Clean Ocean Advocate, December 2008
COASTAL CREATURE FEATURE
The October creature was a finwhale, which is among the fastest of the great whales. Two finwhale carcasses washed-up on New Jersey beaches this summer: a 55-foot finwhale at Island Beach State Park (cause of death - uncertain), and a 49-foot finwhale in Long Branch (cause of death - struck by ship). Fishing gear and ship strikes are the leading causes of mortality of endangered whales. COA received a record number of guesses on this creature feature from around the country. Congratulations to Tim Winslow of Lexington, SC, who was chosen randomly from a large tide pool of correct entries!
December Creature: This marine bivalve is among the smallest of its kind, measuring up to only five millimeters (1/5 of an inch). Its surface has a reddish-purple coloration and can be either smooth and round or glossy with ridges. It lives in fine-sands along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is a filter feeder that eats diatoms and detritus from the water. For a chance to win a COA T-shirt, send your guess to Judge Jewel B. Valve by mail or fax (18 Hartshorne Dr., Suite 2, Highlands, NJ 07732; 732-872-8041). One entry per person, please.
The Coastal Creature Feature winner will be announced in the February 2009 newsletter.
