Sanibel Sea School

2010-02-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Hello to all our lovely Sea School Followers!

Today we are officially switching over to our new blog found here:

http://sanibelseaschool.wordpress.com

And not to worry, all our archived content is moving with us. Hope you have a lovely day!

Sx3 Scavenger Hunt!

2010-01-25T13:13:00.005-05:00

The scavenger hunts continue! The Sea School’s winter fund raising event begins with a series of Sea Fandango scavenger hunts. This year, as with last year, Lily & Co. is the Master Sponsor. Each week a clue will be published in the paper and posted online at sanibelseaschool.org . The first person to find the location of the Sea Fandango token will be rewarded with a true treasure from Lily & Co. and the winner is posted online. The prize is a free to the winner and there is no obligation. That’s the spirit of this ocean celebration.

This year Sanibel Sea School’s ocean celebration will culminate on February 20 with the Sea Fandango event at The Community House. Join the fun of searching, finding, getting and giving or just come to Sea Fandango without scavenging! Sanibel Sea School is a 501(c)3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. All proceeds from Sea Fandango will go to scholarships and operating expenses.

We'll be posting our clues on here, but their primary source is the Island Sun and the Islander. Check back soon for this week's clue!

Scavenger Hunt

2010-01-25T11:51:00.002-05:00

Clue Number 2 has been found! Check back this week, either on the blog or in the Island Sun for the next clue!

SX3 Needs Volunteers!

2010-01-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

Sanibel Sea School is looking for volunteers! We need enthusiastic, responsible people to help us with things like educational programs, facility upkeep, and writing for our blog. If you’re interested in volunteering, e-mail Leah@sanibelseaschool.org or call (239) 472-8585 to discuss opportunities.

Summer Camp Registration Begins!

2010-01-18T13:31:00.005-05:00

We are putting the final touches on our plans for Summer Camp 2010, and we are so excited about all of the fun we have to look forward to! Each week of camp has its own theme and different activities, but there are some things we do each and every week. We go surfing every single day, and on Fridays we have our famous Surf Paddling Competition! There is always artwork, journaling, and macramé jewelry-making. We take beach walks, seine for fish, and go snorkeling all the time. Every Friday, we have a cookout for lunch and a Milk and Cookies Slideshow to look forward to. Below you will find week-specific descriptions of what we’ll be doing at camp this summer. We hope you’ll join us for summer fun and learning in our island ecosystem!

Snappy Shrimp Week (June 21-25)
Ages 4-6

Snappy Shrimp Week is a week for the little ones. We are happy crustaceans that go pop, pop, pop! We will study these tiny sea creatures that can make louder-than-life sounds underwater. We will catch, dissect and even eat shrimp, perform shrimp skits, and learn about underwater sounds in our noisy ocean lab! During Shrimp Week, we will focus on helping our youngest campers get comfortable in the water so they will be prepared for many more fun summers on Sanibel.

Dolphin Week 1 (June 28-July 2)
Ages 6-13

We will spend Dolphin Week learning about one of the world’s smartest creatures – maybe even smarter than humans! We are going to spend lots of time in the water this week. We’ll talk about how dolphins communicate and use echolocation, we’ll divide into pods to play games, and we will go snorkeling and canoeing in Dolphin habitat. We’ll also take a Dolphin Cruise to watch these marvelous marine mammals in their natural surroundings – we will observe how dolphins surf behind boats to save energy and we’ll imagine and write about what dolphins must think when they see dozens of humans watching them!

Coral Reef Week (July 5-9)
Ages 11-15

Older campers will spend Coral Reef Week exploring coral reefs to better understand the intricacies of this fragile ecosystem. We will take a three-night camping trip (yes, we will be roughing it in tents!) to Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys, where we will spend our days boating, snorkeling the reefs, and bonding with friends over the nightly campfire. We’ll learn about the structure of coral, why coral reefs are so important, and how humans affect coral ecosystems. We will also have a visit from a coral reef scientist. Because coral reefs have so many inhabitants, this week will be a great opportunity to see an amazing diversity of marine life!

Sea Turtle Week (July 12-16)
Ages 6-13

This week campers will focus on the sea turtle’s epic journey to adulthood. We will learn about the challenges sea turtles face, like habitat destruction, poaching, flooding and predation. We’ll also study the sea turtle’s life cycle, and how female sea turtles return to their place of birth to lay eggs! During Sea Turtle Week, we will spend lots of time on the beach searching for evidence of these marine reptiles on Sanibel. We’ll have a visit from a turtle scientist, who will take us on a sunrise beach walk to look at real sea turtle nests. If the timing is right, we might even get to help dig a nest! We will also talk about conservation and how to help endangered species. We will make wearable turtle art, and spend afternoons snorkeling in Sargassum seaweed, prime habitat for sea turtle hatchlings!

Manatee Week (July 19-23)
Ages 6-13

Manatee Week campers will learn about the lifestyle and interesting history of this large and charming endangered species. We will learn about their vegetarian diet, the difficulties of being a slow-moving marine mammal, and how scientists study manatees. We’ll also study ways to protect manatees and we will make videos and posters to help educate boaters about manatee protection ideas. There will be plenty of snorkeling in the seagrass beds, and we will take field trips and boat rides to manatee hangouts in hopes of seeing these creatures up close. This week we will also do tie-dyeing – we’ll try to make enough circles on our t-shirts to represent our age, just like manatees have growth rings in their ear bones that help us determine how old they are!

Shark Week (July 26-30)
Ages 6-13

Many people are scared of sharks, but it’s a fact that you are more likely to be killed by debris falling from the sky than you are to be the victim of a shark attack. This week we will overcome our fear of sharks by realizing that they are not vicious killers, but predators on the same level as dolphins, eating for survival. We will do a dissection to study the unique physical features that allow sharks to be successful apex predators, and we will look at the many different species of sharks in the ocean, focusing on the ones we find around Sanibel. We will make a shark piñata, and we will try to catch small sharks for our outdoor tank. To prove to ourselves that we are no longer scared of them, we’ll all get in the water to release our sharks at the end of the week.

Dolphin Week 2 (August 2-6)
Ages 6-13

We will spend Dolphin Week learning about one of the world’s smartest creatures – maybe even smarter than humans! We are going to spend lots of time in the water this week. We’ll talk about how dolphins communicate and use echolocation, we’ll divide into pods to play games, and we will go snorkeling and canoeing in Dolphin habitat. We’ll also take a Dolphin Cruise to watch these marvelous marine mammals in their natural surroundings – we will observe how dolphins surf behind boats to save energy and we’ll imagine and write about what dolphins must think when they see dozens of humans watching them!

Tuna Week (August 9-13)
Ages 6-13

This week we will be scientists who study large pelagic fish. We’ll learn about the amazing Tuna, especially the Bluefin Tuna- a unique fish that can grow up to 14 feet long, weigh 1500 pounds, and accelerate faster than a Porsche! We will talk a little bit about overfishing, and create a “Save the Tuna” mural to raise awareness about this endangered species. We will build a giant Bluefin Tuna blimp, and we’ll take the boat a few miles offshore to dive in and enjoy pelagic fish habitat while getting over our fear of deep water.

Horseshoe Crab Week (August 16-20)
Ages 6-13

During Horseshoe Crab Week, we will pretend to be paleontologists, studying the prehistoric horseshoe crab to find out how they have managed to survive for millions of years. We will search for fossils, track horseshoe crabs on the mudflats, and use scientific gadgets to take salinity readings in their habitat. We will learn about how these creatures reproduce and what’s so cool about their blue blood. At the end of the week, we will write conclusions about why we think these animals have been so successful throughout history. We’ll also talk about other tough survivors, like tilapia, cockroaches, shrimp, and parchment worms. Campers can look forward to mud flat walks and horseshoe crab calligraphy this week!

Eagle Ray Week (August 23-27)
Ages 6-13

Let’s go on an underwater safari with the leopard-patterned Spotted Eagle Ray! We’ll learn about where eagle rays fit into our island ecosystem, and how they manage to find food with such flat mouths. We’ll go snorkeling to look for rays, and we’ll make a giant Spotted Eagle Ray by tying rafts together, then take a ride on it’s back! We will also have a visit from an island local who spends lots of time around these magnificent creatures.

Sea Star Week (August 30-September 3)
Ages 6-13
Sea stars are natural superheroes, performing amazing feats like regenerating their limbs, throwing up their stomachs, and prying open clams! This week, we’ll be the stars of our own skits, make comics about our own ocean superheroes, and have a “sea star splash,” where we will decorate island sidewalks with sea star artwork and facts. We will also make a giant model of a sea star as a collaborative art project. We’ll snorkel in the bay to look for sea stars and their relative, the sea urchin. Then, we’ll dive in to the Gulf of Mexico to study the third echinoderm on Sanibel, the sand dollar!

Our summer camp programs cost $230 per child per week. There is a one time non-refundable registration fee of $50. Upon registration, you will be asked to pay a $50 deposit per child per week, and the remaining amount can be paid at the start of your child's camp program. Inquire about scholarships.

Call (239) 472-8585 or e-mail Liz@sanibelseaschool.org to register. We're looking forward to having fun with your kids this summer!

Where is All the Water?

2010-01-08T16:18:00.003-05:00

Take a minute to picture a body of water in your mind. Is it a lake, pond, river or ocean? Not all of us are lucky enough to live near the sea, but nearly everyone walks, bikes, or drives by a body of freshwater every day. Even if we don’t see it on a daily basis, we bathe in it, drink it, and use it for cooking. Because freshwater plays such a prominent role in our lives, it can be easy to forget about the vastness and importance of the salty ocean. It is also difficult to comprehend how little freshwater actually exists on Earth.

NOAA recently published a series of surprising statistics about the distribution of water on our planet. I knew that the ocean was huge, but I was amazed to read that it holds 97 percent of the water on Earth. Only three percent of the water on Earth is fresh, and 69 percent of that is frozen in glaciers and icecaps. An additional portion of the freshwater on our planet is in the atmosphere and underground. Rivers, lakes and ponds may seem common, but they account for less than one percent of our water!

I created a pie chart to help illustrate the distribution of water on Earth.

Next time you drink a refreshing glass of water, keep in mind that accessible freshwater is a very limited commodity on our planet. You can do simple things to conserve this precious resource like turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth, shortening showers, and disposing of chemicals responsibly. You can find more ideas here.

Also, remember that the ocean is huge- making up 70 percent of the Earth’s surface area! Due in part to its large size, it plays an important role in global temperature regulation, and provides food, livelihood, and enjoyment for millions of people. All rivers lead to the sea, so by protecting our freshwater resources we are also protecting the ocean. Because the ocean connects every continent, individual actions can have a worldwide impact. Let’s all do our best to make that impact a positive one.

Young Ocean Authors

2009-12-24T21:57:00.001-05:00

We just finished the first week of Peace Camp 2009, and what a great week it was! We learned all about interactions in the ocean, improved our teamwork skills while playing fun games, drank hot chocolate, and collaborated on beautiful works of art. Campers were also given Rite in the Rain journals (the waterproof notebooks that scientists use in the field), and they wrote about topics relating to our lesson each day. In addition to dunking their journals in the ocean to prove that they are indeed waterproof, campers pondered and journaled about things like what they would do if they were invisible, drew fabulous sea creature sketches, and used their creative skills to write ocean poetry and ocean carols. At first, some campers were skeptical about the idea that writing can be fun, but by the end of the week everyone began to enjoy their journal time, finding sunny spots in the yard or cozy corners in the building to think and write. At the end of the week, we asked campers to choose their best work for our Young Authors blog, and we were highly impressed by their talent. Here is what they picked to share with you:

Beach Poem By Casey Mason

I went to the beach
Picked up a starfish
And set it free.
I saw a dolphin
And shouted out with glee!

My Poem By Zofia Costa

I went down to the sea
And I saw an anemone
I played with my father
Down by the water

Mutualism By Eve Plank

My example of mutualism would be a shark and a remora. The shark provides food for the fish, and the remora fish cleans the shark!

If I Were Invisible…. By Audry Paul

I sometimes think about what it would be like if I were invisible. First off I would play hilarious pranks on everyone! I could turn my sister’s shower cold without her even noticing, and I could sneak on airplanes and go to Hawaii. Oh the endless possibilities! Sometimes I would be sad though. My mom couldn’t see me, and nobody would want to play with me. What an interesting topic!

Pompano Artwork By Audry Paul

The Blissful Night: An Ocean Poem By Chase Desiderio-Taub

The night is blissful and not even the ocean is scurrying.
The night was dazzling with beauty.
The sunset was descending slow and gracefully.
The blissful night.

Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins An Ocean Carol by Kaelen Jurek

(to the tune of Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel)

Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins
They love to splash and play
And when the sun comes out
With dolphins we shall play!
Hey!

An Example of Competition in Nature Artwork By Jaime Gustafson

Mutualism in My House Writing and Artwork By Campbell DiCarlo

I love my doggie, Bailey. I feed her and she lets me lay on her in return.

Crashing Waves By Grace Paul

The waves crash
Disturbing the shells
The ocean is peaceful
All is well
What happens in the depths is hard to tell.
The ocean is peaceful
All is well

Surfing Writing and Artwork By Austin Desiderio-Taub

I like to go surfing at the beach when everyone is watching where I’m the star of the whole entire beach.

Fish By Anonmymous

Fish, jumping swimming
Shining scales on sleek bodies
Shoot through calm sea waves

Limericks By Emma Neill

Surfing in the Waves
Snorkeling in some caves
Water could be warm
Jellyfish in a swarm
I love Sea School all the days.

The sun is hot
The water is not
The water is cold
Some people are bold
They dive in the water
And show you what they’ve got

If I Were the Sea By Rachel Wexler

If I were the sea
Not a whale or a bee
I would roll on my back
And the gulls would scratch me
If I were the sea
I would find the key
To being the most perfect sea I could be

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Chase Desiderio-Taub is nine years old and lives in New Jersey. He likes the ocean and helping people.

Austin Desiderio-Taub is a seven year old from New Jersey who loves to surf.

Kaelen Jurek is a nine year old who loves to surf and make macramé bracelets.

Jaime Gustafson is a seven year old from London, England. He likes to ride his bike and play in the park.

Casey Mason is nine years old. She loves playing with her dog and collecting cheese hats, because she is a Green Bay Packers fan.

Zofia Costa is six years old and lives on Sanibel Island. She likes to draw and play on the beach.

Eve Plank likes to eat good food and draw.

Campbell DiCarlo loves her dog, has brown eyes, and is allergic to wheat.

Audry Paul is eleven years old. She plays the trumpet and loves bulldogs and the color red.

Grace Paul is twelve years old. She is an athlete and enjoys running, basketball, football, soccer, and softball! She also loves the ocean and all animals.

Rachel Wexler is twelve years old. She loves to have fun and enjoys animals.

Emma Neill is ten years old. Her favorite animal is the sea turtle and she likes surfing.

Peace Camp at Sanibel Sea School

2009-12-24T07:53:00.001-05:00

What a great week we have had at Sanibel Sea School. This week and next, we are having a Holiday Camp and this year we have called it Peace Camp. We have latched on the most salient point of our Holidays Season – the message of Peace.

In traditional Sanibel Sea School style, we are teaching peaceful and some not-so-peaceful relationships in the sea. During these two weeks, we are examining and exploring symbiosis. To biologists, symbioses are long-term and meaningful relationship between two species of organisms – and they may not always be peaceful. On each day, we study a new type of symbiotic relationship.

We have explored mutualisms where each individual benefits; we have explored competition where each is negatively impacted. We have dived into the depths of camouflage to examine the hide and seek games that can exist between predators and prey.

And, today our topic is altruism, when we will learn about giving of ourselves with no expectation of immediate returns – our human example of altruism is stewardship.

Our stewardship today includes a trip down to Bailey’s Market to sing Sea Carols to our friends, neighbors and island visitors. We have written Sea Carols - lyrics to the tunes of many popular Holiday songs and we will serenade our fellow islanders with no expectations for our efforts.

Pretty amazing stuff, this Ocean Love.

Why So Many Seashells?

2009-12-23T18:55:00.003-05:00

Olivia Frejka searches for treasures at Lighthouse Beach.

Sanibel Island is world-renowned for its abundance of seashells, and if you look hard enough on any day of the year you are bound to find a few good-looking gastropod specimens. Our island’s curved shape causes it to act like a shovel, scooping up shells from the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, Sanibel Island is the result of thousands of years of accumulation of ocean deposition. If you’ve strolled along the beach on Sanibel over the last few days, you probably noticed that there is an even higher than normal abundance of usually hard-to-find shells. It’s tempting to write this plenitude off as an early holiday gift from nature, but we biologists are always looking for more plausible answers.

