Ocean Watch http://susanscott.net/oceanwatch.htm Marine biologist Susan Scott writes the newspaper column, "Ocean Watch", for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, www.starbulletin.com Feeder 1.5.10(880) http://reinventedsoftware.com/feeder/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:06:28 -0700 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:06:28 -0700 Distinguishing crustaceans difficult when they are young http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jul-26-10.html Those unidentified pink crustaceans I found on a beach last month are gifts from the sea that just keep on giving ... e-mail. A reader wrote last week...]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:55:38 -0700 distinguishing-crustaceans-difficult-when-they-are Stench in whale breath might not come from diet http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jul-19-10.html On May 17 I wrote about two fin whales approaching my sailboat, noting that I could smell their nose-wrinkling breath after a blow. I wrote, "The odor isn't what you'd call refreshing. It's...]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:05:15 -0700 stench-in-whale-breath-might-not-come-from-diet Mysterious pink things still remain unidentified http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jul-12-10.html Two weeks ago I asked readers to help me identify the little pink marine animals that washed up by the thousands on several Oahu beaches. Fifteen people responded, their e-mails...]]> Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:13:13 -0700 mysterious-pink-things-still-remain-unidentified Slide off whale's snout seems to be way for dolphins to play http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jul-05-10.html While searching for information about bad breath in whales, I e-mailed University of Hawaii whale expert Joe Mobley to see what he knew about the subject. Joe didn't know of any link between whales' well-known halitosis and illness (a theory), but he did know something about how whales and dolphins...]]> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:01:05 -0700 slide-off-whales-snout-seems-to-be-way-for-dolphi Pink things beached by trades go unidentified despite research http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jun-24-10.html Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:52:57 -0700 pink-things-beached-by-trades-go-unidentified-desp Spectacle of oil-soaked pelicans can motivate changed behavior http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jun-21-10.html Pictures of oil-soaked pelicans are everywhere these days, and if seeing those suffering, bedraggled birds coming ashore from the Gulf of Mexico isn't heartbreaking enough, we now hear that...]]> Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:14:40 -0700 spectacle-of-oilsoaked-pelicans-can-motivate-chan Palmyra's scads of rats rival its crabs and birds http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jun-14-10.html I see Buck Walker died. Walker was convicted of murdering Muff Graham, a San Diego woman, in 1974 ...]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:16:25 -0700 palmyras-scads-of-rats-rival-its-crabs-and-birds Love sparked by booby birds 22 years ago still going strong http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jun-07-10.html Years ago, two immature red-footed boobies landed on the aft rail of my sailboat, Honu, which at the time was more than 1,000 miles offshore and rolling in heavy seas. The young seabirds stood there...]]> Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:16:55 -0700 love-sparked-by-booby-birds-22-years-ago-still-goi Tardy look at gift offers a deeper appreciation http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/may-31-10.html While walking on a Baja beach in March, my friend Martha found a white, brittle shell slightly larger than the palm of her hand.

We marveled at the shell's beauty and declared it a ...

]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 09:43:16 -0700 tardy-look-at-gift-offers-a-deeper-appreciation Abundant comb jelliesput on a colorful display http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/may-24-10.html Mon, 24 May 2010 09:12:39 -0700 abundant-comb-jelliesput-on-a-colorful-display Picutres added to: Under sail, a slow boat gets a visit from whales http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/may-17-10.html Last week as I explored the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) on my sailboat Honu, I was in love with her diesel engine. This week, I love her sails. They're the reason, I believe]]> Thu, 20 May 2010 16:52:57 -0700 under-sail-a-slow-boat-gets-a-visit-from-whales-1 Under sail, a slow boat gets a visit from whales http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/may-17-10.html Last week as I explored the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) on my sailboat Honu, I was in love with her diesel engine. This week, I love her sails. They're the reason, I believe]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 09:55:34 -0700 under-sail-a-slow-boat-gets-a-visit-from-whales Two New Columns posted http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010 Mon, 10 May 2010 09:36:10 -0700 two-new-columns-posted Coots get room, boards at waste-water facility http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/apr-26-10.html While fetching my mail recently, I found the Hawaii Audubon Society's April newsletter, 'Elepaio, and almost didn't make it back to the house. The headline of the lead story contained the words "bodyboards" and "coot," and that stopped me. What possible...]]> Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:14:05 -0700 coots-get-room-boards-at-wastewater-facility Information on Hawaii's ghost crabs is obscure http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/apr-19-10.html Usually I encourage students to...]]> Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:43:29 -0700 information-on-hawaiis-ghost-crabs-is-obscure Clean beaches can lead to marine treasures http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/apr-12-10.html These gusty spring tradewinds sure can make a mess. Leaves litter my lanai, my screens are clogged with grass clippings and pictures are crashing from my walls, their wires rusted clear through.

I'm not complaining, though. When the trades are on, our beaches bloom.

In the recent past...

]]> Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:13:56 -0400 clean-beaches-can-lead-to-marine-treasures Offspring of moray eels travel far across Pacific http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/apr-05-10.html What did the Hawaiian moray eel say to the African moray eel?

Hawaii residents might venture a guess after...

]]> Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:23:29 -0700 offspring-of-moray-eels-travel-far-across-pacific Tusk snails are tiny but attract big interest http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/mar-29-10.html My latest passion is looking up the seashells I find on the beach, then reading about the snails that created and lived in these curly, pearly homes. This pastime, I've discovered, is just as much fun going the other way.

While paging through my identification books...

]]> Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:08:36 -0700 tusk-snails-are-tiny-but-attract-big-interest Swarm of man-of-wars muted memory of skaters http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/mar-22-10.html My column on March 8 about the marine insects called sea skaters (also sea striders) brought me two e-mails worth sharing. The first came...]]> Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:43:06 -0700 swarm-of-manofwars-muted-memory-of-skaters Value of giant pearls lies in clams that make them http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/mar-15-10.html Most of my international e-mail is about sperm whales and giant clams. In those letters, readers rarely ask about the animals. Instead people pose financial and legal questions, about which I know almost nothing.

Besides being big, beautiful and...

]]> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:37:35 -0700 value-of-giant-pearls-lies-in-clams-that-make-them Oceangoing bug lives unnoticed by humans http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/mar-08-10.html While reading about Midway's Bonin petrels, I learned that these seabirds eat fish, squid, marine insects and crustaceans. The marine insect part puzzled me. In all my time at sea, I've seen ...]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:14:35 -0800 oceangoing-bug-lives-unnoticed-by-humans Twitter & Facebook http://twitter.com/Ocean_Watch Follow Ocean Watch on Twitter.

Become a fan of Ocean Watch on Facebook.

]]> Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:19:41 -0700 twitter Cowfish often graze along Hawaii's reefs http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/mar-01-10.html

In a project I'm working on, I briefly mention cowfish. Too briefly. An editor wrote in an e-mail, "Can you give us a closer look?"


Gladly. Cowfish and I have a long history.


Years ago I wrote...

