(seed about 1 1/2 inch long)Black magroves have roots that "breathe" through vertical
"snorkel roots". Leaves are coated with excreted salt.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Black Mangrove seed sprouting
(seed about 1 1/2 inch long)Black magroves have roots that "breathe" through vertical
"snorkel roots". Leaves are coated with excreted salt.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Manatee County: Florida Coastal Cleanup
Help Keep Manatee County Waters Clean
Participate on Saturday, October 2, 2010 from 9 a.m. to noon
http://www.manateebeautiful.com/Broken-back shrimp
Photos and text by Dave Bulloch
Broken-back shrimp
One of a group of small (under 2 inches in length) shrimp that inhabit
Broken-back shrimpOne of a group of small (under 2 inches in length) shrimp that inhabit
grass flats. Highly variable in color. All have a bent abdomen.
Arrow shrimpThe large rostnum and the bump on its back help identify it,
but it has some close relatives which may lead to a mistaken
identification. It lives in grass flats.
Pepperment shrimpBody streaked with prominent red lines.
A cleaner shrimp commonly found on sponges and wharf pilings.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Guided Beach Walks
Fall is coming and so are Bud Doyle's Guided Beach Walks...
From mid October 2010 thru April 2011, Bud Doyle will conduct
nature walks at Casperson Beach Park on the second and third
Tuesdays of each month.
On the second and third Thursdays, Bud will conduct guided
nature walks at North Jetty Beach Park.
All beach nature walks begin at 9 am and conclude at 11 am.
They are open to the general public and free of charge.
We'll talk about the Gulf of Mexico, its tides, currents, and storms.
Along the way, we'll identify shells, sharks teeth,birds, fish, and plant life.
Casperson Beach is Venice's rural beach while North Jetty Beach is
one of Florida's great shelling beaches.
For further information, call Bud Doyle at 941 488-4158.
Great Manatee Video
Mangrove John says to check this out:
http://visitcitrus.com/manatee.asp?gclid=CIWO99qoo5wCFQxM5QodWjoflQ
http://visitcitrus.com/manatee.asp?gclid=CIWO99qoo5wCFQxM5QodWjoflQ
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Shrimp Review
Let's call these "straight-back" shrimp. Later, we'll post "hump-back shrimp". (These are not the common names.) All shrimp photos were taken by Dave Bulloch.
Pink shrimp are the most common, the ones you usually find at the grocery store.
Grass shrimp, of course, are one of several speciesthat live in local grass flats. They do well in aquaria.
The common snapping shrimp are also called pistol shrimp. One greatly enlarged claw creates a sound that will stun small fish.
Just over 1 1/2 inches in length.
Watch this incredible video from BBCNewsWorldWide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC6I8iPiHT8
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Shore Birds: Dunlin & Long-billed Curlew
Thanks to Lou Newman for the great bird photos
Long-billed Curlew
Long-billed Curlew
DunlinBoth of these birds usually feed in flocks.
Dunlins are larger than Sandpipers and Curlews are larger than either.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Painted Leaf
(NOTE: If you like plants, click on "Plants" in the lower right corner of this post.)
The base of the crown leaves is usually a brighter red than seen here. The painted leaf is found in soils near the back of dunes.
The base of the crown leaves is usually a brighter red than seen here. The painted leaf is found in soils near the back of dunes.Blooming Beach Grass - "Bushy Bluestem"
The bushy bluestem grass (Andropogon glomeratus) at the bottom of the photo shoot high up to produce lovely blooms. They are seen along the paths to Siesta Beach in late Summer.Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Bird Key Park Renovation
Renovation of Bird Key Park west of Ringling Causewayhas been ongoing all summer. The west end work is almost finished.
The east end of the park is still at the "tearing out" stage.Saturday, September 11, 2010
Stinger: Jellyfish season arrives along Gulf Coast, a real pain for beachgoers
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/sep/10/jellyfish-gulf-mexico-stings-beach-nettles/
- Naples News
The sea nettles apparently have some larger cousins in other parts of the world. The attached photo was taken from the deck of a NOAA vessel 50 miles off the Chilean coast, ca. 12 or so feet above the surface. Its bell diameter estimated to be 4-5 feet long.
- Naples News
The sea nettles apparently have some larger cousins in other parts of the world. The attached photo was taken from the deck of a NOAA vessel 50 miles off the Chilean coast, ca. 12 or so feet above the surface. Its bell diameter estimated to be 4-5 feet long.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The world in a shell
This large (~3") clam shell has become home to many animals.White, tubular Florida wormsnails probably had a spiral point.
The purple-striped acorn barnacles share their world
with ivory acorn barnacles.
The worm shell on top may be broken off.Boring turretsnails, a little over an inch long, are at bottom.
They have no siphon canal.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Flies in the sand
Sometimes, as one walks along the beach,
a swarm of insects will fly out of an old crab hole.
They look like house flies, but are slightly smaller and lighter in color.
We've never been able to get a good photo of them or an ID.
We bought a new book yesterday with a beach insect page.