So many seashells.

Often, shells accumulate on the beach in large quantities after large-scale natural events like harmful algal blooms and hurricanes, but shell pile-ups can also occur in the wake of a typical winter storm. Mollusks in the ocean die from predation and other natural causes, leaving their exoskeletons behind. These exoskeletons accumulate on the ocean floor, and when storms blow across the Gulf, the shells are washed up on the beach from far out at sea. Biologists dub these deposits “death assemblages” – a fairly morbid name for such a treasure trove from the depths. When there is a long time period between storms, more shells accumulate, waiting to be pushed to shore. Before Saturday, Sanibel hadn’t seen heavy wind and rain for many weeks, so to the delight of beach-combers, collectors, and ocean enthusiasts, the storms brought in piles of fabulous Lace Murexes, Alphabet Cones, Fighting Conchs, Olives and Turbans among other bivalves and gastropods.

This week, we have had an incredible Holiday Peace Camp. All week long, excited campers have returned from Lighthouse Beach with pockets, nets, hats and buckets full of spectacular shells. We gathered 28 gallons of the beautiful white Lucine bivalve to use in art projects during camp and throughout the year.

Our Lucine Mosaic.

If you haven’t visited the beach this week, you should grab your shell bag and head for the nearest access. You’re guaranteed to return with a wealth of great seashells, and this is an excellent opportunity to find that long-coveted Junonia. Happy shelling!

Fabulous finds.

Green Giving

2009-12-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

Are You Making a List and Checking it Twice?

As the holiday season is again upon us, we would like to remind you to keep our environment in mind while doing good for others.

Many companies are turning to “green” advertising as a way of marketing their products to the public. While perusing the internet, I found gift ideas ranging from the practical (nice reusable shopping bags) to the absurd (“eco-friendly” snow-globes and organic aftershave). I think that during the shopping bonanza of the holidays, it’s important to keep in mind which purchases are necessary, or at least which are the best.

For example, your clownfish might really appreciate a new toy, but if you really want to do something for a fish, why not help many sea creatures in need by donating money to the cause of ocean conservation?

At the Sanibel Sea School, we believe in the spirit of giving, and we know that gifts can be obligatory and that giving is just plain fun. This holiday season, we encourage you to give wisely by choosing meaningful gifts for friends and family instead of just “things.” We invite you to join us in finding creative ways of giving that provide meaning, reduce waste and make the world a better place, and we created this guide to help you!

First Things First

During the holidays, our mailboxes are stuffed with catalogs, many of which end up directly in the recycling bin without a glance. Between the trees required to make the paper, the chemicals used in printing, and the fuel used for delivery, catalogs are very draining on the environment. These days, nearly every major retailer has a website, so why not be more efficient by ditching the catalogs and doing your holiday shopping online? The Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service allows you to control the junk mail you receive. You can cancel catalogs and those annoying credit card offers. I registered with this website last year and it takes a few months to start working, but it is definitely effective.

While we’re on the topic, another way you can save paper (and money!) is by finding alternatives to store-bought wrapping paper. Black and white newspaper looks great with a red ribbon, and the comic pages are a fun wrapper. You could also have your kids decorate brown paper grocery bags to use as gift-wrap. Their art will be more meaningful to family than store-bought paper.

If you plan on purchasing magazine or newspaper subscriptions as gifts, consider an electronic subscription. It’s environmentally friendly and usually cheaper than the paper version.

The Gift of the Outdoors

Instead of video games or clothing, set your family up with an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. An annual pass to all of the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands in the United States is an inexpensive gift that the whole family can enjoy. If you don’t live near a national park, check out local wildlife refuges (Sanibel’s Ding Darling offers a duck stamp that permits access to the wildlife drive for a year).

Glacier National Park, Montana

You could also consider giving a gift certificate for surfing lessons or taking a snorkeling trip. These activities will foster an appreciation of the natural environment and help your family stay healthy and active.

Another idea is to save fuel by giving your family a trip to a nearby destination. Rather than traveling long distances to relax and explore, pack up the kids, the dog, the grandparents, the parakeet – whatever your unit is – and head down the road for a long weekend of exploration to some out of the way, but nearly local place. You will have a great weekend and the whole family will enjoy the anticipation and planning of your mini-vacation.

The Gift of Learning

Try to remember what your friends and family have expressed interest in over the past year. If your mom has been glued to the Food Network, now would be a good time to buy her a series of culinary classes. Many such classes are available online.

If your kids love the beach, sign them up for a program or two at Sanibel Sea School! It’s fun to get gifts that last past the holidays, and gifts of learning often lead to a lifetime of enjoyment.

Anna Schuster enjoys a day of learning at Sanibel Sea School

The Gift of Livelihood

Last year I received a goat for Christmas from Heifer International. My landlord would have lost his mind if I started keeping livestock in the backyard, so it worked out perfectly that I never had a chance to meet my ruminant. Heifer is an organization that allows you to purchase livestock and have it sent to people around the world (domestically and abroad) who are living in hunger and poverty. You can give the gift in a friend’s name and they will receive a thank you card with a picture of their animal and an explanation of the organization’s work. The Heifer organization delivers the animals in breeding pairs and provides training to the recipients about how to make the most of their new livestock. Instead of eating one goat, the community is taught to breed their pair of goats until they have a herd, then collect milk, make cheese, and start businesses to sell the goods. I love this idea because I think it really encompasses the spirit of meaningful giving. Personally, I would much rather have a donation made in my name to Heifer than receive one more pair of slippers.

A Tanzanian boy enjoys a gift to his family from Heifer International

Truly Blue Giving

At Sanibel Sea School, we like to think blue instead of green. After all, 70 percent of our planet’s surface is covered in water. All rivers lead to the sea, so all of our choices and actions ultimately affect the ocean. And, environmentalism is really about ocean conservation – so remember that blue is the new and true green.

If you’re shopping for that granola friend who wants to save the planet, and you want to buy her a tangible, eco-friendly gift, buy something that the recipient can actually use to make her lifestyle more “blue.” Avoid buying things labeled “organic” or “green” just because they seem to be an environmental answer. Always remember: your goal is to give a lasting gift that truly warms the recipient’s heart.

Some good presents for the eco-people in your life: a Brita filter paired with reusable bottles for the whole family. Buy a set of paint pens and take the time to decorate and personalize the bottles, so your friends will enjoy it every time they take a sip. Many companies make nice reusable shopping bags – there are beautiful girly patterns available as well as more rugged styles for men.

An indoor plant or herb garden is a useful gift that will help improve air quality, and people usually love a good bottle of organic wine. Try to find unique locally grown products; in SW Florida, we have mangrove honey, which is a truly exotic gift for your snow-bound friends.

If you’re shopping for clothes, Patagonia makes high quality clothing that will last for years. They also donate a percentage of their profits to a variety of environmental organizations.

There is also a great program through World Wildlife Fund that allows you to adopt an animal in a friend’s name. Your friend will receive a stuffed animal and some information about their new adoptee, and the money helps support conservation efforts for that animal in the wild.

The Gift of Service

Many of us have enjoyed a gift from a spouse, child or friend that was truly about giving. It can be a pass to sleep-in late, an IOU for a foot rub, a back-rub, a morning coffee at the local coffee shop, a promise to mow the lawn, or day of dish washing. With a few 3×5 note cards, a couple of colored pencils and some imagination you can produce a gift that is sure to be enjoyed.

Time is our most valuable commodity, and if you give someone you care about the gift of your time, you will find that you both enjoy it more than a box of chocolate – well, maybe not a box of chocolate, but at least you won’t have to work it off at the gym.

Shop for Good

Regardless of which gifts you buy, you can add meaning by using GoodShop. It’s an organization that allows you to shop at the stores you already frequent online, but a percentage of your purchase is donated to a charity of your choice. Choose Sanibel Sea School or another worthy cause as your organization, and you can make contributions as you purchase for the people on your list. This can really add up over time, so make a difference by making GoodShop your shopping venue!

Most importantly, remember to give of yourself this holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

Decoding Sustainable Seafood Decision-Making

2009-12-01T15:49:00.013-05:00

Seafood is a delicious source of lean protein, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients, but due to pollution fish may also contain dangerous levels of toxins such as mercury and pesticides that can have serious health repercussions. The popularity of seafood consumption around the world is also leading to environmental problems as we turn to the seemingly infinite ocean as a source to feed our ever-increasing world population. This illusion of plenty in the vast blue sea is comforting, but the reality is that the ocean is quickly approaching its limit. If we continue consuming seafood at our current rate, many species of fish will become unavailable within the next half-century.

As consumers, we want to make choices that are both healthy and environmentally responsible, but poorly labeled products and overwhelming amounts of contradictory information make it difficult to do so. According to my wallet-sized sustainable seafood card, Mahi-mahi is a “best choice” AND a “seafood to avoid.” Pacific cod is an excellent choice, but Atlantic cod is a no-no. The discrepancies are enough to send me screaming back to the vegetables, where I am sure that a local organic orange is better than a non-organic one from South America. After a particularly frustrating trip to the grocery store that included a military-level interrogation of the seafood man and an argument with my mother about flounder, I decided to do some research. I learned that there are some very helpful online resources and a few simple rules that can increase your confidence as a sustainable seafood consumer, allowing you to help the ocean while still enjoying seafood.

1. Increase your verbal score. Take thirty minutes to learn about fishing industry terminology and fishing methods. This will help you understand seafood labeling at the store - if you know that longlining, bottom-trawling, and gillnetting are non-sustainable fishing methods that harm other species, you can immediately eliminate products with these labels. Knowing the lingo will also help you to make sense of your sustainable seafood card. Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great website for improving your sustainable seafood vocabulary.

2. Carry a card. Print out a sustainable seafood card and always keep it in your wallet. These cards make at-the-counter decision-making relatively simple, as long as you have a basic knowledge of the terminology. Monterey Bay Aquarium provides region-specific cards and they even have a card just for sushi. However, I prefer the Natural Resources Defense Council’s card, because I think the format is straightforward and easier to understand.

3. Buy local. If you can buy directly from the fisherman, do it. If not, try to find seafood from as nearby as possible- it’s better for you, the local economy, and the environment. Local seafood is healthier and tastier because it is fresh, not frozen for long periods of time during shipping. It is environmentally friendlier than imported seafood because it is not shipped over long distances and local fish is likely to be caught in smaller batches. If you don’t have the luxury of buying from your backyard, US-caught or farmed fish is generally best, Europe and South America are okay alternatives, and Asian imports should be avoided. The US has stricter fishing and aquaculture regulations than other countries, while Asia is notorious for pollution issues and severe overfishing.

If you’re in our area, Andy’s Island Seafood has good sustainability practices and carries some locally-caught seafood that varies from day to day. Their main store is on Matlacha, but they have a mobile market on Captiva Tuesday-Thursday (look for their teal truck on Andy Rosse Lane). Ask what is local and fresh.

On Sanibel, The Timbers provides some sustainable options, like seasonal stone crabs and rope-cultured mussels. Ask if their latest shipment of Tilapia is domestically farmed.

4. Know your source. Identify a seafood retailer in your area that is committed to providing sustainable seafood options. Become a regular customer and get to know the “seafood guy.” If labeling or packaging information is unclear, ask questions- if the person behind the counter can’t answer your questions, you shouldn’t buy the product. As an added bonus, if you make friends with the seafood person, they might be willing to take special requests. Solutions for Seafood and Greenpeace have evaluations available that can help you find a retailer that stocks sustainable products.

5. Plan ahead. Before you shop, know what you are looking for. Have a couple of sustainable alternatives planned in case your first choice is unavailable. This will help you to avoid buying “whatever” just because you can’t find your sustainable option.

6. Know what’s good. Look for smaller fish species, which are generally healthier for you because they are lower on the food chain and accumulate less toxins. Small fish species often come from large populations, so they are more sustainable than larger, rarer species. When buying farmed fish, choose products from the US, and choose herbivorous species such as tilapia, catfish, oysters and clams, which can consume grain and do not require feed sourced from wild stocks. When purchasing wild-caught fish, pole/troll caught varieties are best. Wild Alaskan salmon is usually a very good option.

7. Look for a seal of approval. The United States is currently working on a standardized labeling system for identifying sustainable seafood, which will hopefully be implemented in the next few years. In the meantime, the Marine Stewardship Council gives its seal of approval to certified sustainable seafood products. Their website provides information about which certified products you can find at various retailers.

Of course the best way to help sustain wild fisheries stocks is to cut back on the overall amount of seafood that you and your family consume. I am not suggesting that you stop eating seafood altogether- my general rule is moderation, not deprivation. If you really want to make a positive impact on the environment, try replacing seafood with a vegetarian dish every once in a while instead of a different animal protein. Vegetable proteins like beans, tofu, and tempeh are delicious, but often overlooked. For healthy and very flavorful vegetarian recipe ideas, I’m a fan of http://www.fatfreevegan.com. As an added bonus, if you reduce your seafood consumption, you will enjoy fish even more on the occasions that you do eat it.

When you choose to eat seafood, you can act sustainably by making your portion sizes smaller. A serving of fish should be similar in size to a checkbook, but we have become accustomed to eating fillets equivalent to four or five servings in restaurants. Instead of replicating restaurant seafood portions at home, serve extra grains and vegetables with a small piece of fish.

If this all seems like too much information, don’t be overwhelmed- just start small. Follow a few of these rules each time you purchase seafood, and pretty soon you’ll be a savvy seafood sustainability expert.

Additional Resources:

The Blue Ocean Institute provides detailed information about individual seafood species.

NRDC provides guidelines for purchasing some of the most popular seafood in America.

If you are interested in learning more, I would recommend reading The End of the Line by Charles Clover.

SX3 Says No to Bottled Water

2009-12-01T09:55:00.008-05:00

Beginning today, no bottled water will be allowed to cross the threshold of Sanibel Sea School. We have always discouraged our students from drinking bottled water, but we’ve been known to let it slide in the past. However, we recently reconsidered our lax approach to enforcing the “no bottled water” rule. As an organization, our mission is to promote good stewardship of the ocean, and bottled water is simply bad for the ocean- really bad. And so we must prioritize taking a stand against it.

Bottled water requires enormous amounts of energy to produce and transport - in fact, it takes 2000 times more energy to produce a single bottled water than it does to fill your reusable water bottle from the tap. With oil, gas, and coal as our leading domestic energy sources, an enormous amount of pollution is produced in the bottled water manufacturing process, and chemicals such as mercury, nickel, and benzene end up in the ocean. This poisons marine life and contaminates our seafood. If everyone stopped drinking bottled water, it would remove almost a billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere- that’s like taking 100,000 cars off the road. The manufacturing of bottled water also wastes water. It takes up to ten times more water to manufacture a bottle of water than actually ends up in the bottle. The water used in manufacturing must then be treated at a treatment facility, which requires energy and leads to even more pollution.

You may be thinking, “but what if I recycle my bottled water?” Recycling is great for materials like paper and some metals, but the process of heating plastic releases dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere and ocean. And while recycling is not a bad idea, the reality is that 80 to 90 percent of plastic bottles end up in the trash or as litter - that’s about 22 billion bottles per year. If you have ever walked along Sanibel’s shoreline, you’ve seen the battered plastic bottles that frequently wash up on the beach. If your great-great-great grandchildren are in the right place at the right time, they might see the same bottle, because it will still be bobbing around in the sea 500 years from now. It can take a plastic bottle up to 1000 years to decompose, and as the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, it resembles common food sources for many sea creatures. Sea turtles mistake plastic for jellyfish, and shorebirds mistake it for small invertebrates. These animals often end up on the beach, sick or dead with stomachs full of plastic particles that they are unable to digest. “Synthetic Sea” is an eye-opening short documentary that brings attention to the shocking amount of plastic in the ocean and its effects on marine life.

Eliminating bottled water from your life is not only good for the environment, it’s good for you. Financially, bottled water is a rip-off, sold at up to 100 times the cost that companies spend to produce it. A gallon of Evian is more than double the price of an expensive gallon of gasoline, so next time you think the oil companies are robbing you, you may want to reconsider. The “Price of a Gallon” website lists other fun comparisons.

