cape may whale watch

When I was invited to intern for the 24-hour pelagic trip that was planned for June 3-4, 2022, I knew it was an opportunity I could not refuse. The chance to be on a boat for an entire day searching for offshore marine mammals, pelagic birds and other organisms seemed too amazing to turn down,…

One of my most impactful experiences happened aboard the American Star on May 26, 2022. It was my third day as an intern at the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center and Icould not wait to get out into the open waters. As we were leaving the inlet to enter the AtlanticOcean, that’s when…

The Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, also called by the scientific name Limulus polyphemus, are prehistoric animals that have been on Earth for millions of years. They are in the Phylum Arthropoda. The horseshoe crabs’ structure dates 245 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period and they are more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions (Tanacredi, Bottom & Smith…

What are PCBs? PCB stands for Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and represents a grouping of man-made chemicals that consist of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. PCBs were first produced in the late 1920’s / early 1930’s, and were continued to be used in products until its ban in 1979 (Toxic Substances Control Act) due to the toxicity of PCBs and its negative impacts on biological organisms. There are a range of PCBs, with varying consistencies (from a thin liquid to a thick wax) as well as varying degrees of toxicity. PCBs were very popularly used in a large variety of products due to their “non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point, and electrical insulating properties” (EPA). Some examples of products listed on the EPA’s website for things that previously contained PCBs include: · Pigments and dyes · Oil-based paint · Caulking · Plastics ·…

5/15/21 – CMWWRC Database On May 15th, 2021, I witnessed a very rare event. Some would even say it was once in a lifetime sight. It seemed like just a normal day on the water while interning on the American Star for Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center. But, halfway through our trip, we…

During the fall semester at the University of South Carolina, I was enrolled in a course called Marine Science 311. This course included a lab that met once each week. My favorite lab that I was able to partake in was one entitled Sea Urchin Fertilization. I had never really taken the time to consider how such alien looking organisms would be able to reproduce until I was involved in this study. As it turns out, I learned that sea urchin egg fertilization actually happens outside of the body in open sea water. In order to recreate this in a lab setting, my classmates and I had access to several sea urchins, their genders unknown to us. In order to determine the genders of the organisms, we had to inject each individual with .5 M potassium chloride.  Once injected, we were…

Six North Atlantic Right Whales have been found dead in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada this month. Could this mean a tragic and short future for the entire species? The North Atlantic Right whale is one of the most endangered large whale species in the world, with less than 450 individuals left. They are a baleen whale species that live off the coast of North America, feeding on zooplankton and copepods in Canada and New England during spring to fall months. Migrating to the warm waters of South Carolina and Georgia to give birth during the winter (NOAA). This 1000 mile journey through unprotected waters makes them extremely vulnerable. Breaching North Atlantic Right Whale The frightfully small population size is due to being hunted to near extinction during the 19th and early 20th century. In fact, they were…

For people in the know, seldom is summertime fun enjoyed without the protection of  generously applied sunscreen; it’s the invisible and ubiquitous-hazmat suit worn by health-conscious outdoor enthusiasts. Sun protection factor (SPF) numbers have been part of the global lexicon longer than personal identification (PIN) numbers, and their ability to protect us from the harmful…

The sea is a mysterious place. Mostly undiscovered, uncharted and unknown territory lies beneath the oceans that we see at the beach each day. Approximately 70 percent of the earth is covered by water. Only 20 percent of that water has been explored. The ocean may seem like a foreign and exotic place, but when…

Plastic is something we use mindlessly everyday for cooking, storage, travel, amongst many others. As a material it is lightweight, durable, strong, and cheap to manufacture. It’s no wonder our world is so blind for the horrors that plastic causes outside of our small bubble of a world. The same reasons we love using plastics…