]]> Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:25:51 -0800 cowfish-often-graze-along-hawaiis-reefs A whale and a sunbeam refresh body and spirit http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/feb-22-10.html In the last four months, I've sailed in the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), met friends in New York City, dropped in on my aunt in Milwaukee, visited other friends in Austin, counted albatrosses at Midway and worked as a volunteer in Bangladesh.

Now, I love to travel more than most people, but...

]]> Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:15:34 -0800 a-whale-and-a-sunbeam-refresh-body-and-spirit Some eels alter colors; other morays, their sex http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/feb-15-10.html Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:22:31 -0800 some-eels-alter-colors-other-morays-their-sex-1 Bangladesh reveals river delta's wildlife http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/feb-08-10.html Each year, Craig and I travel with a team to Bangladesh to work at an Aloha Medical Mission clinic. The travel time is long and the work challenging, and on the way home we usually stop for a few days of rest in an area of Asia we'd like to see.

Often these side trips involve wildlife, though not

]]> Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:44:57 -0800 bangladesh-reveals-river-deltas-wildlife Vacation Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:40:53 -0800 vacation The majestic albatross is fearless and curious http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jan-11-10.html Here at Midway, it took a team of 15 volunteers three weeks to count a half million albatross nests. Day after day, rain and shine, we marched across fields packed with albatrosses, pushed through woods teeming with albatrosses and trudged along beaches loaded with albatrosses.

Finally, the counting was done...

]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:52:36 -0800 the-majestic-albatross-is-fearless-and-curious Bonin bonanza reignites love for Midway wildlife http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2010/jan-04-10.html Last week in Honolulu when I boarded the airplane to Midway, the pilot announced that strong head winds were going to make the usual five-hour trip a 6 1/2 -hour trip and that it would likely be bumpy. I sighed. I'd only been home from Mexico for three weeks, would spend the next seven days counting albatrosses, and six days after that I'd be traveling with a medical team to Bangladesh.

What was I thinking, I wondered as the hours on the plane crawled by, when I volunteered to work during the holidays on Midway?

Later, as I disembarked...

]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:11:40 -0800 bonin-bonanza-reignites-love-for-midway-wildlife No matter how messy, the seabirds are worth it http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/dec-28-09.html Sometimes when I'm gushing about experiences I've had with Hawaii's seabirds, I know my listeners don't get it.

"I'll bet it really stinks," someone will say, wrinkling her nose. Or, with a shudder, "It sounds like that horror movie, 'The Birds.'" Another common comment: "You must get bitten a lot."

Well, yes. All that is...

]]> Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:52:57 -0800 no-matter-how-messy-the-seabirds-are-worth-it Despite seas abroad, Hawaii's still enchant http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/dec-21-09.html Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:56:09 -0800 despite-seas-abroad-hawaiis-still-enchant Wild dolphins can kill like any other animal http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/dec-14-09.html Last month while I was sailing in Mexico, often accompanied by dolphins, a Manoa reader e-mailed me a question regarding a Star-Bulletin news report about dolphins fatally attacking a porpoise.

"I always heard the terms dolphin and porpoise...

]]> Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:41:59 -0800 wild-dolphins-can-kill-like-any-other-animal Swimming with sea lions highlight of sailing trip http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/dec-07-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, Mexico » This is my last week of a two-month voyage through the Sea of Cortez's Midriff Islands. I enjoyed every day. Sailing with friends was fun, my sailboat systems worked and sperm whales, manta rays, fish and coyotes appeared in all their glory.

When I think back on this autumn cruise, though, one event stands out...

]]> Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:08:35 -0800 swimming-with-sea-lions-highlight-of-sailing-trip Pictures added to 11/30/09 column http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-30-09.html While sailing the Sea of Cortez, waiting for sperm whales to appear, I read "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex." This book by Nathaniel Philbrick gives a contemporary version of what happened when a male sperm whale, judged by the whalers to be 85 feet long, rammed....]]> Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:49:44 -0800 whale-of-a-time-follows-after-reading-tragic-story-1 Whale of a time follows after reading tragic story http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-30-09.html While sailing the Sea of Cortez, waiting for sperm whales to appear, I read "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex." This book by Nathaniel Philbrick gives a contemporary version of what happened when a male sperm whale, judged by the whalers to be 85 feet long, rammed....]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:37:14 -0800 whale-of-a-time-follows-after-reading-tragic-story A love of fish catches new friends, families http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-23-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, Mexico » Since I'm sailing in the Sea of Cortez, I'll miss sharing Thanksgiving with family and friends.

I don't care much about swapping tortillas for turkey, but I sure will miss...

]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:25:00 -0800 a-love-of-fish-catches-new-friends-families Fish traveling in schools are a wonder of nature http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-16-09.html DOG BAY, Isla Tiburon, Sea of Cortez » One of my goals in sailing the Sea of Cortez is to see marine life I've not seen before. Blue and sperm whales, two species that frequent this northern stretch, are high on my wish list, but so far those giant marine mammals have been elsewhere.

That's OK, though. My encounters with...

]]> Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:39:10 -0800 fish-traveling-in-schools-are-a-wonder-of-nature For sea lover, eating its dwellers a dilemma http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-09-09.html SAN CARLOS, Sonora, Mexico » Here in the marina where my sailboat, Honu, and I await friends' arrival, I invited a neighbor to join me snorkeling. "Thanks," he said. "I need to find some clams for bait. I hope you don't mind."

...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:43:05 -0800 for-sea-lover-eating-its-dwellers-a-dilemma Finding marine shells is like collecting gold http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/nov-01-09.html I'm back in Mexico where I'm getting my sailboat Honu ready for another Sea of Cortez adventure. All I really want to do, though, is collect trap doors...]]> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:56:15 -0800 finding-marine-shells-is-like-collecting-gold Discovering new wildlife like beaverlike nutrias http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/oct-26-09.html LUFKIN, Texas » Last week during a visit to my friends' cabin outside of Lufkin, Texas, the abundance of aquatic wildlife there surprised me. Since a great blue heron and two bald eagles perched a little too far away to see clearly, I decided to...]]> Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:15:41 -0700 discovering-new-wildlife-like-beaverlike-nutrias Learning about Titanic goes on through book http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/oct-19-09.html I thought I knew a lot about the Titanic, but in New York City last week I went to an exhibit about the ship, and there found a book called "882 1/2 Amazing Answers to Your Questions About the Titanic" ($10, Scholastic Inc.). Of those answers I knew two. One, the ship was ...]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:02:10 -0700 learning-about-titanic-goes-on-through-book The bigger the opihi, then more pupus for us http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/oct-12-09.html Do not pick an opihi as big as a quarter.

I wrote last week it's legal to take opihi that size, but that's too small. Several readers...

]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:59:05 -0700 the-bigger-the-opihi-then-more-pupus-for-us Book details sea crimes with tongue in cheek http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/oct-05-09.html Every time I pick up the new book "The Sea Sleuth: Edventures [sic] of a Marine Detective," by state Department of Land and Natural Resources biologist Dave Gulko, I crack up.

