Category Archives: Marine Biology

Citizen Science Tools for Community Engagement

Posted on 2 May 2012 by

Non-profit groups, educators and researchers can now create, manage and maintain citizen science wildlife surveys with multiple contributors at Wildlife Sightings. Continue reading →

Posted in Amateur Science, Biology, Community, Entomology, Environment, Marine Biology, Ornithology, Projects, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Pupping Season for Moss Beach Harbor Seals

Posted on 25 April 2012 by

For the last several years, local harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) have used part of the beach as a “haul out” and place to give birth to their pups. The county blocks off that part of the beach to regular beach goers so avoid spooking the seals, which can cause parents to neglect or even abandon their young. Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Marine Biology, Photography, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Citizen Scientists Help Unravel Whale Dialects

Posted on 21 April 2012 by

So-called “citizen scientists” from across the world are being urged to listen to and help classify sounds made by marine mammals such as killer whales and pilot whales. Continue reading →

Posted in Amateur Science, Biology, Marine Biology, Oceanography, Projects, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Making, Maintaining, and Using Serious Field Notes

Posted on 9 February 2012 by

But if you want to do serious natural science you have to keep good field notes. Continue reading →

Posted in Amateur Science, Best Practices, Biology, Botany, Entomology, Environment, Geology, Marine Biology, Meteorology, Ornithology, Paleontology, Phenology, Photography, Projects, Research Tools, Wildlife | 2 Comments

Dolphins Using a “New” Fishing Method

Posted on 30 August 2011 by

A certain population of dolphins in western Australia are engaging in an activity known as “conching” in which they grip a large conch shell in their mouths and using it to catch and eat fish. There are also tantalizing signs that this behavior might be spreading to other populations Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Marine Biology | Leave a comment

Studying Plankton

Posted on 30 July 2011 by

On family trips to the coast, one of my favorite activities was collecting samples of marine coastal plankton for study under the microscope after we got home. Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Marine Biology, Microscopy, Projects | 1 Comment

Book Review: Between Pacific Tides

Posted on 6 March 2011 by

If you have ever read John Steinbeck’s classic novel Cannery Row and its less successful sequel Sweet Thursday you may remember a curious, rough-cut but likable character named “Doc.” Steinbeck based the character on a real person: Edward “Doc” Ricketts, the primary author of this book. Between Pacific Tides is a volume that should warm the heart of the amateur scientist reader because Ricketts, despite his nickname, did not hold a degree in marine biology or zoology. Continue reading →

Posted in Marine Biology, Reviews, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Tide Pools: Deeper Than They Look

Posted on 5 March 2011 by

Intertidal ecosystems are one of the more dramatic examples of what biologists call the “edge effect.” This describes what happens when two different kinds of ecosystems come into contact with each other, such as when a forest borders an open field. Along that margin, life forms are typically more diverse and more profligate. In the zone between the tides, where land and ocean meet, a healthy ecosystem can practically explode with different life forms native to that environment. Continue reading →

Posted in Marine Biology | 2 Comments