Blog

Fouling communities are fascinating groups of organisms that grow on artificial surfaces like docks, boats, and habitat traps. Some examples of organisms making up a fouling community include (but aren’t limited to) barnacles, tunicates, sponges, and algae! A fantastic way to sample these communities is by dip netting, which involves gently scraping a small net…

In the winter we see an influx of migrating ducks and other waterfowl that come spend time in the low country. During the winter there is less food for ducks available in areas that have harsher winters. Down in the low country we have several freshwater bodies of water AND salt water marshy habitats where…

We are going to continue our efforts of sharing citizen science projects as we come across them. With the citizen science projects list, we will try to share fun eco, family friendly events too! Citizen science is a form of data collection that the public (of all ages) can participate in. It usually involves the collection of data and recording it or entering it into a database for different organizations. A list of citizen science projects will be listed & linked below! An upcoming and exciting yearly event is the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a yearly event and this year it is being held February 14-17 of 2025. To read about how to participate check out this informative page here! . This is an incredible time for migration and if you are looking to get involved with another bird project…

Gooseneck barnacles filter feeding while attached to a water bottle! Earlier this week we talked about marine debris—we’d like to restate that it is any non-man made item that has found its way into our oceans. Sometimes marine debris is in the ocean long enough for organisms to attach and grow on. One great example…

You never know what you’ll find on a pollution pickup!! (We once found Beach Barbie!).                     What is marine debris? Well, it is man-made pollution that enters our waterways. Bodies of water eventually drain to the ocean from rivers and other tributaries or if there is…

Back in December Capt. Mike had one of the coolest wildlife encounters. He and his family got to see a group of Northern Right Whales!!! To watch Mike’s video click on the link below :). Capt. Mike and pals were offshore and got to see 3 Northern Right Whales. Mike said, “It was hard to see…

We recently shared a blog post about nudibranchs and wanted to update you on some of our discoveries in case you find any nudibranch in the wild! A great place to help you ID nudibranchs is Inaturalist, or if you need help identifying plant or animals species. It is a great way to contribute observations…

Citizen Science Blog Jan 1 2025 Happy 2025! We are going to continue our efforts of sharing citizen science projects as we come across them. With the citizen science projects list, we will try to share fun eco, family friendly events too! Citizen science is a form of data collection that the public (of all ages) can participate in. It usually involves the collection of data and recording it or entering it into a database for different organizations. A list of citizen science projects will be listed & linked below! An upcoming and exciting yearly event is the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a yearly event and this year it is being held February 14-17 of 2025. To read about how to participate check out this informative page here!  If you love birds and are interested in participating in almost…

From the BIET family to yours we would like to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Though we might not be expecting a white Christmas here in the low country, we did experience a super intriguing phenomenon that typically only can be viewed in the Arctic!  The northern lights danced unusually far south this…

Capers at night by Parker Gibbons. A lot of people ask us when we get to Capers about if camping is allowed. Here’s some important Information regarding camping from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources if you are interested in learning about how to camp on capers: Camping on Capers Info Now that you’ve got…

Sea pickle found by a student! Have you heard of Sea Pickle, Pickleweed or Glasswort? All common names for the genus Salicornia (and there are several other common names we’ve heard too!). These extremely salt-tolerant succulents are found salt and brackish water marshes along the coast. Some people enjoy using them in salads to add…

Happy December! Every month we like to include a blog post that contains information about citizen science projects that can be found in the area! Citizen science is a form of data collection that the public of all ages can participate in. It usually involves the collection of data and recording it or entering it into a database for different organizations. A list of citizen science projects will be listed & linked below! There are so many citizen science projects to get involved with. We’d like to highlight some beach sweeps and pollution pickups listed below. Pollution pickups and beach sweeps will enter the trash collected into databases and can be used to help ban or limit different products. These are only a short list of organized environmental cleanups–there are several out there if you are interested! SCA cleanups Ocean…