I also learn something each time, too. Today I learned how to decide, while out there on the wave-washed rocks...

]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:09:52 -0700 book-details-sea-crimes-with-tongue-in-cheek Turtle splits from crowd to nest on Oahu beach http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/sep-28-09.html Years ago, while sailing off Coast Rica, I saw something so amazing, I sometimes wonder if, having seen pictures of the event, I just dreamed I saw it. But Craig was there and confirms the facts: Floating in the water, looking like so many army helmets, were thousands of olive-green turtles, ranging as far as we could see. Unknowingly, we'd sailed into an arribada.

Arribada is...

]]> Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:34:40 -0700 turtle-splits-from-crowd-to-nest-on-oahu-beach Orchid of the ocean dances to Lanikai shore http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/sep-21-09.html Last week while walking Lanikai Beach, I saw a bright orange-and-yellow candy wrapper tumbling in the shore break. Wading in a foot or two, I picked it up.

Oh, if only all marine trash could be this good. I'd found a...

]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:32:24 -0700 orchid-of-the-ocean-dances-to-lanikai-shore Mom wanted kids to sit on monk seal for photo http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/sep-14-09.html About 10 years ago, when I lived on the North Shore, a neighbor came to my door to report a monk seal lying on a busy nearby beach.

Down to the site I went, and there found the mother of two young children instructing them to -- I shudder as I write this -- sit on the seal...

]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:01:01 -0700 mom-wanted-kids-to-sit-on-monk-seal-for-photo Appetite for baby chicks hurts herons' reputation http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/sep-07-09.html Last week as I looked through my literature on Hawaii's shorebirds, a headline in the Hawaii Audubon Society's journal, Elepaio, stopped me. It said, "The Black-Crowned Night Heron: The Bad and the Good."

The bad? ...

]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:28:27 -0700 appetite-for-baby-chicks-hurts-herons-reputation Returning kolea mark coming of isles' winter http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/aug-31-09.html The message that winter is coming is loud and clear in my neighborhood this week, and it sounds like chu-EET! Our kolea are back.

The earliest golden plover sighting reported...

]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:31:57 -0700 returning-kolea-mark-coming-of-isles-winter At 8,000 species, worms in the ocean vary widely http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/aug-24-09.html My e-mails this summer have worms.

On a barnacle-covered rod in the Gulf of Mexico, a reader saw several dark blue creatures that looked like giant marine...

]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:27:20 -0700 at-8000-species-worms-in-the-ocean-vary-widely Goose barnacles once served as Lenten meal http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/aug-17-09.html A friend e-mailed me a British news story about an alien-like creature with writhing tentacles that washed up on a beach in Wales.

The seething mass turned out to be....

]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:08:32 -0700 goose-barnacles-once-served-as-lenten-meal Small, abundant pipipi take to varied habitats http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/aug-10-09.html A reader, Lily, sent an e-mail with a picture and a question about some pipipi, snails also called nerites, she saw at Kawaikui Beach near Aina Haina.

"I always thought they stayed on rocks...

]]> Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:34:15 -0700 small-abundant-pipipi-take-to-varied-habitats Unattractive and weird, acorn worms do good http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/aug-03-09.html "It's growing!" one of the girls said. She was watching a wormlike creature she, her sister and mother found while digging in the sand at Kuliouou Beach Park on Maunalua Bay.

As if that wasn't weird enough...

]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:03:19 -0700 unattractive-and-weird-acorn-worms-do-good Shark phobias make irrational common sense http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jul-27-09.html Last week, my husband and I discussed the controversy in Hawaii over shark feeding, and when the subject turned to shark phobia, we disagreed.

Craig thinks people who...

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:46:08 -0700 shark-phobias-make-irrational-common-sense Cement helps, but coral will need time to repair http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jul-20-09.html What does it take to put thousands of coral heads back together again?

A couple of things the king's horses and king's men did not have: scuba gear and cement.

When Navy divers recently...

]]> Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:55:58 -0700 cement-helps-but-coral-will-need-time-to-repair Questions and answers help spread knowledge http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jul-13-09.html A reader, Cynthia, e-mailed me this question: "Today my husband was cleaning the bottom of our boat, docked in front of our townhouse in Kuapa Isle, Hawaii Kai. When he came out of the water, he was covered with little worms. I saw hundreds of the critters, about the size of a grain of rice ...]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:28:14 -0700 questions-and-answers-help-spread-knowledge Dolphins' happy display lightens testing moment http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jul-06-09.html Often the things I don't want to do turn out to be some of my most memorable experiences.

That happened last week when Craig and I renewed our mooring...

]]> Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:06:53 -0700 dolphins-happy-display-lightens-testing-moment Relying only on a GPS can make sailing risky http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jun-29-09.html Last week Richard Brill in his science column explained the world's modern navigation technique, GPS, Global Positioning System. This is rocket science at its best, and I enjoyed learning more about how it works.

Still, the system feels like magic. Push a button and...

]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:38:09 -0700 relying-only-on-a-gps-can-make-sailing-risky Sailing Pacific is fun, but Oahu's always home http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jun-22-09.html Last month, I wrote about sailing single-handed across the Sea of Cortez, and the great e-mail responses to that column have me glowing still.

To those readers, thank you for letting me know my adventures inspire you. The feeling is mutual, believe me. Your letters keep me going.

As much as I enjoy sailing the Pacific...

]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:39:06 -0700 sailing-pacific-is-fun-but-oahus-always-home Speedy, suicidal squid proves no match for gull http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jun-15-09.html "What one thing did you like best?" Craig asked me at the end of our Sea of Cortez adventure. He always asks me that after a trip and I enjoy recalling, considering, then making my choice.

This time it was hard to come up with one event, because nearly every day something happened to amaze me. After some thinking, though, I decided: My favorite was...

]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:15:15 -0700 speedy-suicidal-squid-proves-no-match-for-gull Pictures added http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/OceanWatch-09.htm Pictures have been added to the following:

Visiting Sea of Cortez is out-of-this-world trip

Flexibility and cool make cruise to Baja a breeze

More blob than bunny, sea hares still fascinate

]]> Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:03:30 -0700 pictures-added More blob than bunny, sea hares still fascinate http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jun-08-09.html Last week, while snorkeling in a cove in the Sea of Cortez, I noticed a dark brown blob of seaweed, its frilly blades swaying in the swell. It was darker than the surrounding plants -- and then this seaweed got up and walked.

I called to Craig and we floated above it enthralled. Two rolled tentacles probed...

]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:45:11 -0700 more-blob-than-bunny-sea-hares-still-fascinate Sea of Cortez shows off an abundance of life http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jun-01-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, Mexico » While snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez last week, instead of swimming hard to stay warm and cover ground, I stayed close to Craig, kept my ears above the water and scrutinized every blob, lump and mass beneath me.

I moved with such caution because...

