Our Clam is Such a Ham

Come see the amazing clams that we have in our touch tank at the Discovery Center. The clam you see pictured below is a soft-shelled clam. These are the yummy clams that a lot of people refer to as steamers. However, we prefer to leave our clams for the crabs to eat, which they love to do! In the picture you can see a tube like structure. This structure is called the siphon. Clams usually like to be closed in order to protect themselves, but they need to eat somehow. Therefore, they put the siphon out into the water and suck water into their shell. This water is filled with yummy organisms for them to eat like zooplankton. Their inner organs filter out the food and then they shoot out the waste using the other tube like structure. This is called filter feeding and this is how the majority of invertebrates in the ocean feed. Fascinating huh? Well, I am about to blow your mind even more. Did you know that clams can move? Yes, clams have the ability to dig in the sand to prevent themselves from being washed away with the tides. They can also move along the bottom of the ocean floor. They have a large structure that comes out of their shell and flings them this way and that. I think it looks like a tongue, but it is actually called a foot. We have a surf clam in the tank that flings itself about all day. It is so cool to watch. Today, Ceci, one of the interns, finally got to see it and she was so excited. So if you are interested in flinging, filter feeding clams come on down and visit us at the Blue Ocean Discovery Center.

As always, your marine friends at the Blue Ocean Society.

The Rainbow Fish

This week at the Portsmouth touch tank we will be reading The Rainbow Fish written by Marcus Pfister. The story is about the most beautiful fish in the sea who doesn't want to share his shining scales. In the end the fish learns that it is better to share and have friends than to have the most beautiful scales. 

We will be holding story time at 10 AM at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company Dock, 315 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH. Following story time you can make your very own rainbow fish to take home. We will also have a public viewing when we feed our critters at 11:30 AM. 

For more information email Abby at abby@blueoceansociety.org or call the office at (603) 431-0260. 

*Note, the Portsmouth touch tank is open Tuesday through Friday 9 AM to 12 PM and is located at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company Dock. 

Amazing Echinoderms!

We have some new additions to our touch tank in Portsmouth at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company dock, 315 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH. Two new sea stars have made the tank their temporary home.

Sea stars, formerly known as starfish, are echinoderms which means "spiny skin." Their skin is rough and often feels like sandpaper. Beyond being beautiful animals that come in many colors and shapes, sea stars have amazing abilities. For example, have you ever touched a sea star that felt stiff or rigid? Or have you have felt a sea star that was limp? It's not the case that some sea stars are rigid and some are stiff, but instead sea stars are able to make their bodies rigid or limp! Don't believe me? Follow the link below to watch a short video from Creaturecast.org which explains this amazing ability is a few more details with the help of Harry Houdini.

Creature Cast: Echinoderm Skin

This is how echinoderms are able to drop one of their limbs if they are being threatened or trapped by a predator. As it shows in the video link above, sea stars are then able to regenerate or regrow new limbs! Even more amazing, those limbs that they lost will regenerate or grow new bodies!

Come down to the Portsmouth touch tank at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company dock or visit us at the Blue Ocean Discovery Center in Hampton, NH to learn more about these amazing creatures!

Blue Ocean Discovery Center Opening in Hampton Beach!

Blue Ocean Discovery Center entrance

We're excited to announce that after more than 3 years of planning, we're opening a touch tank in Hampton Beach!  Our Blue Ocean Discovery Center is located in the North Pavilion in the Sea Shell Complex, 170 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton Beach (the former location of the Made in New Hampshire Gift Shop).

Starting tomorrow (Saturday, June 29) we'll be open from 10 AM-7 PM daily for the rest of the summer! Check out our touch tank, mark your hometown on our world map, and bring your kids for fun crafts and other activities!

Join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 AM for story time with a take home craft and participate in our Tideline Nature Walk and Cleanup, which will be held every day at 5 PM (meet at the Center)!

Thank you to all who helped us prepare the space, including Cathy, Ann, Becca, Abby and Nathan (from Visions Kitchens)! We hope to see you soon!

Summer 2013

It's that time again. The long harsh winter is finally over, and the warm days of summer are just around the corner (if they haven't arrived already). Here at Blue Ocean Society we are getting ready for the summer season of whale watches, beach cleanups, and tide pool animals at our touch tank in Portsmouth, NH.  Come learn about and gently touch live marine animals from the Gulf of Maine!

The tank is up and running for the season, and we are having a special opening on June 1, 2013 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. before the official season starts. The special opening is part of the Portsmouth Opening Weekend, Live Free & Play events June 1 and June 2. 

At the special opening the tank will be open and free to the public. At 1:00 p.m. there will be story time followed by a take home craft. Come down to visit and check out which critters we have in the tank for the 2013 season. We currently have rock crabs, jonah crabs, periwinkles, hermit crabs and more! The tank is located at the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company dock at 315 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH. If you have any questions feel free to email info@blueoceansociety.org or call the office at (603) 431-0260.

If you can't make it this weekend, come back sometime this summer. Things are always changing at the touch tank, and you never know what you'll get to see next!

Sea Star Stomach!

Come check out what's happening down at the touch tank at the Thomas Laighton dock (315 Market Street in Portsmouth). Today we read a story about Theodore the Tugboat and made crabs to take home. We also got a special treat by seeing a sea stars stomach! It looks like grey jelly in the photo below. Hope to see you all soon!

Marshmellow Urchins!

Come down to the touch tank at 315 Market Street in Portsmouth, NH to make your very own marshmallow sea urchin! We are back open and in full swing ready for the rest of the summer. Tomorrow is the public feeding day where you can see our crabs get fed. Some of them are quite feisty and fun to watch.

You can also be a sea star for the day and get your picture taken down at the touch tank! Hope to see you there!