Clean Ocean Advocate, October 2009
June's creature
was the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Its scientific name is for the mythical Greek King, Pandion, whose daughters were turned into birds and "hali" "aestus" means "sea" "eagle". The female lays 2-4 eggs a year that take 35-40 days to hatch. In the 1950s-70s, the number of osprey declined due to pollution. Once the pesticide DDT was prohibited and other pollutants reduced, the populations rebounded and are no longer threatened in most areas. Judge Hallie But thanks all who submitted guesses and congratulates the contest winner Alison Evans of Leonardo, NJ!
October's creature feature is one of the largest bivalves along the Atlantic coast, reaching up to 6 inches across. They live from the intertidal zone to offshore waters buried in the sand. These filter feeders eat tiny plankton from the water and help improve water quality. They also are a source of food for fish, horseshoe crabs, gulls, sea stars, and other mollusks, such as the moon snail. For a chance to win a COA T-shirt,submit your guess to Judge Herb C. Scallop by mail, fax, email (18 Hartshorne Dr., Suite 2, Highlands, NJ 07732; 732-872-8041; science@CleanOceanAction.org) or by visiting CleanOceanAction.org. Only one entry per person please.
(Coastal Creature Feature appears every other month in the Clean Ocean Advocate.)
PLEASE NOTE: Please only complete and send the following online form ONCE. After clicking "Here's my guess," a new window will appear saying "Thank you for your input!" Your form has been submitted and received; please do not click "Here's my guess" or fill out the form again. The page will reload/refresh.