]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:46:08 -0700 sea-of-cortez-shows-off-an-abundance-of-life Flexibility and cool make cruise to Baja a breeze http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/may-25-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, MEXICO » When I left Hawaii three weeks ago, the plan was to pick up the boat in San Carlos on the Mexican mainland, sail across the Sea of Cortez to Baja and there go south to meet Craig, who would be...]]> Mon, 25 May 2009 08:36:58 -0700 flexibility-and-cool-make-cruise-to-baja-a-breeze Visiting Sea of Cortez is out-of-this-world trip http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/may-18-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, MEXICO » Snorkeling and beachcombing in the Sea of Cortez is like taking a trip to another planet. Last week, in one hour in the corner of one little cove, I saw a bull's-eye stingray, some...]]> Mon, 18 May 2009 09:19:08 -0700 visiting-sea-of-cortez-is-outofthisworld-trip Pirates? Pshaw! Boat's shape is the big worry http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/may-11-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, Mexico » I'm sailing alone in the Sea of Cortez. Usually when I'm without crew, my main fear is having a mechanical failure I won't know how to fix. But with pirates in the news lately, my worries grew darker. Have there been incidents here? I wondered. I Googled Sea of Cortez pirates and then...]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 07:12:26 -0700 pirates-pshaw-boats-shape-is-the-big-worry Besides subjects in sea, mail has writing topics http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/may-04-09.html People often ask me how I think up things to write about week after week, year after year. It's easy.

Besides the ocean having a nearly infinite number of subjects, I've got mail.

"I found a baby plover," e-mailed an Oahu reader ...

]]> Mon, 04 May 2009 09:46:21 -0700 besides-subjects-in-sea-mail-has-writing-topics Volunteers help to save Hawaiian fishing village http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/apr-27-09.html Last week on Earth Day, I paddled an outrigger canoe to the mainland and didn't even break a sweat.

The island I paddled from was Mokauea, a 3-acre islet in Keehi Lagoon, and the mainland...

]]> Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:47:57 -0700 volunteers-help-to-save-hawaiian-fishing-village Kaneohe turtles devour alien seaweed species http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/apr-20-09.html Usually the only time seaweed gets my undivided attention is when I'm swimming and a piece touches my skin. I jump like I've been attacked, and when I see what it was -- oh, just seaweed -- I move on.

Then last week I read a new study...

]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:51:51 -0700 kaneohe-turtles-devour-alien-seaweed-species Titanic Humboldt squid expand numbers, range http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/apr-13-09.html Last week an "Ocean Watch" reader recognized me at the bank.


We chatted for a minute, and then he said...

]]> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:23:43 -0700 titanic-humboldt-squid-expand-numbers-range Ocean Watch Moves to Mondays Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:06:04 -0700 ocean-watch-moves-to-mondays Goatfish tastiest treat for fairy terns http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/apr-03-09.html A Florida teacher e-mailed me recently offering to share a fairy tern picture he took while visiting Midway in 1983.

He was in the Navy at the time, stationed at Barbers Point. I never received the picture, but...

]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:11:35 -0700 goatfish-tastiest-treat-for-fairy-terns Cookiecutter getting around to biting people (Pix added 3/31) http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/mar-27-09.html When a suspected cookiecutter shark bit Maui long-distance swimmer Mike Spalding on the leg last week, it was the first evidence of..


Pictures added 3/31/09

]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:52:31 -0700 cookiecutter-getting-around-to-biting-people Hokule'a takes all on voyage of discovery http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/mar-20-09.html I have a confession to make: I never paid much attention to the Hokule'a.

Members of the Polynesian Voyaging Society launched this model of an ancient sailing canoe in 1975, and by the time I moved to Hawaii in 1983, Hokule'a had already...

]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:09:43 -0700 hokulea-takes-all-on-voyage-of-discovery Albatross pair works together to hatch an egg http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/mar-13-09.html It's a girl!


That was my first thought when I saw the Nature Conservancy's spring newsletter featuring...

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:01:46 -0700 albatross-pair-works-together-to-hatch-an-egg North Pacific humpbacks bounce back http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/mar-06-09.html While sailing off Mexico's Baja Peninsula recently, I saw a humpback whale breach and wondered whether that whale had ever been to Hawaii. But when I got home and looked up humpback migration patterns, I found myself tangled in a driftnet of statistics.

This isn't the fault...

]]> Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:42:28 -0800 north-pacific-humpbacks-bounce-back Footprints in the sand bring surprises(Picture Added) http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/feb-28-09.html I love walking on beaches because each day and each beach is so different.

Last week as I was picking up pieces of plastic ...

]]> Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:16:38 -0800 footprints-in-the-sand-bring-surprises-1 Footprints in the sand bring surprises http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/feb-28-09.html I love walking on beaches because each day and each beach is so different.

Last week as I was picking up pieces of plastic ...

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:16:04 -0800 footprints-in-the-sand-bring-surprises Shark heads might end up as art for office http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/feb-20-09.html

Those treasures are the hammerhead...

]]> Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:39 -0800 title Articles updated with Pictures http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/OceanWatch-09.htm January

February

]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:23:24 -0800 articles-updated-with-pictures Pelicans, gulls delight during Cortez sailing http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/feb-13-09.html SAN CARLOS, Sonora, Mexico » During my monthlong sailing trip in the Sea of Cortez, one of my favorite pastimes was watching seabirds fish.

This didn't require any...

]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:01:10 -0800 pelicans-gulls-delight-during-cortez-sailing Spouting off about recovery of gray whales http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/feb-06-09.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:49:42 -0800 spouting-off-about-recovery-of-gray-whales Young sea lions a cause for joy in chilly water http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jan-30-09.html COYOTE BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, Mexico » Craig and I were wet, cold and crusty with salt last week as we bashed our way upwind into the Sea of Cortez.

This week we're dry, warm and...

]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:41:25 -0800 young-sea-lions-a-cause-for-joy-in-chilly-water Rays of hope leap to surface after tough sail http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jan-23-09.html ENSENADA DE LOS MUERTES, Baja California Sur, Mexico » When sailing up the coast into the Sea of Cortez from Cabo San Lucas, Cabo los Frailes (Cape of the Friars) is the first good anchorage.

This haven is only 45 miles away, but on a sailboat,,,

]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:34:00 -0800 rays-of-hope-leap-to-surface-after-tough-sail Sea of Cortez and Steinbeck inspire writer http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jan-16-09.html SEA OF CORTEZ, Mexico » When I was preparing for my voyage into this sea, I bought John Steinbeck's "The Log from the Sea of Cortez."

Then a friend gave me another as a gift. While packing, I discovered...

]]> Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:14:58 -0800 sea-of-cortez-and-steinbeck-inspire-writer Osprey's mess and dolphins make Baja trip http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jan-09-09.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:08:03 -0800 ospreys-mess-and-dolphins-make-baja-trip Reader queries help energize marine writer http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2009/jan-02-09.html Recently I was feeling overwhelmed with holidays, work and travel.

