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Sampling the Shore: How Scientists Study Coastal Ecosystems
Read more: Sampling the Shore: How Scientists Study Coastal EcosystemsWhen we talk about the unexplored ocean, we often look far away. We imagine the deep sea, darkness, strange animals, and places almost impossible to reach. But for Anna-Lena Wallner, one of the most surprising discoveries of her first scientific project was that the unknown can begin much closer: right at the shore. In the…
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Sands of Time: What Beach Sand Tells Us About Our Coastlines
Read more: Sands of Time: What Beach Sand Tells Us About Our CoastlinesAt first glance, coasts seem unmovable. Solid formations, never ending dunes, gentle waves lapping at the beach. Look closer and you will see that sand is objected to constant movement. You scoop up a handful and it immediately begins to escape, slipping through the gaps between your fingers grain by grain. The smallest particles cling…
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Life in the Lagoon: Exploring a Hidden Wonder in Southern Florida
Read more: Life in the Lagoon: Exploring a Hidden Wonder in Southern FloridaFish swimming in all directions, manatees floating by, dolphins leaping in and out of the water, and pelicans flying high overhead. Boaters smile and wave friendly hellos as their boats pass by, sailing along the tranquil surface as the sun’s golden rays meet the crystalline waters. A stillness so peaceful the only sounds I hear…
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The Blue Economy: Are we adding to the problem?
Read more: The Blue Economy: Are we adding to the problem?It’s a difficult dilemma. On one hand, every diver dreams of the next dive. That excitement when booking your tickets, getting your gear ready, and finally making the trip to venture off into the deep blue. On the other hand, our being in the ocean just adds to its degradation. Carbon emissions from planes, diesel…
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Sentinels of Change: What Intertidal Species Tell Us About the Climate
Read more: Sentinels of Change: What Intertidal Species Tell Us About the ClimateThe rocks are wrong. That’s the first thing you notice before the smell reaches you, before you’ve picked your way down to the water line – something about the shore looks off. The mussel beds that should run in dark, continuous mats across the mid-zone are broken up, patched with bare stone. The shells are…
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What are ocean currents?
Read more: What are ocean currents?Thinking about ocean currents my mind goes to Finding Nemo, where Crush is drifting along the ocean with his fellow turtles. He was drifting with the help of an ocean current. Ocean currents are the continuous, directed movement of seawater brought about by density differences, the earth’s rotation (resulting in the Coriolis effect) and wind.…
