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Sea Creatures
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Written by Mike Marks
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Tuesday, 02 September 2008 |
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Here's a fun and interesting post by Constance Casey on the life of jellyfish:
"A really good place to have a meaningful and pain-free relationship with
jellyfish is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Behind glass, artfully illuminated,
the creatures are the very definition of elegance—beautiful in movement
and appearance. People stand quietly, mesmerized, watching the translucent bells
pulse at a hypnotic 30 beats per minute, a little slower than Lance Armstrong's
heart rate." full
story at Slate.com. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 September 2008 )
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Sea Creatures
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Written by Mike Marks
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008 |
Last Friday a seal watch cruise from Harwich Port with Captain John Littlefield was
on the scene when a large shark attacked a seal on the ocean side of Monomoy
Island. Littlefield thinks the seal was between 300 to 400 pounds and that the
shark was 14-16'. According to KC Myers Captain Littlefield said, "It was
a bloody mess...I don't think I want to be a surfer going out there with a wetsuit."
A large colony of seals lives on Monomoy and seals have been recently inhabiting
portions of Chatham Harbor. There have been several reports and sightings of
sharks attacking seals during the past few years from Nauset Beach to Monomoy.
With all of that in mind I went surfing this morning at Nauset Beach and saw
nothing of concern. Tomorrow I'll be sailing around Monomoy directly through
the area of the mealtime incident and will report on what I see.
You can learn more about sharks here. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 July 2008 )
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Sea Creatures
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Written by Mike Marks
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 |
Atlanta - For the third time ever at a US aquarium a rare weedy sea dragon is pregnant. Unlike most species it's the male sea dragon who carries the babies to term. Here's the story from AP.
The weedy sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is related to the seahorse and swims in the waters of southern Australia at a depth of 10 to 125 feet. Weed-like growths provide camouflage and a moniker. The male weedy sea dragons carry the eggs after mating. Sea dragons, sea horses and pipe fish are the only species where the male carries the eggs. Weedy sea dragons feed on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton by sucking them into the end of their tube-like snouts. They can grow to 17 inches in length. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 15 June 2008 )
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Sea Creatures
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Written by Mike Marks
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Saturday, 17 May 2008 |
In Friday's Boston
Globe Philip Warburg and Priscilla Brooks write about the sad state of
the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary: "Located just 25 miles
off the coast of Massachusetts and covering 842
square miles, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary hosts some of
the nation's most precious natural resources. It is also a sad example
of how poorly we steward New England's critical ocean wildlife and
habitat for future generations. Though decades of scientific studies
have shown that Stellwagen's ocean ecosystem is in serious decline, a
new draft management plan released in early May falls far short on
solutions for recovery of this special place..." more
Created by Congress in 1992 the Sanctuary is located at the mouth of
Massachusetts Bay, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. It is known as an
excellent whale watching site, and is home to many other species of
marine life. Stellwagen Bank owes much of its existence to
the last major ice age. 25,000 years ago, the Laurentide ice sheet
advanced over the eastern United States, pushing in front of it large
amounts of earth and rocks. The southern margin of the glaciers formed
local geographical features including Cape Cod and Stellwagen Bank.
Originally, the bank was above water, but gradually subsided over time
as the post-glacial rebound subsided.
From the 17th century onwards the area was known as a productive area
for fishing and whaling. The shape of the bottom was
unknown. In 1854, the US Navy sent Lieutenant Commander Henry
Stellwagen to take soundings and map the area. Prior to
Stellwagen's survey, it was believed there were two small banks in the
area: one just to the north of Cape Cod, and one in the middle of the
entrance to Massachusetts Bay. Stellwagen showed that they were part of
one large bank. As a result, the Navy named the bank after him in 1855.*
Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary
*Wikipedia
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