Then, just as I was slumping at my keyboard thinking, I can't write anything, in flew two great e-mails. These readers' stories recharged my batteries so fully I suddenly couldn't type fast enough...

]]> Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:16:17 -0800 reader-queries-help-energize-marine-writer Lesson on why Hawaii's sandy beaches change http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/dec-26-08.html When I moved to Hawaii in 1983, I took an oceanography class at UH-Manoa from the chairman of the Oceanography Department, E.D. Stroup.

His fine lectures answered my questions about the ocean so precisely, I even remember...

]]> Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:20:45 -0800 lesson-on-why-hawaiis-sandy-beaches-change Isle marine life book by Hoover is 'The Ultimate' http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/dec-19-08.html John's books cover only Hawaii animals, his science is spot-on and...]]> Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:39:29 -0800 isle-marine-life-book-by-hoover-is-the-ultimate  Biologist asks help tracking banded kolea http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/dec-12-08.html For years, Montana biologist Wally Johnson has been studying Hawaii's kolea (Pacific golden plovers).


This past summer, Johnson and colleagues banded 30 kolea nesting ...

]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:06:21 -0800 biologist-asks-help-tracking-banded-kolea Halong Bay in Vietnam a tourist treat *ADDED PICTURES http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/dec-05-08.html HALONG BAY, Vietnam » After our annual volunteer work in Bangladesh, Craig and I usually take some time for ourselves on the way home.

This year we decided to stop in Vietnam, a country that ...

]]> Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:34:29 -0800 halong-bay-in-vietnam-a-tourist-treat-1 Halong Bay in Vietnam a tourist treat http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/dec-05-08.html HALONG BAY, Vietnam » After our annual volunteer work in Bangladesh, Craig and I usually take some time for ourselves on the way home.

This year we decided to stop in Vietnam, a country that ...

]]> Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:41:05 -0800 halong-bay-in-vietnam-a-tourist-treat On Vacation Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:52:17 -0800 on-vacation Otherworldly beach find stains shoes http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/nov-14-08.html Last week Craig returned from a run on Lanikai Beach and told me a cuttlefish had washed ashore. Or maybe it was a squid. He didn't know for sure.

That was the end of answering my e-mail. Down to the beach I...

]]> Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:47:11 -0800 otherworldly-beach-find-stains-shoes The Asian carp is now a danger in U.S. waters http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/nov-07-08.html

What's so bad about carp? I wondered. Those fish have been there for ages.

But the common carp we saw in creeks...

]]> Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:27:14 -0800 the-asian-carp-is-now-a-danger-in-us-waters Recent deaths of killer whales arouse suspicion http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/oct-31-08.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:48:44 -0700 recent-deaths-of-killer-whales-arouse-suspicion Caiman caper spurs research into reptiles http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/oct-24-08.html Sometimes, one-paragraph newspaper clips leave me scratching my head.

Here's one of those little stories (paraphrased) that someone left on my desk: Police in Rio de Janeiro recently confiscated two caimans from the suspected leader of...

]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:03:14 -1000 caiman-caper-spurs-research-into-reptiles Save bluefins by ordering something else http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/oct-17-08.html Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:50:01 -1000 save-bluefins-by-ordering-something-else Readers know some sharks do lay eggs http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/oct-10-08.html After my recent column about shark reproduction, several readers found a mistake in it.

I wrote that after a shark couple copulates, the female keeps her eggs inside her body until they...

]]> Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:34:14 -1000 readers-know-some-sharks-do-lay-eggs North Shore turtle group needs helpers http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/oct-03-08.html Sick of economy-speak and election blather? Me, too. So here's some different kind of news, all good and all turtles.

The UH Press has a new a book out, "The Book of Honu, Enjoying and Learning About Hawaii's Sea Turtles," by Peter Bennett and Ursula Keuper-Bennett (139 pages, $18.95).

The Canadian authors, both sport divers...

Pictures Updated 10/4/2008

]]> Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:24:52 -1000 north-shore-turtle-group-needs-helpers Tale of octopi climbing trees has long legs http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/sep-26-08.html A recent column I wrote discussed octopuses running around on beaches and climbing trees.

About that, NOAA fisheries biologist Don Kobayashi e-mailed me suggesting I check out "Words of the Lagoon," a book by late marine biologist R.E. Johannes.

]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:05:21 -1000 tale-of-octopi-climbing-trees-has-long-legs Clearing up the confusion about sharks http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/sep-19-08.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:17:32 -1000 clearing-up-the-confusion-about-sharks Sea snakes do not give birth by mouth http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/sep-12-08.html A reader in South Africa e-mailed me that she saw a television show, "Survivor Fiji," in which a banded sea snake gave birth through what appeared to be its mouth.

"Is that possible?" Barbara asks. "How do sea snakes...
Banded Sea Snake

]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:41:23 -1000 sea-snakes-do-not-give-birth-by-mouth Sailing voyage gets off to a flying start http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/sep-05-08.html ENSENADA, Mexico » Last month I flew to Australia to prepare my sailboat, Honu, for the long voyage to Mexico.


But neither she nor I went sailing. The boat made the approximately 7,000-mile upwind...

]]> Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:09:24 -1000 sailing-voyage-gets-off-to-a-flying-start Tree octopus thrives only on the Internet http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/aug-29-08.html Several good octopus stories came my way recently from several friends.


Mark Heckman, the Waikiki Aquarium's director of education, e-mailed me about a Web site, zapatopi.net/treeoctopus, he thought I might enjoy. The site is about tree octopuses...

]]> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:59:25 -1000 tree-octopus-thrives-only-on-the-internet Laysan ducks die by dozens on Midway http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/aug-22-08.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:49:45 -1000 laysan-ducks-die-by-dozens-on-midway The zebra fish is a rock star for scientists http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/aug-15-08.html How do you repair damaged heart muscle? Which genetic mutations cause malignancies? Why does a drug effective for testicular cancer impair hearing?


The answers to these weighty questions, and more, could lie...

]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:59:08 -1000 the-zebra-fish-is-a-rock-star-for-scientists Sailing book explains many nautical terms http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/aug-08-08.html Recently I found a little book called "The Sailing Pocket Companion" which contained entertaining nautical trivia.


Among my favorite sections were those explaining commonly used terms that originated on Old World ships. Son of a gun, for instance.


In days of old, women were not officially allowed on ships, but captains often welcomed them ...

]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:41:56 -1000 sailing-book-explains-many-nautical The pelican is a bold and clever bird http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/aug-01-08.html BRISBANE, Australia » "A wonderful bird is the pelican. His bill can hold more than his belly can. He can take in his beak, food enough for a week, but I'm darned if I see how the helican."


merican newspaper editor Dixon Lanire Merrith wrote this catchy little...

]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:44:38 -1000 the-pelican-is-a-bold-and-clever-bird Whale cruise in Australiaan eye-opener http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jul-25-08.html BRISBANE, Australia » I'm in Australia preparing my boat, Honu, for our next big adventure: Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

I'm not sailing her there. Honu will be riding on the deck of a ship built for that purpose. Going thousands of miles upwind this way is much easier on Honu, and certainly on me, but getting ready for the ride has been as much work as any other voyage.

Since I arrived,

Whales

]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:17:23 -1000 whale-cruise-in-australiaan-eyeopener Column about sea snakes hits a nerve http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jul-18-08.html It was the best of e-mail; it was the worst of e-mail.

On July 15, 2005, I recounted a story told me by a surfer who in 1995 watched a yellow-bellied sea snake slither over his board off Waikiki. That column, posted on my Web site, has...

]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:21:26 -1000 column-about-sea-snakes-hits-a-nerve Lion-fish becoming king of Atlantic http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jul-11-08.html A friend sent me a link to a news report that on the South Atlantic coast of the U.S., the lion-fish population is out of control. Film clips showed divers coming up with sacks of lion-fish, a fraction of what's out there. This alien species got a fin-hold in the area in the '90s, the reporter said, and is now multiplying like mad.


Alien species? I didn't know. These popular aquarium fish...

]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:14:04 -1000 lionfish-becoming-king-of-atlantic St. Elmo's fire provided sailors with hot tales http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jul-04-08.html While paging through a book of sea stories recently, I found some legends about St. Elmo's fire, one of nature's best fireworks shows.


Is this glimmering on one's boat benign or dangerous? I wondered. What should....

]]> Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:00:06 -1000 st-elmos-fire-provided-sailors-with-hot-tales Superferry trip to Maui was enjoyable gift http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jun-27-08.html While sailing around Australia's Great Barrier Reef last year, I got e-mails from several friends telling me the new Hawaii Superferry was causing a lot of controversy, particularly on Kauai.


Controversy? I e-mailed back. About what?


About the possible spread of....

]]> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:21:43 -1000 superferry-trip-to-maui-was-enjoyable-gift Injured turtle lays eggs, heads home http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jun-20-08.html Pukalani laid her eggs. Pukalani is the satellite-tagged turtle who lost a front flipper to a shark recently. I wrote about her last week, and countless people have been wishing the best for this turtle.


And....

]]> Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:42:02 -1000 injured-turtle-lays-eggs-heads-home Tracked turtle loses a flipper in shark attack http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jun-13-08.html Life can be hard for turtles, even the ones Hawaii honu lovers watch over, tend to and track.

The green turtle Pukalani, otherwise known as L-18, had a particularly hard day...

]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:10:22 -1000 tracked-turtle-loses-a-flipper-in-shark-attack Crossing paths with rays leaves an impression http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jun-06-08.html In response to my May 23 column about jumping rays, I received an e-mail from Laie reader Vonn, who offered another explanation as to why rays leap. According to Vonn's father and grandfather, in traditional Hawaiian culture rays jump to announce a pregnancy.

"I was overjoyed when....

]]> Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:17:36 -1000 crossing-paths-with-rays-leaves-an-impression Albatross females raise chicks together http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/may-30-08.html Fri, 30 May 2008 08:23:35 -1000 albatross-females-raise-chicks-together It is possible stingrays just jump for joy - Updated with Pictures http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/may-23-08.html Pictures Added 5/24/08

'Why do stingrays throw themselves high in the air?" a friend asked by e-mail.

"Would this be because they are being chased, or perhaps to throw parasites off their bodies? I wonder what ideas you have."

I've read some theories about this, but we humans never...

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 09:21:29 -1000 it-is-possible-stingrays-just-jump-for-joy Unique platypus once deemed a joker’s hoax http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/may-16-08.html A biologist friend asked me if I'd ever written about platypuses. "Written about them?" I said. "I don't even know what they are."


That wasn't entirely true, but....

]]> Fri, 16 May 2008 08:40:23 -1000 unique-platypus-once-deemed-a-jokers-hoax Triton's trumpet shell has new calling http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/apr-18-08.html "I plan to use it in circle rituals," she writes, "and I will be treating the shell with the respect it deserves. Can you please tell me....]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:25:31 -1000 tritons-trumpet-shell-has-new-calling Support pours in to cut back on water bottles http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/apr-11-08.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:36:13 -1000 support-pours-in-to-cut-back-on-water-bottles Frogfish amaze few who can spot them http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/apr-04-08.html Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:53:32 -1000 frogfish-amaze-few-who-can-spot-them Bottled water is damaging to environment http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/mar-28-08.html When we buy bottled water, we're wasting money, supporting big business and wrecking the planet.


We're also being conned. A Hawaii high school teacher recently...

]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:45:38 -1000 bottled-water-is-damaging-to-environment Dolphins have saved humans from disaster http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/mar-21-08.html In Douglas Adams' book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," dolphins are brilliant and humans are dolts.


In that funny story, dolphins continually warn humans about the impending destruction of the planet, but people misread the animals' leaps, clicks and squeaks as mindless play.


Pygmy sperm whales, however....

]]> Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:02:30 -1000 dolphins-have-saved-humans-from-disaster No one knows why turtles dive all night http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/mar-13-08.html Hawaii's honu are full of surprises. Biologists recently discovered that during migrations from Oahu to their French Frigate Shoals breeding grounds, our green turtles go deep-sea diving.


I call it that because the turtles' dives aren't just...

]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:58:08 -1000 turtles New Photos and Videos Added http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/OceanWatch-08.htm Ghost Crab photos have been added to last weeks column:
Last Week's Column


The video that sparked this week's column has been added to
This Week's Column

]]> Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:07:39 -1000 new-photos-and-videos-added Video clip reveals varied marine life http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/mar-07-08.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:59:18 -1000 video-clip-reveals-varied-marine-life Sand piles distinguish crab species http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/feb-29-08.html I've written in this column and two books that a person can tell male from female ghost crabs by the shape of the sand piles next to their holes.


This information came from a 1970s Ph.D. thesis I found years ago at the University of Hawaii's graduate library.


It was a good theory -- in its time. Researchers...

]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:05:36 -1000 sand-piles-distinguish-crab-species Ulua pursuing an eel beats any film chase http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/feb-22-08.html Last weekend during our calm, sunny weather, Hanauma Bay offered its finest entertainment. I snorkeled there two days in a row, and during those swims the breathtaking scenery and continual action made me feel I was watching a movie.


Parrotfish chomped on coral rock, goatfish...

]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:48:49 -1000 ulua-pursuing-an-eel-beats-any-film-chase Fish believe in variety when reproducing http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/feb-15-08.html The Internet search phrase "fish sex" generates more hits on my Web site than any other.


I don't know what people are looking for when they type those words, but I imagine they're wondering....

]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:27:34 -1000 fish-believe-in-variety-when-reproducing Mercury makes tuna sandwich less appetizing http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/feb-09-08.html Mercury is a hot topic in the news lately. This toxic metal is being found in large amounts in some food fish, and recently in dolphins eaten by the Japanese.


