Walking along the beach, my eyes are naturally drawn to the waves. That mesmerizing, repetitive motion of water is both calming and endlessly fascinating. But have you ever looked back at the dunes and noted the shape of the vegetation growing ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Forests, Natural Resources
What are meroplankton? How do they differ from regular plankton? In the plankton world there are those that are plankton (drifters) their whole lives – holoplankton – and those who are plankton for only part of their lives – ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesSo far in this series we have been discussing microscopic creatures in the northern Gulf of Mexico that are single celled – though many may be linked together in chains. In this article we will begin discussing microscopic creatures that ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Situation The horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) has existed in its present form for about 450 million years. It has survived several catastrophes that faced the planet including those that wiped out the dinosaurs. Today there are four ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, WildlifeAfter two articles on protozoans, we now know what these animal-like creatures are. We have discussed some that move by flagella, and others than move by pseudopodia. The last group by short flagella called cilia. Ciliates are ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources
Every year since I joined Florida Sea Grant in 2012, water quality has been selected as one of the top priority issues by both my advisory committee and by the public. Clean water is important to everyone. Though there are several water ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
If you live near or visit the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico coasts, odds are you’re a fan of the Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Fried or steamed legs and claws, crabcakes, entire softshell crabs—that sweet crab meet is delicious ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Data provided in this report is from the Manatee Sighting Network Program at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Carmichael RH, Hieb E, Aven A, Taylor N, Seely C, Delo J, Pabody C, (2022). Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network Database ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, WildlifeIn our last article we asked the question - “what are protozoans?” As we mentioned then the breakdown of the word includes “proto” which means “before”, and “zoan” which refers to animals. These are the “before animals” ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine
I have a vivid memory of snorkeling the seagrass beds around Port St. Joe when I was an undergraduate marine biology student. Our field research lab involved completing a visual fish survey, using waterproof dive slates and pencils to record ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife