars.
They have been known to live up to 10 years in aquariums.
More links on seastars:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/starfish.html
http://users.bigpond.net.au/je.st/starfish/index.html
But we’ve only scratched the surface here. Check back often at http://www.beachchairscientist.com for more insight about your favorite beach discoveries.
What are the top ocean movies?
March 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
Since, I am feeling rather cold these days and want to warm myself up with some good “beachy” flix so I thought I’d share.
1) The Abyss – Only see the new deluxe version. It is like Armageddon under the sea.
1.5) Jaws I – The book was written by Peter Benchley of N.J. Robert Shaw played my favorite character, Quinn.
2) Point Break – Fun waves. Exciting skydiving. A little dramatic at sometimes, but, just fun.
3) Beaches – It has to go in because of the title. Whatever happened to Blossom?
4) Finding Nemo – Great jokes for adults. Science. Amazing graphics.
Here is Fox News list of the top ten ocean movies.
Do you have a question or comment please email info@beachchairscientist.com.
Where did the word “ocean” come from?
February 21, 2009 by 4 Comments
Basically, according to Greek mythology, the Greek god Oceanus was a serpent like being that looked like a river and encompassed the entire world – so, picture that – and you get an ocean. I do like the image because it is a sharp reminder that all of our oceans, estuaries and rivers are connected.
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!
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