It is gearing up for summertime so if you see a jellyfish on the beach, report it here. They actually want to hear about all your fun and exciting ocean finds. And best of all there is no registration – so get to it!
Japan
March 20, 2011 by 1 Comment
My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the devastating earthquake on March 11, 2011 in Japan. Because I strongly believe pictures are worth a thousand words to illustrate the damage and destruction visit National Geographic to view a very powerful post of before and after images.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: W for Weddell Sea
February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Weddell Sea is the southern most part of the Atlantic Ocean and is usually ice filled. It was discovered by James Weddell in 1823.
Image (c) abc.net.au
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: U for Upwelling
February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Upwelling is the phenomenon of wind moving surface waters thus to make way for cold, dense water that comes from the bottom of the ocean. It seems to most often happen on the west coast of continents. That is why you typically need a nice wet suit all year round to go surfing in California.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: T for Trilobite
February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Trilobites are not an opportunity to taste test three different bites of food. They are an extinct marine arthropod, that looked like a squashed centipede, dating back to the Cambrian period. They’re quite significant because paleontologists use them as an index fossil for dating back other rock structures.
Image (c) smithsonianmag.com
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: S for Sturgeon
February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Sturgeon are a group of primitive fish that spawn in river and live in the sea (anadromous). Some sturgeon may even abandon the life at sea and remain in the river ecosystem. They spawn in the same river in which they were born. They are covered in very heavy scales which make good protection. With all this protection they have been known to live a long time – one was tagged as 200 years old! Although, they have very sought after eggs and are in danger of being overfished for caviar. You can learn more about the stock status of the Atlantic sturgeon by visiting www.asmfc.org.
Image (c) cornell.edu
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: P for Portolan
February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Portolan refers to navigational charts dating back to the Renaissance. They were focused on coastal outlines and included seaports, river openings, shoals and hazards. The distance from one point to another was always included. Latitude and longitude were not features on the maps, neither was interior land. Portolan comes from the Italian adjective “portolana” meaning “related to ports or harbors”.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: M for Monsoon
February 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Monsoons are winds that change directions with the season and are most often associated with Africa and South Asia. Winter monsoons are dry while summer monsoons bring rain. Very weak monsoons develop on the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: E for Epipelagic
February 5, 2011 by 1 Comment
Image via Wikipedia
Epipelagic is the area of the water column extending from the surface of the water down to 700 feet. Since is the only zone that the sunlight can penetrate this is the only zone where plants reside. Consequently, this is where 90% of ocean life hangs out.
The epipelagic zone is also known as the sunlight or euphotic zone.
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: D for Diaz, Bartholomeu
February 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Bartholomeu Diaz was a Portuguese navigator who was the first person to sail around the Cape of Good Hope. His flotilla of three ships are thought to have rounded the tip of Africa the first week of February in 1488. He was sent by Prince John (eventually King) to explore the west coast of Africa south of fifteen degrees latitude in an effort to understand how Africa and India are linked.
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