From a health standpoint, it is a myth that bottled water is healthier than tap water. Bottled water safety regulations are far less stringent than regulations regarding the tap water that comes out of your sink. In fact, many bottled water companies bottle their product directly from the tap. Studies have found microbes and chemicals in many common brands of bottled water (more info). Also, the plastic used in bottle manufacturing always leaches small amounts of synthetic chemicals into the water, and the health effects of this have not been closely studied. Your tap water is safe to drink directly from the faucet, but if you can't stand the taste, a filter can make tap water taste fresh and pure. Just make sure you clean or change your filtering system frequently so harmful bacteria doesn't grow in it and make you sick.

Next time you’re out shopping, resist the temptation to purchase bottled water, and instead buy stainless steel reusable bottles for the whole family (At SX3, we’re fans of the Klean Kanteen) – it’s a great holiday gift idea! You’ll save the environment, save money, and be healthier. When you stop by the Sea School with your environmentally friendly hydration gear, we will welcome you with open arms and gladly refill your bottle.

Sanibel Sea School’s campaign to eliminate bottled water from our campus is made possible through a partnership with the Plank-DiCarlo Family Foundation and Klean Kanteen. If you do not have a reusable water bottle with you when you visit the Sea School, we offer loaner bottles, or you can purchase a Klean Kanteen and the profits will help us achieve our goal of saving the ocean, one child at a time.

How to Survive on a Small Island

2009-09-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

If you were stranded in the wilderness, would you be able to build your own shelter? Could you figure out how to signal for help, or find your way back to civilization using a compass? Sanibel Sea School campers could – at least those who attended Survivor Week, a camp designed especially for eleven to fifteen year olds.

At the beginning of the week, we learned the fine art of lashings, a useful skill to have if you ever need to build a raft. After some practice, teams were given piles of bamboo and asked to do just that. The teams competed to see who could build the fastest and most buoyant raft using only twine, a limited amount of bamboo, and any floating garbage they could find on the beach. The competition brought lots of laughter as we learned firsthand that no matter how sturdy a raft seems on land, it is likely to start falling apart once it comes in contact with the ocean’s powerful waves.

After our raft paddling competition, we braved the mosquitoes at the Bailey Tract to practice our orienteering skills. We used compasses and our own paces to keep track of our movement, then we mapped our routes. Map interpretation and orienteering skills are important when you are lost if you want to reach a more desirable location.

If you are ever unfortunate (or fortunate) enough to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, one of the basic essentials is to find or construct protection from the elements. Survivor teams used materials they found on the beach to build shelters. Structures were judged on sturdiness, size, and how well they provided shade and protection from wind and rain. The winning team added a fully-functioning sundial as a finishing touch. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, playing frisbee, and relaxing in our breezy lean-tos, smiling and waving at envious passers-by.

All this was great, but the pinnacle of Survivor Week was probably the overnight trip to Cayo Costa State Park, where campers impressed SX3 staff with their willingness to help out. In addition to exploring the island, shell collecting, and snorkeling, campers pitched their own tents and helped with dinner and cleanup. We spent the evening performing skits, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, and walking on the beach. Some nightwalkers were lucky enough to find huge lightning whelks and handfuls of perfect arrowhead sand dollars. We ended the trip with a chocolate chip pancake breakfast and a bumpy boat ride back to Sanibel. Camping at Cayo Costa was a fabulous opportunity for campers to practice their newly-acquired survival skills and bond with new friends and counselors.

The success of our camp programs would not be possible without support from the Sanibel community. Both the LAT Foundation and Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club help support our summer program through scholarship support. The McKay family at Sweet Water Boat Rentals on Captiva donated boat rides to and from Cayo Costa. Bailey’s provided enough ice to keep us cool, and the Sanibel Community House hosted our weekly Milk and Cookies Slideshow. We are very thankful for the help we receive from local families and businesses. Visit us online at www.sanibelseaschool.org.

Check Out This Great Video

2009-08-26T14:03:00.000-04:00

Overfishing from greenforum on Vimeo.

Dolphins, Dolphins Everywhere

2009-08-24T17:34:00.003-04:00

This week it was dolphins, dolphins and more dolphins at Sanibel Sea School. We played echo-location - the Sanibel Sea School version of Marco-Polo. We played capture the fish, we went on dolphin walks, we talked a lot about how dolphins live and hunt their prey. While avoiding the common thunderstorms, we made dolphin flags, we created skits about life under the sea, and we made finger puppets to represent our favorite sea creatures.

In keeping with the tradition of Sanibel Sea School, we not only had fun, but we also learned a lot about Bottlenose Dolphins. For example, we leaned that adult dolphins weigh between 330 and 1400 pounds, and that an average adult weighs in around 700 pounds. And, that same adult will typically consume 5% of its body weight in prey- mostly fishes per day – that’s 35 pounds of fish per day.

We also learned that scientists believe dolphins might just be smarter than humans, and that just because they always appear to be wearing a smile, they are not always happy. We talked about the Marine Mammal Act and how it protects dolphins.

One of the highlights of the week was a cruise aboard the Stars and Stripes from Sanibel Marina led by Captain Joe to watch dolphins cavort in the wake. And cavort they did – you have never really experienced total euphoria and unabated joy unless you have been immersed in the cacophony of seventeen young ocean explorers as they squeal with delight about dolphin antics.

And, of course, what would a week of summer camp in the ocean be without plenty of snorkeling. We explored the sand bar called Little Sanibel, just east of the high span bridge. There, we found flounder, horseshoe crabs, spider crabs, giant lightning whelks and hundred of cute little hermit crabs. We caught juvenile Lookdown and Pompano in the Gulf of Mexico. Oh, and we surfed every day in the small waves on the east end.

It was a busy and full week for the little camp on the east end of the island. We were busy learning, growing and having good old-fashion fun in the ocean. We were busy becoming the new generation of ocean stewards – Generation Blue.

It takes a village to raise a child, and a community to produce Sanibel Sea School’s Summer Camp. We are grateful to the Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club who helps support students through scholarships.. Dan Hahn Custom Builder supports our summer program. Bailey’s General Store quenches our thirst on these hot days with lots of ice. Billy’s Bikes keeps us in cardboard from which we build life size models to really understand how big a dolphin is. To all these folks and the countless others, we are grateful.

Check us out at sanibel sea school and see lots more pictures of dolphin week.

Floating Fabulous King's Crown Week at Sanibel Sea School

2009-08-17T16:08:00.005-04:00

By Leah Biery

Kings Crown Week at Sanibel Sea School was filled with exploration and adventure, as we set out on a mission to learn about the mollusks that inhabit our island and its surrounding waters.

We began the week with a mud walk at Bunche Beach, where we braved the slippery, stinky mangrove mud to find fiddler crabs and small King’s Crown Conchs in their natural habitat. King’s Crown Conchs inhabiting intertidal flats feed mainly on detritus, so they remain smaller than their cannibalistic brothers living near the oyster reef. After learning about these creatures, we attempted to copy their lifestyle by slithering through the mud, but don’t worry, we jumped into San Carlos Bay to rinse off before heading home to our parents.

Continuing our quest to become bivalve brainiacs, we went snorkeling at Lighthouse Beach, where we came face to face with schools of fish and a cownose ray. We also found a live cockle shell, scallops, lightning whelks, banded tulips, and plenty of mollusk egg casings. Although many of the egg casings look similar to one another, we discovered that reproduction varies drastically between mollusk species. If you have ever cracked open a lightning whelk egg casing (those long, tan swirly things you find on the beach), you’ve probably noticed that there are perfect miniature gastropods formed inside, ready to begin life. King’s Crowns do things a little differently. About 25 days after eggs are laid, larvae veliger emerge and begin a brief swimming stage, where they float in the surface currents before developing shells and returning to life on the bottom of the ocean.

We wanted to understand what life is like for free-floating King’s Crown larvae, so we strapped on life jackets and made our way out past the third sandbar to the zone where our feet can’t reach the bottom. After we overcame the uneasiness of being sort of far from shore, we laid on our backs and allowed the current to move us along the beach, slightly jealous that King’s Crown larvae get to do this every day.

In the spirit of exploration, we broke out the metal detectors to search for treasure on the beach. We found metal boxes full of mollusk trivia and won points for correct answers and for picking up trash. We also worked together to create a giant King’s Crown Conch tile mosaic, which is now proudly displayed at the Sea School.

Even after all of this fun, we somehow managed to fit in our regular activities like surfing, seining, jewelry-making, shell-collecting, and a sandcastle-building fiesta at Bowman’s Beach. We gained a new appreciation for the variety of mollusks in the ocean and on land, and a better understanding of the challenges these creatures face and the perks they enjoy.

We could never have such a great time without the huge amount of support that we receive from the community. Bailey’s provides ice to help us quench our thirst after spending all day in the heat, Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club provides scholarship funding for island kids, and the Community House of Sanibel hosts our milk and cookies slideshow every Friday afternoon. Sanibel Sea School is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. Visit us on the web at sanibelseaschool.org.

Young Ocean Authors

2009-08-06T11:48:00.029-04:00

At Sanibel Sea School, we engage with the ocean in a myriad of ways; through education, exploration, research, discovery, adventure, athleticism, and a lot of plain old-fashioned fun.

This past week, we have thought about the many ways in which the ocean inspires and intrigues us - how we are fed by the ocean surrounding us. And, we have used the ocean as a focal point to explore our creative writing skills.

Here are a just a few examples of our ocean-inspired writings.

Soul Float by Rachel Wexler

"I closed my eyes and curled into a ball. The tiny waves lapped at my chin. It made me feel more relaxed, temporarily vanishing my fear of sharks. I began to enjoy the slow rocking feeling of the waves. I scooped up a handful of sand, rubbing it on my arms to exfoliate my skin. For a few magical moments I forgot I was in the ocean. I forgot I was anywhere. All I could feel was water. Then, I suddenly remembered my fear of sharks. The magic was gone."

Floating on the Waves by Ashley Edwards

"When I was floating on the water, I felt how the waves crashed on me. I felt so light on top of the waves. I could float for hours on the water, relaxing."

Floating by Abby Neill

"'Clink , Clink,' You can hear the shells rolling in the waves.
Each wave makes a sloshing sound.
Like in those old movies, the sounds of submarines.
You are floating, eyes closed.
Floating in a wet space on Earth,
What matters is that little splash, not what you saw on TV this morning.
You don’t think, you float.
Peace could be so easy if everyone… just… floated.
And, then you are asleep in an ocean of peace."

Campfire Night by Annah De Vaublanc

"This night was probably my better night on my trip to Sanibel. It was so cool. Au début, on nous a donné des balonnets lumineux. And we have lots of fun with them. We do some pictures when we do some circles, on les a lances et some personne qui était to the other side of the tidepool and catch them. We also do some jumping pictures. After we do a few in the sand, we grille some marshmallows and we put them in cookies with chocolate. After, we come back to the sea school."

Surf Haiku by James Ahlemeier

"pure massive power
raging from miles away
surfers live for this"

Waves by Chloe Kissal

"Splashing silently on the shore
Calming, soothing, and much more
Rumbling, tumbling, round and round
Some turning without making a sound
Some people surf monsters, some surf hills
Some people surf them like fish with gills
And every time a waves comes by
You have a feeling to surf and you don’t know why"

Waves by Brigitte Wodrich

"Crashing, rolling, strong, persistent, beautiful, calm, bumpy wave
Everything that a surfer craves.
To own and control these wild waves you must be patient and learn to wait.
One way that all surfers can relate is it doesn’t matter how big or small the wave."

The Beach by Emma Neill

"Waves crashing on the sand, as if mad.
The sand soft under my feet, the shells and rocks seem soft to the touch.
Wind blows through the casrima trees.
The water when calm laps at the shore, little gulls and terns sit or fly over the water, sometimes preening or catching fish.
Everything calm and quiet, just like Sea School at times.
Then, just like that, a motor boat comes, angry and mad, as if to wreck the silence.
Then when it is gone, all is quiet again."

Sanibel Boat Trip by Colin Maw

"My favorite part of yesterday was the snorkeling and the boating. We went snorkeling and I saw a whole bunch of seaweed beds under the water. I kept crashing into Ben. The thing I liked about the boat was the waves. It was like a roller coaster in the water. "

Der Ozean by Linus Keidel

"Die Wellen sind so groβ
Das ist nichts fuer ein Floβ
Aber wenn sie sind so klein
Ja ich mein,
Dass kann schoen sein.

Der Ozean ist so tief toll,
Dass ich mich am liebsten in ihm roll
Doch koennen wir nicht halten alle in Schacht,
Darum gebe Acht."

A Day at Sea School by Laura Heim

"My day yesterday was funny. We went into the mangroves and we found little fish and saw a sea star. But the best was the surfing. Later we carved stamps out of potatoes, it was fun too."

Beach by Anonymous

"K-shh, k-shh, k-shh
the soothing rhythm of small waves
crash, crash, crash
the angry pattern of large waves

The smell of salt and fish
a light breeze
sun-bleached shells
waves approach from as far as the eye can see
the sand holds shells, bleached white
the wind is cool, the water
is warm."

Untitled by Michele Alger

"What I think this week will be like to me is learning about waves and surfing.
Waves
Powerful Calm"

Sea School by Anonymous

"Snorkeling was lots of fun. We went swimming near some coral and found mollusks in huge conch shells. I found a five year old common fig and a three year old King's Crown. We saw many fish and I cut my toe. Making potato prints was lots of fun. I made a print that was supposed to be a 'G' but ended up as a sailboat and a buoy. I like it even though when I print it turns out looking like a mess. Before that we went surfing. I got up on my board for the first time but jumped off in the fear of hitting two people in the middle of the water. After that we did drum ensembles. Yesterday was lots of fun."

Nighttime on the Beach by Anonymous

"Last night the thunder blazed across a vast horizon. Sending blades from cloud to cloud or in to the sea. The whole sky lit up for a second or two, and was very beautiful.

We watched the fire blaze in the distance as we played with our glowsticks in dim moonlight, and roasted marshmallows over a blazing fire and ate the smores with savory delight."

Untitled by Conrad Wodrich

"Oceans are nice.
Waves are nice.
Water is blue.
Sand is nice."

About Our Authors........

Rachel Wexler lives on Sanibel Island and attends the Sanibel School. She is eleven and is going in to sixth grade. Her favorite way to enjoy the water is swimming.

Michele Alger is twelve years old and lives in Fort Myers, Florida. In her free time, she likes to swim and read.

Ashley Edwards lives in Fort Myers, Florida. She is home schooled and enjoys spending time with her two dogs and her cat. She plays volleyball and loves floating in the ocean.

Abby Neill lives on Sanibel Island and attends seventh grade at The Canterbury School. She enjoys writing, swimming, shelling on the beach, and playing with her pet rats, Lydia and Grace.

Annah De Vaublanc is from Paris, France. She is twelve years old and enjoys finding shells. She visits Sanibel Island every summer with her family.

James Ahlemeier is in seventh grade at The Canterbury School. He likes curried chicken, has a younger brother, and loves to surf.

Chloe Kissal is eleven years old. She lives in Maryland, where she attends Southern Middle School. She plays softball, rides horses, and loves spending time in the water.

Brigitte Wodrich is from Ontario, Canada. She is visiting Sanibel Island for the summer and loves to surf, make art, and play tennis.

Emma Neill is a ten year old resident of Sanibel Island. Her favorite animal is the sea turtle. She loves to read and play at the beach. When she grows up, she would like to be a marine biologist.

Colin Maw is eleven years old and lives on Sanibel Island. His favorite animal is the sea turtle. He likes to play with Legos and design ships.

Linus Keidel is from Bavaria, Germany. He is thirteen years old. He likes to play the piano and play field hockey. His favorite sea creature is the whale.

Laura Heim is from Bavaria, Germany. She is fifteen years old and enjoys skiing. Her favorite beach activity is swimming.

Conrad Wodrich is a twelve year old from Ontario, Canada. He likes to draw and surf.

Sanibel Sea School at the Blue Ocean Film Festival

2009-06-13T16:22:00.003-04:00

What is Sanibel Sea School doing at a film festival? Well, the same thing we’re always doing – marine conservation. And boy, are there a lot of conservationists here with us! This is the heart of ocean photography and filmmaking. We have seen some awe inspiring and beautiful photography by National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry . We’ve also seen some terrific films that we’re trying to get to come to Sanibel Sea School – the Cove, Dugong and Din, Saving Luna, Riddle in a Bottle – lots of great stuff!

While we’ve been here, we’ve pitched some ideas to National Geographic and Discovery Channel! (Don’t buy the popcorn yet. We’re still learning how to do this!) And a real highlight – we’ve had the privilege of talking about Sanibel Sea School to Carl Safina, author of the award winning Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross as well as founder of the Blue Ocean Institute. In fact, we’ve told a lot of filmmakers, producers, scientists and conservationists about Sanibel Sea School. And we’ve heard a resounding chorus of encouragement!