There they were! STABLE FLIES (or dog-flies).
Photo courtesy of the University of Nebraska Ext. Lab.
a swarm of insects will fly out of an old crab hole.
They look like house flies, but are slightly smaller and lighter in color.
We've never been able to get a good photo of them or an ID.
We bought a new book yesterday with a beach insect page.
There they were! STABLE FLIES (or dog-flies).
Photo courtesy of the University of Nebraska Ext. Lab.
Goo on a stick: Bryozoans
The individuals that constitute the mass along the stem of this seaweed
are called zooids. Since the group of critters are out of water,
they have closed up and the zooids constitute the main clues to identification.
They are really not gooey at all.
As you can see, the colony has gone through a lot of trials
and tribulations in the surf and on the sand and is still intact.
You will find, if it suits you to pursue their natural history,
that they are a very diverse and difficult group to study.
are called zooids. Since the group of critters are out of water,
they have closed up and the zooids constitute the main clues to identification.
They are really not gooey at all.As you can see, the colony has gone through a lot of trials
and tribulations in the surf and on the sand and is still intact.
You will find, if it suits you to pursue their natural history,
that they are a very diverse and difficult group to study.
Ghost Crab
It isn't easy to sneak up on a GHOST CRAB, but everyone knows where his burrow is because of all those tracks.
Sometimes they hide under the sand with only their eyes out.
Ghost crabs grow up to 2 inches wide and eat almost anything..
Combat between males is highly ritualized
and rarely ends with contact.
This crab was in a highly trafficked areaof North Lido Beach about noon.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
What is this?
A jelly-like mass (probably formed around eel grass or a stick), this could be some sort of colonial animal. Several such objects were found in the wrack on North Lido Beach yesterday.(click on the photo for a better view)
Here's another sample:
A large, lovely mass of orange turnicate was also on the beach.
We couldn't identify it at that point and
the camera was out of storage space.
Shells on shell
Here are (probably) spotted slipper shells living on aFlorida fighting conch. The slipper shells can't move much
in search of food, so they have modified their manner of
feeding to trap food with the mucus in the mantle.
Shells have all sorts of interesting behavior patterns.
Slipper shells have both male and female reproductive organs.
In general, the younger,more active slippers are male;
the older sedimentary slippers are female.
Slippers do not self-fertilize. Their male and female organs
operate at different times in their life cycle.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sea grass on the shoreline
Amazing... Lots of grass on the shoreline on Sunday.
Next to none today. About the same time of day both times.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Next to none today. About the same time of day both times.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Bird trouble on the beach, today
O.K. What is it? It looks like a plover,
but plovers look very different in the Spring than in the Fall.
Golden plovers look a lot like black-bellied plovers.
We' ll guess : "Golden Plover", because a golden plovers's head
is blacker than a black- bellied plover's head in the Fall.
Maybe, the Auduboners watching can help us out.
(Back for more photos on Lido Key!)
Galaxaura rugosa
This lovely red alga was found on N. Lido Beach. It is about 1 foot long and in excellent condition.
It is probably related to Galaxaura obstusata. (click for photo)
Horse conch eating lightning whelk
Enjoy a few more exciting photos like this at :SE Littoral Society Invertebrates page
. . . and, by all means, double-click to make the photo larger.
"The horse conch (Pleuroploca gigantea), also known as the giant band shell, has been Florida's official state shell since 1969. This shell is native to the marine waters around Florida and can grow to a length of twenty-four inches. Young horse conchs have orange-colored shells; adults have orange apertures.
At least 535 million years ago, mollusks acquired the ability to secrete a carbonate of lime solution that formed a hard, protective shell around them. The word "conch" comes from a Greek word meaning "shell.", "
- Florida Division of Historical Resources
Monday, September 6, 2010
(Mid) Lido Beach
Lido Beach (Lido Key, Sarasota) has beautiful white sandsand an ever-changing shoreline which is a joy to walk, swim, picnic, sun-bathe.
There are outdoor showers at several placeson the backside of the sand dunes.
Native plants line the dunes. Life guards are plentiful.
Concession stands, indoor showers and rest rooms, and a pool (as well as ample parking) are located
near the mid-point of the island.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Algae: Shoreline Plant
Algae are a characteristic plant of the beach. Algae lives on rocksand between the grains of sand and occasionally adds a green, gold,
pink or purple tint to the sand.
Algae on old jetty at the south end of the public Lido Beach
Other plants like Ulva (sea lettuce), manatee grass,and sargassum (a brown algae or seaweed) are often washed up
onto the beach. The wrack line or strand line is a line of debris that
often runs parallel to the water’s edge and marks the high tide
line. This wrack, though unsightly, is important. It provides an ideal
environment for microorganisms, amphipods and insects.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tulip Snail Egg Cases
This egg case is 4-6 inches long and was foundat the water line on South Lido Beach.
Both tulip snail and horse conch have conical egg cases.
Those of the tulip conch have ruffled edges.
Horse conch egg cases have "bands" or ridges around the "cone".
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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