The question arises, Should we stop eating ...

]]> Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:20:15 -1000 mercury-makes-tuna-sandwich-less-appetizing Mangrove seeds bring back memories http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/feb-01-08.html Most Hawaii residents think of mangroves only as alien species that need to be exterminated. But last week when I found hundreds of mangrove seeds washed up on Kailua Beach, they brought back fond memories.


While visiting....

]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:33:38 -1000 mangrove-seeds-bring-back-memories Coming back to Oahu always a treat http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jan-25-08.html I'm home from Midway now, and even though I enjoyed every day of my month there, it's good to be back on Oahu.


I missed our bustling city, towering mountains and miles of beaches. And I can still enjoy Hawaii's native animals. I just have to work...

]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:32:38 -1000 coming-back-to-oahu-always-a-treat Midway crowd is into goony matchmaking http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jan-18-08.html MIDWAY ATOLL » On remote atolls where biologists, volunteers and wildlife live in close quarters, it's common for romance to bloom. Here at Midway it's encouraged.


People have been introducing singles, throwing parties and then

]]> Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:26:37 -1000 midway-crowd-is-into-goony-matchmaking Pygmy sperm whale is lesson in rare breed http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jan-11-08.html MIDWAY ATOLL » Last week here at Midway, a volunteer found a dead animal he called a cetacean (the scientific name for whales and dolphins) lying on a nearby beach.


"Is it a dolphin?" I asked Craig.


He shrugged. "He just said a cetacean."


We walked down the beach to....

]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:28:26 -1000 pygmy-sperm-whale-is-lesson-in-rare-breed More Pictures Added - Laysan ducks are doing well on Midway http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jan-04-08.html New pictures added to this article.

Hawaii has a few native animals so small in number, and so isolated, I resigned myself to never seeing them. Some deep-water fish are in that category, along with several forest birds, a couple of whale species and the Laysan duck.

Then came this trip to Midway, where federal biologists...

]]> Sun, 06 Jan 2008 10:09:29 -1000 laysan-ducks-are-doing-well-on-midway-1 Laysan ducks are doing well on Midway http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2008/jan-04-08.html Hawaii has a few native animals so small in number, and so isolated, I resigned myself to never seeing them. Some deep-water fish are in that category, along with several forest birds, a couple of whale species and the Laysan duck.


Then came this trip to Midway, where federal biologists...

]]> Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:26:04 -1000 laysan-ducks-are-doing-well-on-midway Counting albatrosses a flight of fancy http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/dec28-07.html MIDWAY ATOLL » Each evening here at Midway, we albatross counters share our experiences of the day over dinner.

The stories vary widely because even though albatrosses look alike and have common behaviors, each has a personality all its own.

Some differences between the birds are...

]]> Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:07:35 -1000 counting-albatrosses-a-flight-of-fancy Counters squirt their way to an albatross total http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/dec21-07.html MIDWAY ATOLL » When I said I was going to Midway Atoll to help count albatrosses, the most common question people asked me was, "How do you count a million birds?"

I didn't know. I'd heard previous....

]]> Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:08:42 -1000 counters-squirt-their-way-to-an-albatross-total UPDATED with Pictures: Bird count too enticing to pass up http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/dec14-07.html MIDWAY ATOLL » When I returned from my sailing trip in November, all I wanted to do was to stay home, work on my book and make wall hangings from beach junk.


I enjoyed being on my home island in my quiet house, and I loved being with family and friends. It would take dynamite, I felt, to move me.


Kaboom.


The blast came....

]]> Sat, 15 Dec 2007 08:39:35 -1000 bird-count-too-enticing-to-pass-up-1 Bird count too enticing to pass up http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/dec14-07.html MIDWAY ATOLL » When I returned from my sailing trip in November, all I wanted to do was to stay home, work on my book and make wall hangings from beach junk.


I enjoyed being on my home island in my quiet house, and I loved being with family and friends. It would take dynamite, I felt, to move me.


Kaboom.


The blast came....

]]> Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:39:35 -1000 bird-count-too-enticing-to-pass-up Gulls do have functional salt glands http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/dec07-07.html In my Nov. 23 column, I wrote that one of the reasons gulls don't live in Hawaii is they don't have salt glands to excrete excess salt, and therefore, the birds can't live in our marine environment.


That's wrong. So wrong I asked....

]]> Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:41:13 -1000 gulls-do-have-functional-salt-glands ‘Little red ship’ sails on in fond memories http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/nov30-07.html When I heard on my car radio last week that the 250-foot-long Antarctic expedition ship, Explorer, had hit an iceberg and was going down, I pulled over and shed a tear.


Not for the people aboard -- all were safely evacuated.


No, my sorrow was for the loss of the ship itself. The little red ship...

]]> Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:34:44 -1000 8216little-red-ship8217-sails-on-in-fond-mem Gulls visit isles but do not breed here http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/nov23-07.html While I lived at anchor off Lizard Island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef National Park, two silver gulls often perched on my sailboat railings and dinghy motor.


From these elevated posts, the smallish birds could watch the bay's...

]]> Fri, 23 Nov 2007 10:37:10 -0800 gulls-visit-isles-but-do-not-breed-here Several pages updated with pictures. http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/OceanWatch-07.htm The following columns have been updated with pictures.

October 12, 2007 - There's no time for writing on Lizard Island

October 19, 2007 - Lizard Island marine talks are educational

September 28, 2007 - Crinoids add beauty to Great Barrier Reef

September 14, 2007 - Australian isle is 3-year dream come true

Boat plows through mud to Cooktown

]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:52:12 -1000 pages-updated Sand fleas, likely, haven't found paradise http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/nov16-07.html Virginia, a reader from New Mexico, recently sent me this e-mail: "I've been enjoying Hawaii's beaches since 1968 and have never experienced a sand flea.


"I'm planning a trip to Panama and the resort area of Boca del Toros. The travel doctor and various guide books have warned about sand fleas. Are there no sand fleas in Hawaii? Hawaii is paradise, and maybe

]]> Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:33:31 -1000 sand-fleas-likely-havent-found-paradise Australia Updates http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/cooktown.html Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:32:58 -1000 australia-updates Sailors take a 'beating' but survive http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/nov09-07.html NEAR BRISBANE, Australia » I'm sure readers of this column are tired of hearing about my Australia sailing adventures, because I'm tired of having them.


The boat is near Brisbane now, having recently arrived from the north end of the Great Barrier Reef to the south end, where I started more than a year ago. During my year of going north, I often thought I was covering that 1,000-some mile stretch of marine....

]]> Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:19:34 -1000 sailors-take-a-beating-but-survive Booby birds still fascinate down under http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/nov02-07.html About 20 years ago, before I knew anything about seabirds, I toured the Galapagos Islands on a live-aboard boat called Sulidae. The name meant nothing to me at the time, but by the end of the trip, I loved both the name and the birds it refers to. My infatuation with booby birds, family Sulidae, had begun.


The fascination.....

