Lionfish: From Crowd Pleaser To Catastrophe

This interesting looking fish is called a lionfish.  Though it's a crowd pleaser in the aquarium, it's a catastrophe in the ocean.

The Ghost Crab: Small but Spooky

Ghost Crab

Who's that popping up from the deep to say "BOO" on Halloween?  It's none other than a ghost crab.  

Little Sea Star...the Mighty Predator

Sea Star

Just what is a sea star?

Sea stars live in the ocean, but they are not fish.  Fish are vertebrates (backbones) that have gills and fins.  Most have scales.  Sea stars do not have any of these characteristics.  Since they are not true fish, scientist call them sea stars instead of their common nickname: starfish.

The Best Place On Earth...For A Marine Animal

Sea turtles live in the coastal habitat.

They may not live in nests like birds nor in dens like foxes, but marine animals do have a home.  It's big and wet and salty, and they wouldn't trade it for anything we've got going on land.  The ocean is the best place on earth if you're a marine animal.

Ten Fantastic Facts About The Ocean

1.  The ocean is home to an estimated 50-80% of all life on earth.

2.  Very tiny plant organisms called phytoplankton live in the ocean.  They use photosynthesis to produce more than half of all oxygen on the planet.

3.  The ocean contains 96% of all water on earth.  The remaining 4% is freshwater from rivers, lakes, and ice.   

Feather or Fish?

Watch this video for an amazing treat.

The animal in this video is a fish know as the feather star.  According to Tomasz K. Baumiller, a paleontologist from the University of Michigan, feather stars have been around for about 200 million years.  Now that's a very old fish.

Let's Talk Trash: Ocean Trash

Makeover of Versova Beach in Mumbai, India

It takes a million years for a glass bottle to deteriorate and 450 for a plastic one. That's why the trash problem is getting bigger all the time. Trash is unhealthy for humans and deadly for marine animals.

Ways To Help Kids Love The Ocean

Are you looking for ways to foster your kids' interest in the ocean?  Here are some ideas.

• Visit Aquariums.  Take your kids on an 'aquarium vacation' where your family travels from city to city, each with an aquarium.

  

How The Longhorn Cowfish Got Its Name?

Cowfish #1

Use your imagination, and you might figure out how this fish got the name longhorn cowfish.  Or you can do what I did.  

Why Do Sharks Attack People?

Out of 300 shark species, only 12 attack people.  Sharks are not looking to attack humans. They are looking for smaller fish and invertebrates.  Since humans are not part of the sharks' normal diet, why do they attack?