You know what’s interesting about all this? Most of these folks started out the same way we did – loving the ocean by running around and exploring it! Which is really exciting for Sanibel Sea School. If we have any part in growing a little girl or boy into tomorrow’s Carl Safina, we’ll have done a fine thing for this ocean planet. And in the meantime, if we find partners in telling the world about Sanibel Sea School and our mission of experiential education, that’s also a fine thing.

So we have lots of homework to do following up with all kinds of requests. One crew might even come to Sanibel in July to film a segment for a children’s show. You never know what might happen on down the road. As for now, it’s been an education for us to find out more about these filmmakers and leading voices in ocean conservation. And we have enormous respect for the task before them of raising money to produce films that will in turn raise awareness. As a speaker said last night – “You are either an activist or an inactivist.” All right, then! Let’s change the world! How about it?

A New Bus For Sanibel Sea School

2009-05-20T07:31:00.001-04:00

In the early months of 2009 Sanibel Sea School was fretting about transportation. With the kids, the buckets, the nets, the volunteers, the life preservers, towels and water bottles, the Sanibel Sea School bus couldn’t handle any more. “Have you ever seen those foreign movies with buses full of families, caged chickens and bundles stacked to the ceiling? It was getting to be like that. No chickens but plenty of sloshing buckets” says Sanibel Sea School Director, Bruce Neill. Enter Sanibel Sea School Board member, Don Wildman.

When Don heard the plea for more transportation, a bell went off in his head. His son Mark Wildman is the Vice President of Marketing for a company called The Parking Spot. Perhaps you’ve seen their spotted shuttles at airports throughout the country. Don realized that maybe, just maybe, Mark could figure out how to retire a used Parking Spot shuttle to a little Sea School in need.

And so it was that JoAnn Paul, Sanibel Sea School’s diligent and obviously committed bookkeeper flew across the country to Austin, Texas to retrieve a shuttle for Sanibel Sea School and single handedly drove it across the many miles, and over the bridge to its future home. All along the way, Doc Bruce would ring up JoAnn’s cell phone. You know how that drive goes: I’m in Texas. I’m in Texas. I’m in Texas. I’m in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama. I’m in Florida. I’m in Florida. I’m in Florida. It’s a long one.
So now Sanibel Sea School is the proud owner of a new bus – with buckets and nets in the luggage rack and happy kids and adults in the seats. All thanks to Don Wildman, Mark Wildman and the Parking Spot with a commendation for service above and beyond the call of duty by JoAnn Paul.

Sanibel Sea School is a non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. You can find out more about
Sanibel Sea School by looking online at sanibelseaschool.org.

Sanibel Sea School Gets NOAA Grant to Produce Podcasts

2009-03-10T11:13:00.000-04:00

Sanibel Sea School is located on a barrier island and offers people a unique place to enjoy and learn about nature. Now the school is reaching out in new ways with technology to engage more people with Gulf of Mexico issues. Through a grant funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center (NOAA CSC) in support of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Sanibel Sea School will be reaching people live with podcasts and videocasts to show the public an inside look into the complex ecosystem that makes our Gulf so unique.

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Education is one of the six priority issues that the Alliance has addressed as regionally significant. In order to effectively engage this priority, the GOMA Environmental Education Network, coordinated through the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, received a grant from NOAA’s Coastal Services Center to fund Gulf-wide environmental education projects. The Alliance Education Network awarded funding to seventeen projects in the five Gulf States this month.

There was a large response of Florida applicants for the GOMA grant and Sanibel Sea School was able to beat out the competition with their innovative proposal to reach a new sector of people. Be looking out this summer on www.sanibelseaschool.org for live podcasts and videocasts from the Island. Exciting topics to expect: “The Mighty Gulf of Mexico,” “Coral Reefs on the Gulf,” and “The Wandering Tarpon.”

The Final Clue Has Been Found

2009-01-24T07:42:00.001-05:00

Marcia Kimball braved chest-deep water and finally found the final clue on Friday.

Congratulations and Happy Hunting Next Year.

And Here We go For the Last Week

2009-01-22T14:05:00.002-05:00

And for the Grand Finale.

Let us first go back to week Number Three.

Start there to find a trail that will lead you home.

Be prepared to find your way with compass,

and let's not stay altogether dry.

Good Luck.

The Final Clue

2009-01-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

Will be here in 2 hours, please come back.

Week Number 7

2009-01-16T22:47:00.002-05:00

Sanibel Sea School along with sponsor and partner Lily and Co. are preparing for the arrival of the January 30th Bonefish Ball by holding a scavenger hunt every week. This is lucky week number seven with Bonefish Ball just around the corner! Every week participants follow clues in search of a laminated Bonefish Ball token that marks the spot for treasure provided by Lily and Co. Players are notified online as soon as the token is found at sanibelseaschool.org by clicking on the blog button. No purchase necessary to play!

Sanibel Sea School is a 501(c) 3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. Founded in 2006, the Sea School teaches kids and adults about the ocean and these islands. This summer in response to heavy demand, Sanibel Skills Summer Camp will expand a little to include Urchin Week for kindergarteners and Survival and Surf weeks for teens.
Join this season of Ocean Celebration by participating in the last two all-island scavenger hunts. Thanks to Lily & Co. this week’s prize is a gorgeous hand-blown glass piece from McDermott Glass Studios in Cape Cod Massachusetts.

Seventh Heaven:
History, history, it’s no mystery.
Where have I seen this building before?
It’s been many things, including a store.
The first Episcopal Church, they say.
A school and a bank, back in the day.
Now it’s for you to figure out.
What this clue is all about.

Week Number Six

2009-01-13T08:28:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the father and son team, Eric and John Pfeifer. Together, they solved last week's clue by following the GPS coordinates to a beach on Woodring Road and identified the tree as a Black Mangrove. John knew that the Black Mangrove had pointy leaves, and they tasted salty. Good work guys!

The Clue of the Week

2009-01-08T14:08:00.001-05:00

This week, the bar goes up a notch or three,

There will be old fashion ciphering and new-age technology,

Sanibel pop culture and just for fun, a little plant taxonomy before you’re done.

Here we go:

Christmas is over, the elves have gone away.
Go to the Sanibel Home of the Elves today.

Happy Hunting

This Week's Clue

2009-01-08T11:56:00.001-05:00

Will be posted here by 2:00 today. Come back and good luck.

Clue Number 5 Has Been Found

2009-01-01T09:08:00.001-05:00

The Clue for Week Number 5

2008-12-31T12:37:00.003-05:00

The myth of an island is a lofty one
A lone atoll in waves and sun.

But most islands are like Sanibel
Sentries that guard the shore so well.

From our very own island we can see the shore
Named for a man with little lore.
But there should be more to praise this guy
He distinguished himself with an honor quite high.

He was the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize
And he’s relatively unknown for an honor this size.

So it’s appropriate that from our lighthouse beach
We look to a park within our eyes reach
Forever immortalizing this man’s work
To bring peace to the Middle East region of earth.

Go there and look for a big old dead tree
It’s on the left and you will see
It’s prized by birds and perhaps even thee.

Happy hunting in this happy new year!

Christmas Caroling - Island Style

2008-12-29T11:37:00.003-05:00

We had an Island Style local celebration the week before Christmas. We made a really great group-effort art mobile from interesting things found on the beach. We swam, we caught fish and we endured the chilly waters.

Mostly we had a lot of fun. We also learned about how different things are in Australia this time of year. Pretty strange for most of us to think of the Holidays during summer vacation.

We even did a little Caroling - Island Style.

Come Discover the Ocean with Us.

Shark Week!!

2008-12-29T11:12:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day of Shark Week, our Holiday Camp 2008. We have a school full of eager campers. And what a wonderful backdrop we have to learn all about sharks.

There is little better in the life for a kid - fun with friends, new and old, and a lot of learning and fun.

Come Explore the Ocean with Us.

The Clue Has Been Found

2008-12-27T11:36:00.001-05:00

Don Carney found this week's clue at the desk of Ding Darling at the Visitor's Center.

Congratulations and if you were not the first, please play again.

Here We Go for Number Four

2008-12-24T15:42:00.003-05:00

Ho, ho, ho, Sanibel Sea School Holds Scavenger Hunt #4.

It’s time for the fourth of eight all-island scavenger hunts during Sanibel Sea School’s season of Ocean Celebration. Together with sponsor Lily & Co. Sanibel Sea School is working up to the arrival of the January 30th Bonefish Ball by hiding treasure on the islands. Every week participants read a clue in the paper and follow it in search of a laminated Bonefish Ball token that marks the spot for a real Lily & Co. holiday treasure! Players are notified online as soon as the token is found at sanibelseaschool.org by clicking on the blog button. No purchase necessary!

Sanibel Sea School is a 501(c) 3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. Founded in 2006, the Sea School teaches kids and adults about the ocean and these islands winter, spring, summer and fall including next week’s Shark Week camp for kids.

You’re invited to join in the winter Ocean Celebration and participate in these all-island scavenger hunts. Thanks to Lily & Co. this week’s prize is a beautiful porcelain bud vase by Franz called By the Sea valued at $120.00 – perfect for an island holiday treasure.
So let’s go scavenging!

These islands have seen the famous come through
Most enjoyed our ocean and went on to do
Noteworthy things in the world.

But a few stayed longer than a holiday
And one in particular, it’s safe to say
Put his mark on the islands in a most unique way.

He fought hard battles without military gear
He used his wit to make issues clear.
He took on the powerful without any fear.
And he spoke for the good of the wild.
He defended the wildlife,
He ridiculed greed
He laughed at authority and
Lampooned bad deeds.
His work was a appealing
To anyone who could read.
And even to some that couldn’t!

So now you have to find out where
His desk now sits
And then from there…

Good luck!

The Third Clue Has Been Found

2008-12-19T14:06:00.001-05:00

More details to come.

Clue For Week 3 of the Scavenge Hunt

2008-12-18T17:30:00.001-05:00

A Treasure to See

The Greatest Generation defended our land
They stood at alert, stations manned
And watched for dangers, close at hand.

They didn’ t know where the threat might be.
It might come from the air, or maybe the sea.

A platform was built to look for the foe
In case it should come from the oceans below.
The site of these guardians is where you should go.

Clue # 2 Has Been Solved and Found!

2008-12-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

Sanibel Sea School Scavenger Hunt #2: All You Do is Follow the Clue

2008-12-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

This week Sanibel Sea School continues its season of Ocean Celebration with the second of eight all-island scavenger hunts. Together with sponsor Lily & Co. Sanibel Sea School is celebrating the coming of the January 30th Bonefish Ball by hiding treasure on the islands. Participants read the clue in the paper each week and follow it seeking a laminated Bonefish Ball token that signals fantastic treasure, provided by Lily & Co. Players are notified online as soon as the token is found at sanibelseaschool.org by clicking on the blog button. No purchase necessary, just bring along a spirit of excitement and exploration.

Sanibel Sea School is a 501(c)3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education, founded in 2006. The Sea School teaches kids and adults about the ocean and these barrier islands we call home. As Jacques Cousteau said, “people protect what they love.” So, the job of Sanibel Sea School is relatively easy. All that is required is to teach people enough about the ocean and our island habitats to fall in love with them!

For the next couple of months you’re invited to join this Ocean Celebration participating in 8 scavenger hunts sponsored by Lily & Co. This week you can win a set of beautiful Mariposa ocean coral salad servers in recycled aluminum.

For the curious and the envious, last week Steve and Louise Clark found the first treasure of the Bonefish Ball season!

Without Further Ado, Clue Number Two

Long ago in the early days
Things were simpler in many ways
We didn’t have iPods, computers and such
We didn’t buy trinkets and tchotchkes as much.
But when one was fortunate and traveled here
To remember the trip, a souvenir was dear.
Perhaps Jim’s Shell Shop would have just the thing
Find the spot from where these old memories ring.
Good luck and happy hunting!

Congratulations to Steve and Louise Clark !

2008-12-11T09:11:00.004-05:00

Steve and Louise Clark were the first winners of the 2008 Scavenger Hunt. They won the Sanibel Lighthouse pendant from Lily & Co. In return for their bounty, they crafted us the following poem.

Thanks Steve and Louise.

It was after a workout in the wreck
And while feeding our hunger at the Heron
A poem in the Sun revealed to us
This year’s Sea School scavenge was begun.

Last spring’s hunts were an eyeland first
To promote an event called Octifest.
Luc Century vases were the prizes,
His octo-etchings deemed the best!

All around Sanibel were were led
By sneaky clues from one sly fox.
But we fooled Bruce and won the prize
When we found the honey, bait and box.

A Lily’s lighthouse is this year’s prize.
Have fun and try to win one.
The Bonefish Ball will help Sea School kids
Explore ocean life and have some fun.

Louise and Steve Clark

Ocean Celebration 08 - The Bonefish Ball

2008-12-11T09:05:00.002-05:00

The 2008 All Island Scavenger Hunt

Sanibel Sea School and Lily & Co are teaming up to kick off this year’s Bonefish Ball season - the second annual Sea School Ocean Celebration - with a cavalcade of scavenger hunts. Today, the first of eight all-island scavenger hunts begins with clue number one. The prize for Bonefish Ball Scavenger Hunt Number One is an original Lily & Co. 14 karat gold Sanibel Lighthouse sand pendant valued at $385.00 - a little bit of Sanibel to wear forever!

Each week, for these eight weeks, islanders will be given clues that lead to real treasure. In the spirit of fun-raising, participants read the clues in the paper and follow them seeking a laminated Bonefish Ball token that signals glorious, gorgeous treasure, provided by Lily & Co. Players are notified online as soon as the token is found at sanibelseaschool.org by clicking on the blog button. There is no fee to play and no obligation involved in winning - just a fun community game with a beautiful prize each week.

Sanibel Sea School is a 501(c)3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education. Founded in 2006 on the east end of Sanibel Island, the Sea School teaches kids and adults about the ocean and the ecosystems it sustains. Sanibel Sea School places all it’s chips on the idea that love of the ocean and a spirit of stewardship are “caught not taught.” And in that spirit, one can change the world for the better.

So, for the next couple of months you’re invited to join this Ocean Celebration that culminates with Bonefish Ball on January 30. Proceeds from the Sanibel Sea School Bonefish Ball event will be used for scholarships to individuals, school groups and families in these tough economic times. But before then there are adventures to be had of 8 whopping scavenger hunts for the whole community from Sanibel Sea School and Lily & Co.

And if last year taught us anything, it was this:
Speeding and scavenging don’t mix.
Do not spy on competitors.
Carry a notebook.
Write us a poem back if you’re so inclined when you find it!
Don’t win more than once, but feel free to “shadow” future winners.

A completely random dedicated birder was rewarded by finding a token last year (which proves birders are lucky!)

Good luck and have a great Ocean Celebration!

Canterbury 6th Grade Class at Sanibel Sea School

2008-12-06T14:26:00.006-05:00

One of the many activites the 6th grade class took on during a day at the Sanibel Sea School was to take time to write based on their experience with the ocean.

In addition to writing, the students quantified mollusk shells deposited on the beach and tried to the powers of estimation and extrapolation to arrive at the total number of shells on that stretch of beach on the east send of the island.

We also observed many species of fish captured (and released) in seine nets. Snorkeling was also on order so that we could really get into the ocean.

In addition to the shore-based activites, we went offshore in the Sea School boat and studied planktonic communities. And what December field trip to study plankton would be complete without an offshore swim? For a period of time, we abandoned ship and drifted along with all our plankton friends.

Not a bad way to spend a day learning math, science and writing.

Come Explore the Ocean.

Clue Number 1 Has Been Found

2008-12-05T22:33:00.001-05:00

Steve and Louise Clark have found the first Bonefish Ball Clue.

Congratulations.

Next week, Clue Number 2.

The First Clue for the Bonefish Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-04T13:48:00.002-05:00

Theirs a kool new wreck on the old eyeland

Dive in there and call for the first clue of them all

To the scavenger hunt that starts the Bonefish Ball.

If you're wet you're cold.

And you want to be hot.

Because in the frigid water it's not.

Happy Hunting!!

Time Again for the All Island Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-03T09:14:00.006-05:00

It is once again time for the All Island Scavenger Hunt. Stay posted for more details.

The Temperature of the Gulf of Mexico

2008-10-13T22:10:00.003-04:00

As part of our environmental monitoring programs, Sanibel Sea School places temperature loggers in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a funny thing, monitoring the temperature of the ocean is a very simple thing to do, but like many aspects of science, the simple things turn out to often yield the most interesting patterns.