]]> Sat, 03 Nov 2007 06:41:35 -0400 booby-birds-still-fascinate-down-under E-mails reach remote locale http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/oct26-07.html CAIRNS, Australia » When I'm island hopping inside the Great Barrier Reef, as I have been lately, my e-mails pile up. Fortunately, most marinas these days offer wireless Internet service, and when I find one, I take the opportunity to do a giant download.


That happened this week in a Cairns marina, where...

]]> Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:37:46 -1000 emails-reach-remote-locale Lizard Island marine talks are educational http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/oct19-07.html Though the talks were similar every week, I went to them anyway, and each time I learned something new.

One week I discovered I'd written something untrue. I once wrote ......]]> Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:00:40 -1000 6BDD132D-F95F-43DD-AF2D-2ADD304D5838 There's no time for writing on Lizard Island http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/oct12-07.html A lot of my time went to snorkeling. Coral reefs surround the island, and three lay right here in my bay. During low tides the colors and shapes of these reefs remind me of great panes of stained glass.

Who can sit at a computer with art like that in the back yard? Not this writer.

]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:28:41 -1000 7E9634C9-7219-4547-B35F-53F8C6DD166C Sting fears increase while wading http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/oct05-07.html I checked the tide tables and made a plan: snorkel to Palfrey on the falling tide, wait there for low water and then walk back. Never once did I consider stinging animals, even here in Australia. Incidents are so rare and get so overblown, they aren't worth my worry.

On my chosen day, I hiked with mask and snorkel to my launch point and plunged in. The chest-deep water was as clear as water gets, and in this gap between the islands, nutrient-rich currents run strong. As a result, the corals there were like fields abloom, bursting with so much life and color, I could barely take it all in.

]]> Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:57:48 +0000 A07315B9-B1BE-4FAE-82E1-843C3F4849D1 Crinoids add beauty to Great Barrier Reef http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/sep28-07.html These relatives of starfish and sea urchins aren't restricted to this area, but they sure like it here.

Fifty-six species alone are found here at Lizard Island.

Feather stars look like bundles of flexible feathers from 4 to 10 inches across, and come in breathtaking colors: black with iridescent green flecks, black-and-yellow banded, iridescent green or yellow, bright orange or white. And that's just one species. There are 55 more.]]> Sat, 29 Sep 2007 00:01:21 +0000 992BFD81-8102-4BA0-94DE-077DF64B87AA Australia has 4,000 species of reef fish http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/sep21-07.html Of the approximately 13,500 species of marine fish in the world, 4,000 are here. Right here, it seems.

Some fish I see -- Moorish idols, cleaner wrasses, yellow tangs -- are common in Hawaii and feel like old friends. Countless species, however, are new to me. And to muddy the waters, different books have different names for the same fish.

One heartening fact about fish names came to me this week in the book "Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea," by Jack Randall, Gerald Allen and Roger Steene (UH Press). In the introduction Randall writes, "The common names of fishes used in this book are primarily the Australian names. These are often different from the fish names used in other parts of the English-speaking world."

]]> Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:09:20 +0000 F7260418-72C0-44F9-B130-6BA338170416 Australian isle is 3-year dream come true http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/sep14-07.html I imagined long lazy months of sailing with seabirds, swimming with fishes and drifting with plankton.

But as I traveled my focus changed. I concentrated on keeping Honu's systems working, navigating around reefs and dropping anchor, or tying up, in secure places. I went for safety, and if the marine animals showed up during those undertakings, fine. If not, oh well. The boat was my life raft and got priority.

Now I've sailed Honu as far north on Australia's Great Barrier Reef as I will go, to Lizard Island. I arrived intact, all the boat's systems are working and the anchorage is excellent. Finally, here, I can let go.]]> Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:59:23 +0000 B6A69D53-6598-4979-B7BF-D789D025A434 Barramundi switch genders midstream http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/sep07-07.html "It's good," I said. "My favorite is barramundi. It's an estuary fish found around here."

"What does it look like?"

"It's silver with a pointy snout."

That's all I knew, and we moved on to other subjects. But I've been short-changing my guests -- and myself -- with this bland description. These fish, I've learned, live remarkable lives.

Barramundi is a member of the perch family, a large and varied order containing more species than any other vertebrate group. Because this fish grows to 4 feet long, it was once called the giant perch or the giant sea perch.

]]> Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:47:20 +0000 16D1400E-F900-4799-A489-ED71E2A8F185 Boat plows through mud to Cooktown http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/aug31-07.html Cooktown lies on the banks of the Endeavour River, both so named because this is the place Cook repaired Endeavour after hitting a coral reef.

It was a hard hit. With the ship fast taking on water, every man aboard, including naturalist Joseph Banks and Cook, took 15-minute turns at the pumps.]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:45:53 +0000 C4701B3A-A060-419E-BCA0-49FDDE85CF8E Glass sponges build big reef full of lodgers http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/aug24-07.html This ancient sponge reef, 2,000 feet long and 10 feet tall, is so full of starfish, crabs, shrimp, fish, worms and snails that scientists there are calling it a living hotel.

It's the Hotel California for some species. Small crabs sometimes swim into the opening, molt there and are then too big to get out. These creatures spend the rest of their lives inside the sponge.]]> Fri, 24 Aug 2007 19:16:19 +0000 241D4918-36A1-442A-A532-14FABA5DDD17 Golf course fairways are kolea heaven http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/aug17-07.html I wasn't sure why he wanted to put up a picture of a plover, but it was fine with me. The shorebirds have been returning to Oahu like crazy the last two weeks.

The first plover-return e-mail I received this year came from Heidi Hughes in Olomana, whose kolea arrived Aug. 8. This was a happy occasion for Heidi since the bird has shared her yard with her two dogs and other bird species for 12 years now.]]> Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:11:09 +0000 0510307F-5778-4069-87C3-D4DA6CBDC531 Unlike man, ducks weren't out for blood http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/aug10-07.html
The water was so clear in this much-maligned stream, I could see the ducks' orange feet fan and fold as they paddled toward thousands of finger-size tilapia.

The fish recognized the waterfowl as nonthreats and, like a team of escorts, formed a ring of space around each duck as they all moved silently through the water. Seeing this interspecies ballet over the white, algae-pocked sand was one of those fine moments in life. I inhaled the summer morning air. A good day just got better.

]]> Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:05:29 +0000 3E460D25-7389-46DC-A121-0E2B89B3EE74 Sea horses enjoy eating native shrimp http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2007/aug03-07.html
When the aqua-farmers dug this hole, a mixture of fresh and salt water seeped up through lava cracks, creating a pond. As expected, the shrimp then rose from their natural underground home, feasted on algae and multiplied like mad.

]]> Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:04:42 +0000 A3054B24-87B8-41DA-BA23-DA0B555CC83B Welcome http://susanscott.net/oceanwatch.htm Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:01:45 +0000 9D3BC1C1-12A3-48FD-BDD7-DC88AAF8DBAD