Watch this clip from “The Other Guys” (2010) as Will Ferrell’s character schools Mark Wahlberg’s character on what would happen if a lion were to attack a tuna. Enjoy!
Marine & Freshwater Environmental Education
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May 22 is National Maritime Day
In observance of the anniversary of the first transatlantic voyage on May 22, 1933, Congress has set aside this day to recognize those in the maritime industry. The North American Marine Environmental Protection Agency (NAMEPA) and the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) are teaming up for their fourth National Maritime Day celebration next week […]
How do sea stars eat?
First, sea stars grip their prey (e.g., bivalves, such as clams and oysters) with their suction feet and pry them apart to eat the muscle inside the shells. Then, once the bivalve’s shell is open, the stomach of the sea star emerges from the middle of the underside of its star-shaped body to absorb the […]
Why do I always see so many dead crabs along the shoreline?
Rest assure those crab skeletons are not all dead crabs. They are the molts from the animals. Crabs, lobsters, horseshoe crabs, and many other crustaceans go through a molting phase and the old shell is basically washed up in the wrack line. The wrack line is the deposits from the ocean after the tide has […]
It’s as easy as A, B, Sea: C for Chitin
Chitin (kai-tin) is the main material for 1) the exoskeleton of shrimp, crabs and lobsters, 2) the beak of squid and octopi and 3) the radula of mollusks. It is very similar in make up to glucose and similar in function to keratin (which is what makes up our hair, skin and nails).
What’s it like to be a Maine lobsterman?
Are your kids interested in a career on the water? Sounds like a great time to check out this video and go out lobster fishing with the award winning Aqua Kids! They’ll learn from teen lobster fishermen in Maine some of the challenges of the job (e.g., timing how long their nets are in the […]
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 […]
Save Our Seas Foundation
In case you didn’t notice, every month I like to share one of my favorite marine science conservation website or blogs. And, even though I just posted on The Daily Ocean I want to highlight the Save Our Seas Foundation. This is the organization (or ‘organisation’ since they are based in Switzerland) that produces the […]
Seven silly science words: Part II
Remember what I was saying back in January? Science still isn’t scary and still has funny words. Here are a few more that just make me smile. Hopefully they make you smile when you say them or you know a fun science word too. Has anyone taught you a science word you love? If you […]
What is a fish kill?
Like it or not sometimes fish kills occur. It is a harshly worded phrase used to define a massive localized die off of a fish population. When there is a fish kill it is a serious matter that environmental agencies use an indicator something may have run a muck in the local ecosystem. Although, fish […]
The “Osprey”, they’re bone breakers alright
The Latin name for osprey, Pandion haliaetus, means “bone breaker” and explains quite well how the bird of prey gets his main source of food, fish. Ospreys plummet down from almost 30 stories above water and use their barbed talons to grab onto mullet, menhaden, or other fish found in estuaries. These barbs can be […]
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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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