If you look at these data, you can see that water temperature goes through cyclic significant decreases in temperature. By comparing these patterns to other physical and meterological data, we can better understand what might be influential to these changes in temperature.

But the most interesting analyses are to make comparisons between physical, meterological and biological components of the near-shore environments of the oceans. These multi-parameter analyses can tell us important things about how are ocean ecosystems function.

And it all starts with monitoring simple things like temperature, plankton communities and the things that wash up on the beach. Most things a 6th grader can do. Ways to have kids learn about about, and tech us about the ocean.

Come Explore the Ocean with Us.

A Week Full of Sea Turtles

2008-08-05T15:23:00.006-04:00

We never know if we’ll actually get to see the animals we study each week at Sanibel Sea School because this is after all, a field trip. And “the field” hasn’t read our summer plan. So it is with joy, amazement and huge thanks to the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation that campers at Sanibel Sea School got to see tiny turtles for Sea Turtle Week – not just one day, but two!
First, we got to see Rich Finkel dig a nest and count the hatched shells. And there in the sand, a little late but rushing to catch up, was a single straggler. And when we called Amanda Bryant to thank her for this amazing opportunity she said; “well, it’s funny you called. I just got an emergency call about a hatching right now! Do you want to come?” Wow, you have never seen 24 kids move so fast – towels, shoes, suntan lotion, on the bus. Singing songs and pounding out rhythms we made our way down West Gulf Drive and were rewarded with a sight few of us have ever seen – 44 little sea turtles in a bucket as Amanda helped them out of a mass of plant roots. We thank Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation from the bottom of our flip-flops to the tops of our heads for sharing this great experience with us and with others on the beach.

On Friday we were graffiti kids, spreading the word with sea turtle facts chalked on the sidewalks of Sanibel. Thanks to Richard Johnson and Francis Bailey for ice pops and permission to adorn Bailey’s sidewalks with our message. Thanks to Mark Marinello and Doc Ford’s for soda and permission there and thanks to Chrissy Basturk and Fresh Produce for letting us spread the word. And then, in the last moment of great good fortune last week, the Schuster family, having taken note of our sad trash pile grill, gave us a swanky new grill for Friday cookouts! Life doesn’t get better than Sea Turtle week.

If you ever have the chance to see a tiny turtle no bigger than a shell scrabble over the tidal rack and swim into a pounding ocean, do. It will remind you of how ferocious and fragile life is. And it will make you really, really happy.

So, waves were big. Turtles were seen. We made a beautiful sea turtle tile mosaic thanks to Kevin Johnson for tiles and grout. Got a new grill. Learned a lot about sea turtles. We wish a happy Sea Turtle Week on you too. Sanibel Sea School is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education.

Calusans and Kings Crowns at Sanibel Sea School

2008-08-01T15:24:00.001-04:00

The last couple of weeks at Sanibel Sea School have been filled with totems and treasures as campers have studied Calusans and molluscans. In both weeks there was ample opportunity for discovery and invention. The highlight of Calusa Week was a tribal competition in the wilds of Sanibel. Two teams each collected items that the Calusa used for fishing and building – like ark shells, whelk columns and palm fronds. Then we went out into the wild “territories” and built totems in competition. It was great to run through the wild lands like the Last of the Mohicans. And for that we owe super special thanks to the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. We enjoyed the best Calusa totem game we’ve ever had on the great trails behind the SCCF Nature Center!

Then it was on to King’s Crown Week, dedicated to the little estuary gastropod. And even though we had a metal detector scavenger hunt with clues in metal boxes and prizes to be found, we have to say that it was the mud walk that enthralled the Sanibel Sea School crowd the most. Mud is good fun. And we tromped into it with abandon, getting a King’s Crown Conch’s view of Blind Pass. We also had a great snorkeling excursion to Tarpon Bay on the Sanibel Sea School skiff. And we enjoyed a few fantastic surfing days thanks to the storms we’ve had lately. Thanks to F.I.S.H. and private donors, children who would not otherwise have been able to attend Sanibel Sea School Sanibel Skills Summer Camp have been able to be with us these weeks.
As the summer continues at Sanibel Sea School we’re looking forward to ospreys and dolphins, manatees and surfing. Sanibel Sea School is a non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education and you can follow our adventures on the web at sanibelseaschool.org.

Survivor Week at Sanibel Sea School

2008-07-17T10:05:00.003-04:00

At the urging of a few moms and more than a few kids, Sanibel Sea School offered a week for older kids last week. Themed “Survival Week” this camp offered plenty of opportunity for education that was seriously experiential. If you haven’t tried to build a fire lately with a strike and spark fire starter, you haven’t delved into the depths of your own patience the way these kids did. And they prevailed! In fact, they’re downright good at it. Specifically, you would not want to challenge Marvel Bradley to a fire making duel. It would be humiliating for you. And if you were to find yourself on a desert island a la Tom Hanks, you’d want Jennings Ventura tying the knots on your raft and Abby Neill and Kyle Johnson paddling it.

This was a spectacular week for Sanibel Sea School that culminated in a real adventure overnight to Cayo Costa. What happens in Cayo Costa stays in Cayo Costa, I’d like to say. But by now half the island probably knows the boat with the gear broke down, the lunches were insanely late. The vicious no-see-ums drove some to madness – a study in pre-air conditioning torture. There was a flashlight-lit talent show the highlight of which was singing chins, and there were some epic snorers. Oh and if you didn’t already know this, Jim Burns is without a doubt the most patient and kind man in the world.

We do have to single out and thank Brandon Marino. Here’s a guy who met our staff playing volleyball and took time off work to volunteer for us. On day one, he tore his calf muscle in the surf paddling race and ended that day on crutches. Like the Monty Python Knight, he came back the second day to drive his boat with our gear. It broke down around Tarpon Bay. When Sea Tow arrived hours later, he discovered his membership hadn’t been renewed in time and he had to pay a super duper premium. We salute his sacrifice for Sanibel Sea School. It was heroic and it’ll make a darn good story one day if he’s in the mood to tell it. We also have to thank James Figuerado and Tajana Pettinato who came to the rescue at the drop of a hat with a boat and a great attitude.

As for Survivor Week help, special thanks go to the Sanibel Fishing Club and the Kiwannis club for summer camp scholarships. Thanks to Kyle Sweet and Jim Gould for giving us big bamboo for our rafts. Thanks to the Island Cow for delicious hot muffins in the mornings and great camping food. Thanks to Mark and Heidi Marinello for lots of great camping supplies from Bass Pro including those handy dandy fire starters. Thanks to Beth Hight for a cake that tasted like it was made by the gods. Thanks to the staff for going way over and beyond a forty-hour week. Thanks to parents who entrusted us with their wonderful kids. We really enjoyed them and they surprised us.

I was having a chat with a few of the girls about grown ups who get a little tired of kids. And I said, “Well, hey, I probably yell at you sometimes too.” To which Maddie Weigel responded, “yeah, but we can tell you like us.” Yeah. We really, really do. These kids were great survivors. What do they call that? Prevailers?

This week we are Calusans and we have a serious game planned in inland territories (with plenty of nice Calusan bug spray.) Sanibel Sea School is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education.

May Manatee Madness

2008-05-21T12:18:00.002-04:00

We were recently treated to a rare sight on the east end of Sanibel Island. A group of manatees came very close to the beach to mate. They stayed there all day just witihn 10 or 15 feet of shore. When manatees mate, a single female emits a chemical cue that she is receptive to males and they come from miles aroud.

This mating group consisted of one female and 15-17 males. The males jockeyed to get access to the female. What a wonderful chance to observe this endangered species congregate and mate. The gestation period of female manatees is about one year, so if all goes well, we will have one more next year.

Pretty good day for a field trip! Come explore the ocean with us.

This Week's Octifest Clue

2008-04-12T07:33:00.002-04:00

Now the game is on a roll
There are so many places that could be the goal.

An osprey tree or a water-filled hole, it really could be anywhere.

But we wanted to find someplace really new.
On an island this small it’s not easy to do.

But we succeeded and think you’ll find it too.

Shade above and sand below
Trip trap, who goes there?

Do you know? Find it if you can.

Happy Octifest Hunting!

The Octifest #5 Clue Has Been Found

2008-04-07T08:21:00.004-04:00

Judy and Buck Kirkpatrick braved the circle of clues to snag the fifth Octifest Clue! Congratulations you two. And in keeping with the Octifest traditions, Judy penned a poem for the event.

Down and defeated, four weeks had passed.
No sign of the Octipus, I’d been outclassed.
Luc’s work is a favorite, a pure delight.
But none for me was to be my plight.

‘Twas on April third, the tide did turn.
So did my luck, I’ve a lot to learn.
Out in the bay, a double buoy bounced.
Too close and too clean, hubby announced.

A little white card was floating attached.
I checked to see that my sandals were latched
Splashing and sputtering, I grabbed on the fly
An Octifest Octipus sailing by.

From start to finish, we went full round.
Picking up clues ‘til the treasure was found.
And learning that cordgrass is spartina bakeri.
That would ensure there’d be no fakery.

So now in my cottage by the sea,
A Century Octipus just for me.
This whole idea is just way cool.
Thank you Luc and Sanibel Seaschool.

Judi and Buck Kirkpatrick

Octimaniacs - Here Ya Go

2008-04-03T13:33:00.001-04:00

Five easy pieces, so the saying goes.
If it’s really that easy, only the winner knows

For this great adventure, a tool you must take forth.
In the 9th century it’s how Chinese explorers found North.

(At Sanibel Sea School fairness dictates thus:
If you don’t have one of these you can borrow it from us.)

So you take your mystery tool and head to the spot
Where the very first provisions from our island store were got.

Sounds simple you think and it might be for you.
But you’ll need to a pen and paper before you’re through.

So pack a little rucksack with all that you’ve been told
You’re going on an adventure – be bright and be bold.

Happy Octifest and good luck!

Octifest Clue # 4 Has Been Found !

2008-03-30T09:39:00.002-04:00

Congragulations to Peyton Smith who found the Octifest Clue Number 4! He scrambled ampongst the chaos to find the clue nested in an Australian Pine on a Causeway Island.

Bruce and Ev, they ponder and stew,
Over each word placed in the Ocitfest clue.

Octifest Fever is running wild,
Parents are searching disguised as their child.

Average explorers wait with great joy,
While Octi-fanitics tackle the paper boy.

They load up their cars and speed to the place,
Surprised to find past winners engaged in the race.

They scatter about and panic sets in,
Only to find they can’t count to ten!

After counting and digging under each branch and log,
The treasure was found by one cleaver P-Dog!

So the waiting begins for the next Octi-clue,
For the next 168 hours, what will we do?!

Good Times!

Octifest Clue # 4

2008-03-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Between B and C lies a small piece of land

Not always here it was constructed by man

On its shores are some local renegades

Not from here, They hang out, make shade.

But the song of this foreigner is a real local treat

Makes a cool lulling haven in the hot summer heat Between B & C, on the western shore

Find the tenth one from us, no less, no more

Stop a minute, relax and listen to the sound

Then take a good look around and the octifest octopus will be found

Good luck
Happy Octifest hunting!

Clues, Cousins and Octopi

2008-03-21T17:19:00.003-04:00

Four cousins together we read the clue,
Word by word and through and through.

Sunset found us on Wildlife Drive
With a satellite image of power pole lines.

Where does it land? We just saw it by sea,
Fishermen will tell you it’s the place to be.

Are we all nuts to start out here this late?
Let’s hope that we find it, wouldn’t that be great!

Four of us dashing down Wulfert Trail,
When a cyclist blew past us – OH NO we can’t fail!

Garrett and John were first by a measure
Followed by Ali and Darby – Where’s the TREASURE?

Power pole rising from rocks soaring tall,
Aunt Jennifer found it, we all had a ball!

Thanks to the Sanibel Sea School and Luc Century for all the Fun!

Mary Ellen Pfeifer

Mass Mortality – A Natural Part of Life in the Oceans.

2008-03-21T08:23:00.001-04:00

The ocean and its living inhabitants form a complex system which is really very poorly understood.

Recently, we have had large collections of dead and dying scallops, pen shells, sea urchins and parchment worms. One would immediately assume that some form of water quality issue is responsible, and it probably is – just not the types of water-quality issues to which we have become accustomed.

It appears that perhaps this die-off is best attributed to a sudden influx of cold water from out in the deeper regions of the Gulf. Prior to a couple of weeks ago, the water temperature was in the lower 70s (F), then we experienced a large upwelling event that brought cold water from deeper regions of the Gulf resulting in water temperatures of 63 ° F around our island.
The density of water is inversely related to temperature (at least above freezing.) Water that is colder is more dense. The very deep portions of most ocean basins hold very cold water. For some reason, some event likely happened that caused some of this cold water to upwell – that is travel towards the surface. The triggering mechanism causing the upwelling was probably a series of strong winds. These winds push surface water away and pull up bottom water to replace it.

This cold water then rushes past many of our bottom-dwelling invertebrates – known in biological circles as benthic invertebrates. These creatures do not readily thrive in the face of rapid temperature changes and become ‘cold-shocked’ or at times just die from the rapid temperature change. Once weakened, they are unable to maintain their hold on the bottom and become tossed and carried about by the currents. Many of which are then washed ashore on our beaches.

Some parts of this explanation are based on conjecture, but what we do know is that we experienced an upwelling event offshore (we can track surface ocean temperatures by satellite) and we had a rapid decrease in ocean water temperature around Sanibel. We also know that many of the invertebrates we have seen recently on our beaches are vulnerable to rapid temperature change. With this information it seems plausible that our recent die-offs are a result of temperature-shock; not red tide nor pollution, but just another interesting wrinkle of the dynamics of the ocean and its inhabitants.

There is an old adage in medicine that says when you hear hoof-beats don’t assume zebras (in North America) – sometimes what appears to be a result of some horrific pollution event is just the natural oscillation of life and death in the sea. Something we don’t know very much about.
We need to systematically monitor the life (and death) that washes onto our beaches. Along with other conservation organizations and the State of Florida, we are creating a network of beach-combing volunteers to do just that. Together we can truly contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of our oceans; if you are interested in joining this effort email me at bruce@sanibelseaschool.org

Perhaps together, we will get better at distinguishing the horses from the zebras.

Week 3 Octifest Clue

2008-03-20T20:11:00.002-04:00

It seems that good things happen to people’s brains at night. Steve and Louise Clark cracked the code for Octifest scavenger hunt #2 Friday night. They realized that the old Sanibel Firehouse was moved to its present location in the 1970’s to become the Bait Box. But they had to wait until Saturday morning when the Bait Box opened to see if their hunch was correct. Bait Box owner Ralph Woodring wasn’t about to make it too easy either. Once inside, the Clark’s had to search for the clue, nestled in a display of mangrove honey. As Luc Century, the Octifest vase artist said, “Wow, mangrove honey?!”

This is Octifest, a season of mission at Sanibel Sea School that will culminate in the Octifest fundraiser on April 26 at the Community Center. To celebrate these eight weeks, Sanibel Sea School is holding eight all-island scavenger hunts. Each week a clue will be published here in the Island Sun. The person who finds a laminated token bearing the Octifest octopus will receive a beautiful crystal vase by island artist Luc Century.

To follow the Octifest scavenger hunts between issues of the Island Sun tune in to sanibelseaschool.blogspot.com on the web. As soon a token is found, the blog will carry a posting.

So, with mirth and glee we present clue number three!

We are islands after all
Connected by bridges short and tall.
And what that really means is that all
But the water we use must get here.

We use something every day
A lot of this, it’s sad to say.
We take it for granted in every way.
It comes to us from across the bay.
That’s all you need to find it.

The point you are looking for
Is where this stuff comes ashore
It’s customarily reached by foot, or
A boat, I suppose, could get there.

Good luck
Happy Octifest hunting!

Second Octifest Octopus Found

2008-03-15T23:19:00.003-04:00

On Saturday morning (March 15th), Steve and Louise Clark found the second Octifest Octpus at the Bait Box. Yes, the building that houses the Bait Bax was the original Sanibel Firehouse. It was built at what is now the Heart of the Islands shopping center location and then moved in the 1970s to its present spot.

Sorry to those of you who didn't get there first. But look for a new clue next week.

