Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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Who … What … Me?
Can you guess the common name designated to the animal pictured to the right? Here are some facts about the critter: Found in Antarctica Has watery-jelly like flesh Lives in the deep part of the ocean Image (c) of newscience.com
What makes each ocean unique?
Well, it’s finally happened. My almost seven-year old is bringing on the thought-provoking questions. We talk a lot about how what we do in our house will affect our watershed and that in turn (collectively) affects the world. Well, I was snagged the other day when I said, “Well, the river goes to the lake […]
How to win a game of Survivor if stranded on a beach
While I am not here to tell you how to form alliances, I can mention some edible seaside plants found along the Atlantic coast. These include: Sea rocket, sea lettuce, prickly pear, bull thistle, dewberry and winged sumac. You can eat the blackberries of the dewberry with milk and honey. For a refreshingly cool drink […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: J for JOIDES
JOIDES stands for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Sea Sampling. This project began in the 1970’s as a collaboration between many prominent universities and oceanographic institutes (including Woods Hole and Scripps) to take core samples and study the bottom of the ocean. The vessel used for the project was known as the Glomar Challenge. […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: T for Trilobite
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
My favorite posts from 2012
This isn’t the typical list of the most popular Beach Chair Scientist posts throughout the year. Those posts typically include questions typed into a search bar such as ‘Do sharks have bones?’ or ‘How much salt is in the ocean?’. Not surprisingly, my favorite posts aren’t focused on straight up interpretation, but rather have more […]
Cancer research starts glowing, albeit with a lowly tunicate
The BBC News released a news alert today stating that there is a species of sea squirt, or tunicate, off the coast of Scotland that ” will be able to light-up microscopic cellular activity that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye”. Here’s a little bit of background on a sea squirt species found […]
What is sea glass?
Sea glass can be thought of as a well traveled piece of history. The hard substances that you find have spent a considerable amount of time floating in the ocean. It has been tumbling along the sand and water for so long that that the glass, slate or what have you, has been polished by […]
Is there seaweed in ice cream?
Some products need a little something extra to basically hold it together. Certain ice creams, lip sticks and even beer use a derivative of red seaweed, called carrageenan, to emulsify the products. 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 […]
17 facts about the wee sea potatoes
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and my Irish heritage, here’s a post on the humble and charming sea potato. The dried shell (also known as the test) of this urchin resembles a potato, hence the common name – sea potato. The sea potato, Echinocardium cordatum, is a common echinoderm found along beaches on all […]
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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
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