A Noble Life in a Beer Bottle

2008-03-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I found a barnacle-encrusted beer bottle in the shallows of San Carlos Bay. As I talked about the merits of picking up litter versus the impact on the creatures living on the bottle, I absent-mindedly tried to empty the bottle of sand that had collected inside. Unable to shake the sand out, I poked my finger into the neck of the bottle to loosen some of the sand – still nothing. So I peered down the neck of the bottle and was joyously surprised to see a tiny suction-cup clad tentacle of a small octopus also claiming this bottle as home.

At first blush one might think this to be a ‘baby’ octopus, but on the contrary it was a grande dame dwarf octopus (Octopus joubini). Yes, some of our octopi can easily fit in a beer bottle as old, fully grown adults. We have two species of octopus on Sanibel, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) a large variety, and the dwarf octopus (Octopus joubini). Octopi are wonderful mollusks and have unbelievable capabilities to change not only the color of their skin, but also the texture of their skin – almost instantaneously. They are among the most intelligent of invertebrate animals; many scientists believe their intellectual capabilities very similar to those of the house cat. Next time your cat out-manipulates you, think octopus-brain.

Octopi are equipped with a beak (in their mouth) which is located at the confluence of their eight arms. They are extremely fluid and can fit through almost any opening large enough to accept the diameter of their beak. They are also armed with poison that they use to subdue their prey – mostly small crabs, but also an occasional bivalve mollusk. And beware, they are not in any way opposed to bite and sting humans who foolishly choose to pick them up and handle them – which of course I have been known to do from time to time. Take it from me, don’t handle them unless you are prepared for a bee-like sting and bite – just remember cat brain, beak and poison; a bad combination.

One of the most fascinating tidbits of the biology of dwarf octopi is that they only live for about one year. They hatch from eggs and within five months are fully grown and sexually mature. After a female mates, she lays her eggs on a firm substrate and stops eating. She remains with her eggs diligently guarding them until they hatch, shortly afterward she dies advancing age and starvation.

The ocean holds so many majestic mysteries – an octopus living out her lifespan out in a year’s time, forgoing food to guard her eggs then slipping beyond her existence; all in a beer bottle in the shadow of the C span bridge. And she is about as intelligent as the cats we know and love (or not) so dearly.

Pretty cool world we are surrounded by on our island home. Go check it out.

Sea Star Hunts

2008-03-10T23:46:00.001-04:00

Last week, we undertook a sea star hunt at Sanibel Sea School. Our survey team counted 158 sea stars along a short section of San Carlos Bay; we will keep these counts to compare with future observations on the health and dynamics of our marine environments. Perhaps just as importantly, we will also keep the memories of our experiences of sea star hunts along cool clear waters of San Carlos Bay. Collectively we took a small step towards our role as stewards of this marine planet – and we had a lot of fun doing it.

For most of us old enough to vote, we know these creatures as star fish, but new generations of ocean lovers know them as sea stars. We call them sea stars now to avoid confusing them with fish. They are animals that belong to the phylum Echinodermata, along with the brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. The name Echinodermata is derived from the Greek echinos (spiny) and derma (skin) – they are the spiny skinned animals.

They are one of a very few groups of animals that are exclusively marine – that is, they’re found only in the oceans. Although they are invertebrate animals (not having a backbone), the echinoderms are fairly close relatives to vertebrate animals (those of us with backbones). One of the characteristics they share with us vertebrates is that they have skin covering their hard parts; they do not have an external skeleton like that found in mollusks or crabs.

Echinoderms also have a unique and quite fascinating hydraulic system in which they use water to pressurize a system of tubes which protrude from their body. This hydraulic system is known as the water vascular system and allows them to crawl along the bottom of the sea on a cushion of numerous “tube feet”.

The most common sea star in San Carlos Bay is the Orange Sea Star which is in the genus Echinaster. There may be as many as six separate species in our area, but like many of our marine animals little is known about them. These sea stars appear not to feed on bivalve mollusks like many other sea stars do. But rather, they feed on sponges and can also ingest dead organic matter which accumulates on the sea floor. Their recent abundance is likely another part of the cycle in our ocean’s dynamics related to nutrient inputs from land-based sources.
Whatever the cause of their recent abundance, enjoy these stars of the sea, but please remember that like mollusks, they are protected by Florida State law in Lee County and collecting live specimens is prohibited.

Islanders Chip and Nancy Roach Find First Octifest Octopus !

2008-03-03T00:37:00.003-05:00

So what happened last week? By flashlight, in the night, after a moment of inspiration, Chip and Nancy Roach found the first Octifest token! The hunt sent plenty of folks searching around the old wharf site. But a few realized that the clue referred to a now-dry freshwater well on Buttonwood Road that Cuban fishermen used when they came here to fish. The old well has an historical plaque marking the site.

Eight All-Island Scavenger Hunts Mark the Beginning Octifest Season for Sanibel Sea School

2008-03-03T00:20:00.005-05:00

Inspired by a game from this past summer’s Sanibel Skills Camp, Sanibel Sea School will hold eight island-wide weekly scavenger hunts to mark the season of Octifest, Sanibel Sea School’s first celebration of mission.

“This summer we walked past Luc Century’s house every day and the kids sang songs along the way. Once day Luc called us and said how nice the kids sounded and how he wanted to play a game with them. He carved a beautiful whale in a river stone and hid it in plain sight. He said the first child to find it, could have it” recounts Evelyn Neill. “It was a lot of fun and such a wonderful gift. So when we started talking about all we wanted Octifest to be and we were pondering how we might give back to the island, we thought of Luc and a scavenger hunt.”

Each of the next eight weeks, Sanibel Sea School will hide a waterproof token somewhere on the island and will give clues to its location in the newspaper. The person who finds the token will redeem it for a beautiful signed crystal vase carved by Luc Century with an encircling octopus. “There’s no hitch. No one has to buy anything. It’s just a game!” says Neill.

Similar types of scavenger hunts have created tremendous community fun in cities like Portland, Oregon where a large medallion is hidden somewhere in the city or the famous search for the silver hare in the book Masquerade by Kit Williams. “We are going to have a fundraiser at the end of these eight weeks and we hope it will be a tremendous success “ said Neill. “But as one of our committee members said, that is our fundraiser and this is our fun raiser.”

“I hope someone will learn a few facts along the way too” says Dr. Bruce Neill, director of Sanibel Sea School. He says the clues will not be easy and he hopes that everyone will join in the fun. “This is what it’s all about to live on islands like Sanibel and Captiva. We founded Sanibel Sea School as a non-profit dedicated to a very specific mission: to save our oceans through knowledge – teaching people about the marine environment in a visceral hands-on way. And we have found something else in the process: how supportive a community can be not only of our mission, but also of its appropriateness for Sanibel. And for that we are truly grateful. This scavenger hunt is a small way to share that mission.”

The Eight Octifest Scavenger Hunts will begin next week with Clue #1. Each week look for the clues in the paper and may the best man, woman and child win!!

Fun With the Grandparents

2008-02-20T06:06:00.004-05:00

The Fralish family recently came for a day of family discovery at Sanibel Sea School. Aboard the Ke Ala, we discovered the prizes of the ocean and the joys of nature. Many live lightning whelks, banded tulips and pen shells. How many folks have seen living pen shell specimens? The joys of nature are great, but discovering them with your grandparents is a gift that transcends time and connects us - forward and back.

What’s That Blob on the Beach? My Long-lost Aunt Sally?

2008-02-20T06:02:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks at Sanibel Sea School, we have been seeing a lot of blobs on the beach. They range in color from pink to grey to black. They are sometimes flat as a pancake, or globular or round. Most have a firm, rubbery consistency. They are very common in deeper waters (20-30 feet) offshore and in seagrass beds of San Carlos Bay.

They are a type of invertebrate animal – those without a backbone. Strangely enough, they are among the most sophisticated of invertebrate animals; and as such those most closely related to humans. Yes, that blob may just be your long lost Aunt Sally! They belong to the phlum Chordata and the subphylum Urochordata; collectively these groups of fascinating animals are commonly called tunicates or ascisdians by biologists or just sea squirts by just normal people.
The species we are most commonly seeing are called sea ham or sea pork and most belong to the genus Amaroucium . They are called sea ham because of their resemblance to salted pork common in the diets of early sailors. Which is perhaps another reason to just be happy in our world of fast-paced, crazy technology - at least our main staple doesn’t resemble the blobs washing up on our shores!

For those of you more familiar with our back-bay environments, it is closely related to a white encrusting tunicate commonly wrapped around the tips of seagrass blades.
These tunicates in all likelyhood play an important role in our ecosystem. Their rich abundance is associated with eutrophication – the nutrient enrichment of natural waters. For local residents, we are all too familiar with the saga of eutrophication; but fear not, this is not another tale of doom and gloom. Our tunicate abundance is probably a logical next-step in our enrichment process. They are filter feeders and do well in areas that have seen extensive enrichment. In short, we are moving up the food chain – we started with plant proliferation (can you recall red drift algae) and have now shifted to animals that can capitalize on the perpetual flow of energy through the sea.

In fact, tunicates are such efficient filter feeders, that their high abundance is probably contributing significantly to our very clear waters. Combined with a lack of rainfall bringing more nutrients into our marine ecosystems, these creatures are filtering out the bacteria and microscopic plants that make our waters less clear.

The wonders of the ocean are endless. The ripples of change are intricate and not often easily predictable, but almost always fascinating to observe.

Join us at Sanibel Sea School to help conserve our ocean legacy for our future. Or at least, take a few moments to get out and discover the wonders of nature – the computer will wait, the sea will change.

Pace Center for Girls Ocean Exploration

2007-10-20T07:47:00.000-04:00

“Hey Miss, what’s this? Doc Bruce, let me see that thing. Oooh, what is that?” That’s the excited cacophony of the girls from Pace as they wade in the water off Bailey Beach. Sanibel Sea School and the Pace Center for Girls in Fort Myers hit the beach last week for a day of exploration and learning. Pace Center for Girls provides at-risk teenage girls with the structure of a supportive education and counseling program that focuses on helping them to succeed in life. Sanibel Sea School and Pace have teamed together before and are enjoying the mutual learning that is so very gratifying about joint programs such as this. Thanks to a grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Sanibel Sea School has been able to take Pace girls into the field as part of the “Fieldtrips for Every Child Program.”

This particular day, Doc Bruce and Pace science instructor Michelle Patterson led the girls through a program about man’s impact on the environment. Unfortunately for the ocean, it was a good day for the lesson, as the girls walked along the closed Bowman’s Beach and talked about the complexity of water quality issues. But one can’t fully appreciate a beach closure until you’ve had a chance to enjoy all that can be found in the near shore water. So the group ventured up to Bailey Beach and enjoyed seining for small fish. Then the girls happened across a shell bonanza in a small depression in the sand, reminding us of the element of discovery that distinguishes a fieldtrip from an outdoor lecture. Finding unexpectedly empty almost polished whelks and shark eyes to take home to sisters and moms, the girls were wide-eyed and eager.

In these moments we are reminded of how lucky we are to be custodians of this ocean environment. There is no lecture that can explain the wonder of a marine creature as well as the experience of finding it. And perhaps there is no way to truly value the ocean without ever exploring it. One day, very soon, these girls will be old enough to make a difference in environmental issues with their voice and their vote. We hope they choose to do so. And until then, they are making a difference in our lives with their joy and their whoops of surprise.

A Week With Manatees

2007-08-08T00:36:00.001-04:00

Manatee Week campers pose with Fred, a life-size Manatee model.

Jack Moran hustles toward the mark during a surf paddling race.

Recently, the campers at Sanibel Sea School camp were treated to everything manatee. For the week, we put ourselves into the role of our adorable marine mammals, the manatee.

The week started with our standard east-end hike in the morning, allowing us to explore the beaches and discover what the sea had brought forth. In the afternoon, we seined for fish to keep and observe for the week in our team aquaria. During that trip, we caught some juvenile Lookdown fish; which we continue to catch still – an uncommon summer treat in the shallows of the Gulf beaches. The previous week, we had the unexpected pleasure of swimming with a manatee, but on that day we only had the chance to hopefully look for a mammalian encounter. We didn’t get to swim with them, but we did make some close-up observations at Jensen’s Marina later in the week.

We made dioramas and had the great diorama design competition. Dioramas are museum-type displays that exhibit an animal in its habitat. Through this competition, we better understood the habitat requirements of manatees and the spatial relationship of these great creatures to their environment. Among the fascinating things we learned is that manatees can eat up to 180 lbs. of seagrass a day! The winning designers got a manatee toy to keep at home as a reminder of our massive mammalian friends.

We took the buoyancy challenge. In this game we donned life jackets, masks and snorkels and tried to get to the bottom despite our floatation devices! Then we stripped off the floatation and worked to stay afloat. It gave us a whole new meaning to floating on the deep blue sea. Buoyancy is something we take for granted, but is a real challenge for marine mammals; either it is easy to float and thus breathe, or it is difficult to get to the bottom and eat. Oh the tradeoffs we make.

The crowning glory was Manatee Madness where we blitzed some Sanibel hotspots to conduct some slightly different public education. In preparation, we had made a life-size manatee cut-out from cardboard to better understand the real size of an adult manatee. Armed with informative posters, our cardboard Manatee, Fred and sidewalk chalk, we stormed Doc Ford’s, Bailey’s and Fresh Produce to spread the conservation word. We drew manatees on the sidewalk and left behind information posters to help us all to better understand our mammalian friends. Two of our campers also recorded the process on film which can be seen on youtube.com by typing “manatee graffiti” in the search bar.

We owe a special thanks to the folks at Jensen’s Marina for sharing their manatees with us and Dairy Queen for cooling treats on the way back home. Doc Ford’s, Bailey’s and Fresh Produce allowed us to make spectacles (and leave some behind) at their businesses all in the name of conservation education – we appreciate their partnerships. Next week on the quest of our other marine mammals, during dolphin week.

Sea Sawdust - For Better or Worse

2007-08-08T00:31:00.000-04:00

For the last two months, the offshore waters of Sanibel have experienced a prolific growth of a phytoplankton known as sea-sawdust. This phytoplankton is a type of bacteria – a cyanobacteria, previously known as a blue-green algae.

Within the past two weeks some of these clouds of dying phytoplankton have moved onshore and into San Carlos Bay.

This particular type of cyanobacteria occurs throughout the world in tropical and subtropical waters; it is in the genus Trichodesmium and there are about 8 known species. It was first recorded by Captain Cook in the 18th Century off the Australian coast. It was so extensive he mistook it for a sandbar and was afraid he was going aground. It is light brown in color and in calm conditions colonies of this bacteria (each colony looks like a microscopic brown rice grain) are caught in the surface tension of the water and float. It does look very much like a sandbar and still fools captains today.

Like so many things, it has good qualities and some not-so-good qualities. First , the good.

Estimates suggest that Trichodesmium accounts for perhaps 18% of the total photosynthesis on the planet – which makes it a very important component to life on this planet as we know it.
It is also fascinating because it can absorb nitrogen from air. Typically ocean waters are fairly nitrogen-poor and Trichodesmium is probably an important avenue through which ocean water gets badly needed nitrogen to support marine food webs. It gets this nitrogen from thin air (which is actually 70% nitrogen) especially well in waters that have high phosphorous concentrations; which the ocean waters near SW Florida naturally have.

It is also fascinating in that it undergoes daily migration patterns. Up to close to the surface during the day to harvest sunlight and nitrogen and then it sinks down deeper in the ocean during the nighttime. Pretty sophisticated behavior patterns for lowly bacteria. But, when there is no wind, it gets caught in the surface tension and makes big rafts on top of the water.
Now for some of the not-so-good stuff. It makes compounds that are toxic. In Brazil, in 1962 a human illness was described and linked to Trichodesmium; it is called Tamandare’ Fever (for the Bay in which it was described) or Trichodesmium Fever. Its symptoms include throat and respiratory irritations, extreme fatigue, joint and muscle soreness and post-orbital soreness (the backs of one’s eyes feeling sore). Many of these symptoms are shared with common colds, so the extent of this disease is rather unknown. It also appears that the reaction is rather short-lived – so that symptoms may go away rather quickly. Very little in know about this ailment and research is being done to know whether the species we have also can be responsible for this disease or other health issues.

The other not-so-good thing is that is has a particular odor and when colonies are decaying they smell bad.

So, next time you inhale, thank Trichodesmium for providing 18% of the oxygen you are putting in your blood, try to ignore the smell of their colonies dying, hope we don’t have a species that is dangerous to humans, and remember that among the wonders of living on our Sanctuary Island is the constant reminder of how we are a part of our natural, marine world.

A Week with the Caloosa

2007-07-24T23:22:00.000-04:00

Last week, Sanibel Skills campers found ways to link up with the past. We went to the time of the Mighty Caloosa…perhaps more than 250 years ago. We learned about those sophisticated people; we learned to tie Sheet Bend knots (sometimes called Weaver’s knots); just like the Caloosa used to make their seines nets. We made dippers from cockle shells and sticks. We honed our canoe paddling skills in honor of their canoe-paddling tradition. Many of us adorned our bodies with henna tattoos in patterns similar to those of the Caloosa. While paddling, some of us were treated to a long, friendly visit from a Bottlenose Dolphin and her calf.

We went to sites known to have had Caloosa inhabitants and seined just as they probably did hundreds of years ago. While there, we were lucky enough to find some net weights fashioned from clam shells. Doing and finding have a way of bringing history to life – more than one gasp was uttered when artifacts were found and shared.

And, all week we spent time looking for natural objects that might be useful in the lives of our Sanibel predecessors. All this searching paid off on Thursday. That afternoon, we had a large game on the Bailey Tract. After a long hike, two Sanibel Sea School tribes met and traded items of value or utility. Then they went their separate ways and used their collections to make small totems along the paths that would have made any Caloosa’s spirits soar. After a hard decision, the totem judges deemed the Seahorse Tribe as the best totem builders of the week.
But each day, after lunch, we did deviate from the early inhabitants and hopped aboard our fiberglass and foam surfboards for our daily surfboard paddling at the end of Buttonwood ; fun, exercise and spirited competition.

For the finale, parents, families and friends joined us for milk and cookies and a Friday night beach walk and seining on San Carlos Bay. There is just nothing like wrapping up a fun-filled week with a night-time swim down on the east end of our little island.

Next week, we will come back to the present and experience a few things about Manatees.

The Offshore Blues

2007-07-19T23:02:00.000-04:00

Some of the Sanibel Sea School staff were recently 35 to 40 miles offshore from Sanibel Island. We were there to explore, experience and collect phytoplankton samples for research conducted at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institue.

In the Gulf of Mexico, being 35 miles offshore is where and when we firmly step right in to the food chain. Radios only work if someone happens to be close by, and they rarely are - cell phones long ago lost coverage. You got yourself there; you get yourself back. A little risk, but the trade-off is immense. A quick trip to our distant planet - the pelagic world. Where flying fish skitter for a 100 yards in the wake of the boat. Where sky and sea blend on the horizon. The wildest of untouched spaces here on our ocean planet. It can be a little scary being alone with the ocean, but yet very re-affirming. We live on an ocean planet, but rarely get the opportunity to go out experience the vast majority of that 70% of our planet. It sure is nice to go out into the wild ocean from time to time - just to know it is still there; still wild and still vast.

Try to do something today to help be a better steward of the planet.

Science and Fun at Sanibel Skills Camp

2007-07-17T05:34:00.000-04:00

Last week, Sanibel Skills camp offered by Sanibel Sea School was true to the mission of Sanibel Sea School; it was a blend of science, learning and old fashion fun.

The theme was tarpon week and we learned a lot about one of our locally prized game-fish, the tarpon – sometimes called the “Silver King”. Among the things we learned is how scientists track the movements of tarpon using high tech transmitters that track the locations of fish using satellite technology. We also learned how scientists can determine the age of fish by analyzing growth rings in their ear bones – a process very similar to the one used to age trees through growth rings.

At the end of the week, many of us blended our new science knowledge and a little artistic ability to make models of tarpon ear bones using Sculpey clay and then made necklaces using the cross-sections as pendants. So if you see local kids running around with colorful pendant necklaces of concentric rings, be sure to ask ‘em how to age a tarpon.

We also honed up on our boat driving skills by piloting small boats with electric motors around the waters adjacent to the Sanibel boat ramp. One brave second-grade camper, Sam Gruss even captained his first boat under the Sanibel causeway! And of course, what good nautical drill would be complete without a soaking cannonball and a long swim back to shore. Another waterman skill we practiced was castnet throwing. And, many a mojara were caught and released unharmed during the fun.

Snorkeling skills were a giant hit. The clear waters allowed us to find many fabulous shells on the sand bar system of the east end of the island, and one group was treated with a rare underwater sighting of a large sea trout in the waters off Bailey Beach. One group even went on an epic, long float snorkel, flowing with the tide around Woodring Point – they were treated by giant Lightning Whelks and even the shell remains of a whopping granddaddy stone crab. This is pretty exciting stuff - to flow with the warm summer tide as a part of the ocean world that surrounds us and just discover.

For Doc Bruce, the highlight was our discovery of juvenile Bonefish (Albula vulpes) on the east end of the island. To his, and several Sea School staffers squealing delight, a group of campers caught bonefish in their seines. Bonefish are among the world’s most highly prized gamefish and are very uncommonly found in SW Florida. Amongst the old timers there are only three known records of bonefish caught in these waters. They do occur in the Florida Keys and along the southeastern coast of the state, but have never been recorded by the scientific community this far north in the Gulf. In fact, very little is known about the reproduction and juvenile stages of this species. We collected several specimens for ongoing studies and will ship them to the Florida Wildlife Research Institute for age and genetic analysis. This research is being conducted there in collaboration with fisheries scientists at Mote Marine Lab.

Someone once said that it takes a village to raise a child. We are grateful to the many folks who help us each week put on Sanibel Skills Camp. The Lighthouse Café continues to quench our thirsts with ice, our Gheenoes were provided by the Gheen Manufacturing Company, The Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge loaned us their big seine to sample for more bonefish, and Ralph Woodring allowed our snorkelers access to Tarpon Bay for epic snorkel drifts.

And, by the way, be sure to check out the CBS Early Morning News Show (from New York) between 8:00 and 9:00 am on the 24th of July to see national television news coverage of what our kids are doing down on the east end of the island!

Summer Starts With a Blast - Gopher Week

2007-06-13T08:10:00.000-04:00

Sanibel Sea School launched Sanibel Skills summer camp last week, the first of eleven weeks for the 2007 season. It was Gopher Tortoise Week and campers were treated to all sorts of reptile experiences. Elke Podlasek of the Island Cow brought in some of her daughter Amanda’s private reptile collection. Campers got to see and hold a range of tortoises and bearded dragon lizards. They also got to see the iguanas that normally reside at the Island Cow. Among the beautiful tortoises of all shapes and sizes, campers got a rare opportunity to see a young Galapagos tortoise that the Podlaseks are fortunate to have a permit to raise.

Campers also got to visit our own Sanibel Island Gopher Tortoise burrows with Dee Serage-Century of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. Under Dee’s guidance they planted some native plants for foraging tortoises. Campers were then invited to see the reptile drift fences in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge where biologist Cheryl Parrott told the students about an ongoing reptile study. She showed campers how snakes are measured, how their gender is established before releasing them to the wild. And then campers built Sanibel Sea School’s own little drift fence.

Sanibel Sea School’s snake Pepper grew a bit over the five days and all the kids got to watch him eat up close. But it wasn’t a reptile that stole the show this week. A pregnant male seahorse decided it was time to have babies Friday morning at about 9:30 a.m. and much to the amazement of staff and campers, the male began to give birth to tiny seahorses. Everyone got to see this wonderful event before dad and babies were released to the wild. If this writer were truly reporting from a Sanibel Sea School summer camper’s perspective though, she must confess that surfing and surfboard paddling were the best part of Sanibel Skills camp. When all is said and done, kids want to come out of the water and dry off so they can see and learn amazing things and then as quickly as possible go in the water again! Thank goodness for islands, these wonderful ecosystems surrounded by ocean with so many amazing things to see and learn about.

Thank you to everyone who made Gopher Tortoise week a success: Marcel Ventura who gave us a paddle board, Francis Bailey who donated backyard picnic tables, Billy Kirkland and Richard Johnson who hauled the tables back to the island, Pat MacIntosh and Costco who also gave us a backyard dining table, the Plank-DiCarlo family for the large screen monitor that allowed us to see Pepper eating so well, Ann Moran for the digital ocular camera that captured Pepper’s image, Cheryl Parrott of Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge for letting us take a look at the drift fences and snakes, the Podlasek family for an experience with the most beautiful tortoises and lizards any of the staff had ever seen and some delicious muffins, Ralph Woodring for the opportunity for Dr. Bruce Neill to round up the seahorses on a late night expedition, Dee Serage-Century and SCCF for a look at gopher tortoise habitat, Roy Massey of Ace Performers who donated old sails for the backyard sunshade canopy and used windsurfing boards to paddle, Dick Meunch for a donation of hotdogs and lastly, the intrepid gopher tortoise who decided a month ago to build a burrow in the Sanibel Sea School backyard just in time for summer. She or he is happily unmolested and still a backyard friend.

To all Sanibel Sea School campers from last week, guess what was finally caught in our drift fence this weekend after you left? A black racer snake! Yarrrgh! Nature just won’t be rushed, will she? Next we’re going to be talking about fishing and snook! For more information on Sanibel Skills Summer Camp call 472-8585.

Can You Take Your Sea School Experience Home With You ?

2007-04-06T08:55:00.000-04:00

Holly Bloomfield took what she learned from Sanibel Sea School back to Ontario and made a second grade science fair project about mangroves. Her project was selected to be among the winners for her region in Ontario. Congratulations Holly!

Is That a Snake on the Beach???

2007-04-06T06:38:00.000-04:00

This time of year, we get that question a lot at Sanibel Sea School. And yes, perhaps if you are prone to see snakes, or even a little fearful of snakes, one might think this specimen to be a snake. But snakes are not really all that common on Sanibel Island's beaches.

These are really strings of egg cases from the gastropod mollusk, the Lightning Whelk. Gastropod mollusks are those invertebrate animals that form a single shell in which they live. They increase the size of the shell as they grow; they are sometimes called univalves. Lightning whelk females create these strings of individual egg sacks and attach them to the bottom of the ocean. The developing animals within them make a small shell known as a protoconch and when they are ready to be out on their own they crawl out a small hole in the egg case and into the sandy bottom where they live and grow into larger, juvenile lightning whelks.

The egg cases become dislodged from the substarte and wash ashore this time of year.

Unfortunately, some of the egg cases wash ashore before the young have had an opportunity to crawl out of the egg cases. When this happens we are blessed with the opportunity to dissect the individual egg cases and collect the tiny protoconchs. Often each egg case has between 20 and 35 protoconchs and many strings of egg cases have 50 individual egg cases. This tells us that mnay of these females have between 1000 and 1750 offspring!

So, go ahead and pick up that egg case, look to see if you can find one with dried protoconchs. You might just be blessed with another treasure from the sea!

Who Says a Bus Ride Can't Be Fun

2007-04-05T08:44:00.000-04:00

Often times, we cruise the island of Sanibel and Captiva while exploring the natural sresources of our islands. It gives us an opportunity to check out new places and seem more interesting things.....oh yeah, and have some fun along the way. Conner and Emily Button and Max Fontaine monkey around between stops aboard the bus.

It is not Just the Sea

2007-04-05T08:36:00.000-04:00

Barbara has en early morning encounter with "Spot", a leopard gecko that lives in Sanibel Sea School. Following that encounter, Barbara was off to the field to better understand and appreciate the history of Sanibel Island and importance of mangroves to our island ecosystem.

Who says Grandmas don't like to pet the reptiles??

And Somtimes we have Some Fun !

2007-03-12T11:26:00.000-04:00

Today, we had a mermaid at Sanibel Sea School, she is Eve Plank, also known as MP - the mermaid princess. She and her brother, Jesse "Ventura" Plank took a little break from all the hard field work and learning to pose for some pictures. In the morning, a long hike on the Baily Tract led these young detectives to realize that the plant communities on Sanibel Island are ADAPTED to fire. They even thrive on fire. And, not only are the plants adapted to fire, but many of the animals as well.

And for fun, we watched several alligators enjoy the freshwater environments of Sanibel Island.

What happens when kids are hungry?

At Sanibel Sea School, we feed them a good, healthy lunch and magically they change back to the ever-so-wonderful kids that we knew from the morning.

Now, out to open some coconuts and then back to the field to study Lightning Whelks and their egg-cases.

The fun never stops on a field trip!

Seeing Nature Eye to Eye

2007-03-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes if you creep up nice and slow, you get an opportunity to view nature up front and in a personal way. Recently, Doc Alice Pittman and George Weed had a personal encounter with a Great Blue Heron at Blind Pass. It was hard to tell whether we were more interested, or if the heron was more interested in us. Either way, we had a great visit with the bird out on the flats on a warm sunny day.

Then back to Sanibel Sea School for some serious art as we continue to talk about estuaries and the amounts of salt in estuary waters.

And, what lunch would be complete without visiting the corn snake, Pepper? We all enjoy a chance to feel his smooth, cool skin. There is just something about a snake that kids (and most of us adults) just can't resist.

Followed by the freshest coconut in the world. Just the right combo to fuel young minds for an afternoon of exploration.

Sanibel Sea School because Every Day Should Be a Field Trip.

Doing the Quadrat Hula

2007-02-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

Who says we don't have fun on research days at Sanibel Sea School. However we now know what Hula Hoops are round and light-weight. There is a special challenge to making a 0.5 meter pvc quadrat fly around your waist; and when you fail it is often a little hard on the toes.

Yesterday was our bi-weekly sampling of a small bivalve mollusk, Donax, also called coquina. At Sanibel Sea School, we monitor empty Donax shells to help better understand the population health.

And after counting tiny little shells on the beach, most of us have some extra energy that we just have to get out of our systems. Energy, creativity and pvc quadrats makes the perfect combination for quadrat hula hooping. And, who says hard science can't be fun?

Later that day, we took a hike on the Bailey tract and were luck enough to find three alligators along with countless other creatues.

Mud Forests

2007-02-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

Mangrove forests are integral parts of the marine ecosystem. In some partrs of the world, they are called forests of mud. Here we pay homage to the spirits of the mud forest, or at least we appear to as we listen for the sounds of the mud flats.

Mrs. Pollard's 4th grade class from Canterbury School had a blast discovering the mud flats, and finding out just how sticky they can be at low tide. Easy way to loose a croc. Better a croc than a student. We also delighted to learn that sea horses share that rich habitat. And, we became trackers to discover what creatures had been here before us, including racoons and several species of wading birds.

And what better a way to relax after lunch and show our island lifestyle than making some shell jewelry? We tied hemp fibers into braclets, chokers and anklets adorned with some of Sanibel's famous bivavlve shells. The toe is the very best place to hold the fibers while tying up a bunch of knots.

Not a bad way to spend the last day before winter break, or for that matter any old school day. There is just something about a field trip. Makes everything fall in to pace. Easy to remember the fun, hard to forget the facts and way to learn about the ocean.

A Cold Day at the Ocean Always Beats a Day in School

2007-02-16T21:38:00.000-05:00

Ms. O's fourth grade class from Canterbury School braved the winds and rain of winter weather of Florida to spend the day at Sanibel Sea School. Their efforts were rewarded with many great and exciting island adventures.

We tasted mangrove leaves, slipped in mud flats, found fiddler crabs, honed our skills of observation, added some new vocabulary words...was that ephemeral?

And in the seine, in the rain, we were lucky enough to catch several magnificent sea horses.

Mr. Murphy found a strange new creature never before seen to science and delighted us all with this important scientific discovery.

Sometimes it is easier to pay more attention on a field trip, in the field, in the cold, in the rain rather than sitting in a desk in a warm classroom on a wintery day. Go Figure.

At Sanibel Sea School, every day is a field trip.

A Cold Blustery Day in Florida

2007-01-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, even in SW Florida we have cold blustery days. But at Sanibel Sea School, our intrepid adevnturers go out to learn about and explore our natural bounty. Yesterday, the Robbins family of Carbondale, Illinois braved the elements to explore the mangrove communities on the north side of Sanibel. One of the things we learned is that mangrove forests, which grow in the intertidal zone are a great place at low tide to escape the howling winds and have some importnat, serious fun.

We also leaned that mangrove forets support a plethora of other organisms, ranging form worms to molluscs, crabs, fish, birds and even racoons.

And sometimes different species of mangrove trees can be told from one-another based on the taste of their leaves! Black mangroves secrete salt from their leaves, while red mangrove's leaves are not as salty.

Jany Robbins demonstrates the leaf tasting procedures.

The Wonders of a Seahorse

2006-12-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

Early Thanksgiving morning, a group of intrepid adventurers set out on the East End for a Sanibel Sea School early morning beach walk. One of the great things about a beach walk is that the rewards are directly related to the effort – the more you look, the more you find. And let’s face it, these days, few things in life are so simple and so direct.

And so we set forth, sleepy and cold to discover what the sea held for us. It was an unusually low tide and many sand dollars were evident just beneath the sand on the outer bar and there were other fascinating things, but mostly everyday stuff. When all of sudden, the kids let forth shrill, brilliant screams of delight. There amongst the red algae, in the moat between sandbars, they found a seahorse. A spectacular specimen – beautiful brown with long stripes – appropriately enough, a Lined Seahorse; this one was nearly five inches long.

Seahorses are fabulous animals. They, of course, are fish and while mostly overlooked, they are not really all that uncommon on Sanibel. They prefer seagrass meadows and mangrove habitats. There are about 50 species worldwide; we have two. And as a whole, they are not well known to science, but what we do know is that they are pretty amazing.

Most fish are broadcast spawners. They release eggs and sperm into the water to be fertilized, and the fry to fend for themselves, from the moment of conception, with no parental care. Some fish make nests and tend their eggs, and others actually carry developing eggs in their mouths. But in seahorses, the male literally becomes pregnant - a female deposits her eggs in a special pouch on the abdomen of the male. He fertilizes the eggs and seals the pouch until the eggs hatch and the young swim away. As they develop, the male provides nutrition and oxygen to the embryos, and he regulates the salinity of the pouch. The eggs mature in two to four weeks, and then the father goes into labor and squeezes out the 100 or so young. At that point, they are on their own.

And, most seahorses appear to be monogamous; they become pair-bonded and repeatedly mate with the same mate; some for a season, and some perhaps for life. The female comes around once or so a day and checks in with her mate. They dance for a few minutes and then go their separate ways until the next day. And usually within hours of the male releasing his brood, they undergo ritualistic mating dances lasting up to eight or nine hours. Their gyrating dances culminate with the female depositing more eggs to start the cycle again.

Fascinating stuff, but, early that blustery November morning, all these facts are lost; as well they should be, to the sheer joy of discovery of a great big old seahorse alive and well, in the moat between the sandbars, in the shadow of the Sanibel Lighthouse. One of the many things to be thankful for on our Sanctuary Island.

2006-12-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

A litte coconut husk hat fun at lunch. A great way to have a little fun.

2006-12-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

A Roseate Spoonbill glides over Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

A Great Day for Learning, Fish and Fun

2006-11-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those perfect days to be in the field in SW Florida. This Little Blue Heron posed for us on Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Then we saw a large group of White Pelicans. White Pelicans winter here and spend their summers in the Rocky Mountains. It is great to see old friends return to the Refuge. White Pelicans are much different than our beloved residents, the Brown Pelican. It is nice to see them side-by-side. We also got a peak of a nice little American Alligator.

Then we were off to the beach for some beach ecology lessons. We were had a nice day of seining at the beach. Katie Schroll, of Medina, OH is shown here showing off some of the many fish we were able to seine off the beach. The weather here was a little warmer than back in Ohio.

Our Gulf waters are alive with baitfish this time of year and it is great to see these little creatures first-hand. We were also able to catch a large number of sand fleas in our seines.

And, of course, what would a field trip be without a little plain old fun?

Living on an Island in an Estuary

2006-11-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Most of us love living on an island, but let’s not kid ourselves, we really live in an estuary. Yes, on an island, but an island in an estuary. We are not a sentinel island standing alone in the sea. We are part of a magical place where continents, and the fresh water draining them meet the ocean. Estuaries are places of transition from one world to another, a cauldron of admixture, and in many ways a place of birth, reunion and rejuvenation. The most powerful forces on Earth, colliding.

If you’re like me, you feel a release, the moment you hit that bridge – west bound and home – to our little island. I’ve noticed the release comes when I first hit the bridge (the estuary), not always crossing to the island.

Estuaries are among the richest environments on Earth and oddly this richness blooms amidst eternal change. The fresh water brings with it a rich mixture of nutrients and materials from the continents – nutrients for marine plants to grow and flourish, which in turn provide the energy for vast and far-reaching ocean food webs.

Estuaries change – they vary in temperature, salinity, depth, nutrient levels, and the amount of sediment in the water. And, the pace of their change is rapid. They change with the tide, they change with the seasons, they change with the weather, and even the arc of the sun. To record environmental conditions of estuaries, scientists take measurements on a scale of minutes. Longer intervals allow changing conditions to go unnoticed. Electronic instruments that record various environmental parameters every several minutes are allowing us to better understand estuaries.

We are facing tough environmental challenges on our island. And rightly, many of us are at best, bewildered about our future. How we can help and what we can do to make things better – these issues perplex us. Often we are inundated by the onslaught of problems we face – what can we do? A first step is to recognize that our Sanctuary Island is not just an island, but part of an extensive estuary system. A system reaching from Gasparilla Island to our home here on Sanibel, and eastward into the middle regions of Florida. Estuaries are where rivers meet the ocean. The entire land region drained by a river is known as its watershed. So, really we are a part of the watersheds that are drained by the rivers that feed our estuary. Watershed management influences our environmental harmony.

A sanctuary island in an estuary that drains a watershed. Great, so how does this help us face our problems? We need to remember that we are not alone; we are a part of a system with shared problems and we will find shared solutions. It also helps me to realize our environmental problems are not acute, but chronic ones – we’re not running a short dash, but a marathon. We need to pace ourselves and make the appropriate choices to help conserve our island sanctuary in an estuary.

Most importantly, remember that we can solve our problems. If in doubt, just go to the beach and count the number of Brown Pelicans and compare that to what we saw thirty years ago. Once we recognize a problem and become dedicated to solving it, we can.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be discussing our estuaries and small things you can do that make a cumulative difference. Until then, start to look at the big picture of estuaries. Find leaders who share your concerns and support them. Let’s walk through our environmental challenges with a clear eye and the faith that a positive outcome is possible.

It's Not Always a Photo Op Day

2006-10-18T22:58:00.000-04:00

Field biology is often full of great photo moments. On other days, it is a lot of hard, uncomfortable work. Today was one of those 'work' days. We spent the better part of the day installing drift fences on the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Drift fences are a sampling device used to sample terrestrial vertebrates. The one we installed today is a series of sediment fences that have conical traps at the terminal ends. The idea is that small animals encounter the 'wall' and turn to travel parallel to it until they walk or crawl into the trap at the end. The traps are monitored two times a day to see what has been caught; it is identified and then released unharmed. Drift fence sampling is a way to accurately describe and monitor small vertebrate populations in terrestrial environments. We were creating these sampling devices to monitor populations of Indigo Snakes, and endangered species on Sanibel Island. So, today it was a lot of sweat, blisters, thorns and poison ivy...just another day at the office. The best job in the world.

A Crocky Day in Paradise

2006-10-16T17:17:00.000-04:00

Team crocodile endured a long, hot 3-mile hike today on the Indigo Trail of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We were rewarded by a close up look at a 12-foot American Crocodile. The photo above is not her, but an alligator we saw on our way to see her. Read more about it below. Wow, what a great way to start off the week!

We also saw Anhingas, a Bald Eagle, a 5-foot yellow rat snake, and a close-up look at a 9-foot Alligator. The alligator was missing it's right front forelimb. Check out the photo we got of it. In this photo you can see that none of its bottom teeth protrude above the upper teeth - one of the ways to tell crocs from alligators.

It was a giant relief to wade into the estuary, cool off and find oysters, horshoe crabs, and a young starfish after that long hike. Wading, and the "ice in the back of the shirt trick" was the perfect end to a long, hot, animal-packed hike.

Here's to you Stevie, and the crocs we all love. Another Day in Paradise.

Time Flies

2006-09-29T23:31:00.000-04:00

"Another day in paradise" is a popular expression for the consistency of island life. In tropic and subtropical environments, time progresses but seasonal transitions aren't always so obvious. Sure, at some point it is cold here in SW Florida, the days get shorter and the rains taper off, but those crisp chilly mornings that remind so many folks of the waning of summer are not a part of our transition. Here on Sanibel, we are reminded of the passage of time by the composition of our birds. Wading birds aggregate in shallows, and small confusing warblers flock to our mangrove trees. In the photo above, an endangered Wood Stork arrives to the flats of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge as Double-Crested Cormorants take a break on an exposed bar. Not a bad deal, marking the passage of seasons by the 'bird calendar'; of course if you're not watching birds, watching the Gators on Saturday afternoons might just remind you that somewhere the mornings are crisp and the leaves are turning colors.

Ichthyofaunal Sampling

2006-09-25T22:57:00.000-04:00

"Ichthyofaunal Sampling"

That's what biologists call fishing when they sneak off to do it. This time of year - snook and redfish are around and one is compelled to sample the ichthyofauna as often it allows itself to be sampled (which is another subject that bumps into mysticism and Hemingway.)

Bruce and I were noting the other day that for many a biologist and conservationist, there's a straight line of passion that began outdoors with fishing or hunting. These outdoor experiences are often the path to preservation, conservation and serious academics. And many a great conservation organization has its roots in preserving habitat and protecting the health of the environment - Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association, Trout Unlimited, Tarpon Bonefish Unlimited. These groups are dedicated to preserving wild nature for all of us whether we hunt and fish or not.

Touchy subject - hunting and fishing. Lots of different people are engaged in these pursuits in very different ways with a wide range of ethical approaches to what's acceptable. Catch and release, game fishing, spear fishing, bait fishing, fly fishing - all of these words don't just describe different styles of fishing - they describe different denominations in the cult of fishing with real philosophical differences (not to mention all those people who aren't proponents of sportfishing at all!) What I think is becoming clear to everyone is that the ocean is beleaguered and fish need all the conservation efforts on their behalf that anyone can come up with.

So my personal stand is - eat what you catch or release it, use barbless or circle hooks, save breeding stock, know when to stop despite legal limits. And whatever you catch, however you catch it - thank the gods of fishing by doing something to protect the environment. You can give money to many fine organizations. You can volunteer time or your talents. But put a little back as a way of thanking nature for all the good it's given you.

2006-09-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Where the forest meets the sea.

Habitats that lie within the intertidal zone are tough places to make a living. They are constantly changing. An environment that embodies that adage that nothing is consisten, but change. In the intertidal, water levels change, the salinity of the water changes, the presence of high energy waves, variable temperatures and with it, changing amounts of oxygen. All of these variables present special challenges to living things. In the face of such adversity, a group of woody plants has evolutionary risen to these challenges and marked sandy tropical and subtropical intertidal zones as their home turf. We call these spectacular woody trees and shrubs occupying the zone ever shifting between land and sea, mangroves. That habitat they dominate, we call mangals. There are approximately 54 species of mangrove trees throughout the world which belong to 16 different plant families. On Sanibel, there are technically four species of mangrove. We most commonly think of three species, the Red Mangrove, Black Mangrove and White Mangrove. And although not commonly thought of as such, the Buttonwood Tree is also classified as a mangrove.

This photograph is a red mangrove (Rhizophora mangal). This species is characterized by its highly developed system of aerial roots. These roots provide stability for the tree while allowing the roots to not penetrate deeply into the oxygen-depleted muds in which the tree grows. The labyrinth root system provides a structural platform for a myraid of sea life. Coon oysters (Isognomon alatus) commonly grow on aerial roots, and are thickly covering the roots in this picture. Lore has it that these little oysters are so named, because racoons can easily eat them at low tide. In addition to oysters, numerous other species of invertebrate live on and among the roots, including sponges, tunicates, and many crustaceans. Thanks to this structure and many invertebrates, small and/or juvenile fishes are also common in mangal communities... and where there are small fishes, big ones are surely close by, waiting to step up and do their part in the intricate food chain of the inetrtidal.

How lucky that woody trees have been able to slove the problems of living in tropical inertidal zones. They are the foundation of a series of food webs that create the magnificent ecosystems of near-shore marine environments. So, the next time you get a crunchy fried grouper sandwich take a moment to thank a mangrove.

Sea Hares

2006-06-23T23:51:00.000-04:00

Amongst large rafts of red algae, we have recently found many sea hares washing up on Sanibel shores. The algae that has been washing up is considered by most to be an unpleasant addition to our shores, but it does make its own contributions. Among the algal mats tiny shrimp swim and crawl around, and there are a large number of sea slugs washed ashore that seem to be correlated to the presence of this algae. These interesting little gastropod molluscs are called Aplysia brasiliana, commonly known as sea hares. They are a type of sea slug that normally inhabits sea grass beds, are herbivores and graze on benthic algae. They have been extensively studied by neurophysiologists (scientists that study how nerve cells work) beacuse they have very large nerve cells (10-50 times larger than mammal nerve cells) that are orange in color. For more information about sea hares, visit http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=aplybras. And the next time you see a green-brown blob on the beach, that exudes a purple ink when touched, check it out and introduce yourself to a sea hare. If you can return it to the water on an outgoing tide you might keep it from being stranded.

The Last Moments of the Longest Day

2006-06-22T23:31:00.000-04:00

On June 21, we noted the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice is one of the two days during the year when day and night are at their longest and shortest periods, depending upon where you are on Earth. Because of the tilt of the Earth on its axis, in the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and in the Southern Hemishphere, the shortest. Because we are north of the equator on Sanibel (26.45271 N) we enjoy our longest day of the year, and this year we had about 13 hours and 48 minutes of daylight. Now the days get shorter and the nights longer until the Winter Solstice. For more information on the Solstice, see http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/summer.html. Yesterday, we found numerous sea hares - a type of sea slug washed up on the beaches....today there were none. With each new tide, the sea brings us new surprises. More about sea hares tomorrow - the nights are short here this time of the year. Until then, enjoy the long days of summer. And use those daylight hours to sneak in some exploration the natural world that surrounds us.

The Sanibel Light - About the Only Thing that Happens on Sanibel After Dark

2006-06-12T23:38:00.000-04:00

The Sanibel Lighthouse is an historic landmark located on the eastern edge of the island - for you gps buffs, that's 26.45271 x -82.0141. It was first illuminated in August of 1884 and was designed as a navigational aide to mark the mouth of San Carlos Bay. Its light is 98 feet above the ground and was created by a beautiful and very functionally complex, third order fresnel lens. Punta Rassa, on the mainland side of San Carlos Bay - across from Sanibel - near the current causeway is at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and was at the time, a thriving port that among other cargos loaded many cattle to be shipped to Havana. The lighthouse was one of two identical lighhouses, the other was placed at Cape San Blas, on the Florida Panhandle. While en-route to Sanibel, the ship carrying pieces for both lighhouses sank, divers were dispatched and sucessfully recovered the lighhouses. The Sanibel lighthouse sits on the eastern edge of Sanibel, and although it is not open to public tours, visitors may walk around the base of it and enjoy the shelling on nearby beaches and views of North Fort Meyers and on clear days of Naples to the southwest. Also check out the Sanibel fishing pier just west of the lighthouse - 'cause you never know, it might just be your lucky day. For a detailed discussion of fresnel lenses, visit http://www.michiganlights.com/fresnel.htm.

Snowy Plover Chicks

2006-06-06T14:51:00.000-04:00

This is a Snowy Plover chick that hatched on the east end of Sanibel in early May. Snowy Plovers regularly nest on Sanibel and their chicks run about mostly unnoticed by the humans that pass within five feet of them

From NY to Sanibel

2006-06-06T14:35:00.000-04:00

Today we are still in New York saying goodbye to all our good friends at Fieldston and Pennington and Chapel School and Sarah Lawrence Early Childhood Center and the American Museum of Natural History. We're saying to everyone, "come on down and visit us! Come to Sanibel Sea School! Come to our home! You can rent a few bikes and explore our island with us.

The movers come next week to pack up all those shells and egg cases and sea urchin tests and fish bones and turtle bones to move them back to the ocean!! What would an anthropologist make of Dr. Bruce Neill - carting bags of detritis home on a plane for years and years and then paying a moving company good hard-earned money to bring it all back, carefully wrapped in boxes (re-useable boxes)! We humans are splendid.

(Speaking of splendid, our friend Jamie, took this great photo of a scorpionfish. How do you like that camouflage. I bet his prey never know what hit them.)

I'll leave you all with something to ponder. All those handheld device chargers we leave plugged into outlets still use a little energy. In fact, chargers use about 5 watts an hour when nothing is plugged in to them!!! So, when you plug your device into to you, unplug your charger from the wall. Over and out, EV

Our New Blog Site

2006-06-06T07:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Sanibel Sea School. We are develpoing a blog site to better share information about the natural world around southwest Florida. If you want more infromation about Sanibel Sea School, please visit us at sanibelseaschool.org, or just click on the link to your right.