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  Join us on January 31st from 12:30–6:00 PM for our Women’s Coastal Skills: Sea to Table workshop — a one-of-a-kind adventure designed to empower women on the water. Departing from Isle of Palms Marina, this hands-on experience blends outdoor education, coastal harvesting, and genuine connection as we explore the salt marshes along the way…

When ecologists talk about the health of an ecosystem, they often point to certain species whose presence, absence, or behavior reveals what’s happening behind the scenes. These aren’t just charismatic animals or plants, they’re ecological storytellers. In conservation biology, four especially important categories help us understand and protect natural systems: indicator species,

Clapper rails, often affectionately known as marsh hens, are the secretive voices of the Lowcountry, slipping through the Charleston marshes long before most people ever spot one. They live on tide time, nesting deep in spartina and moving with the water more than the land. While many stay year-round, some rails migrate up and…

Happy Thanksgiving! While you are foraging your thanksgiving leftovers did you know that foraging occurred with certain plants on barrier islands? Barrier Islands are homes to a surprising variety of edible plants that have helped sustain coastal communities for generations. These resilient plants thrive in salty winds and shifting sands, offering both nourishment and a…

Sunset over the salt marsh. In a tidal salt marsh, trophic levels describe how energy flows through the ecosystem, beginning with the sun. Sunlight powers photosynthesis in primary producers known as autotrophs, which include phytoplankton, marsh grasses, and algae. These autotrophs create their own food by converting solar energy into chemical energy, forming the base…

Did you know that pluff mud gets its name from the original spelling “plough” mud. It was used during the 1800’s as a fertilizer that was plowed in with the sediment across agricultural fields. Plough was an old spelling of plow and some sources claim that the “gh” was then substituted with “ff”. Other sources…

Fish crow in a pine tree. Corvids are a group of birds that includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. In South Carolina, you’re most likely to spot American crows, & blue jays all over the state and fish crows along bodies of water. More uncommonly spotted and upstate SC, ravens can be seen! Corvids thrive…

Happy Hallo-week!!!! We wanted to talk about some of Capers’ “Caspers” aka ghosts of Capers Island! The first ghost we’d like to introduce is the ghost shrimp! These shrimp (family Callianassidae click link for photos!) live in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of beaches and estuaries. They often create little “volcano-like” chimney holes in…

  Did  you know the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is found from the costal waters of North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and all the way to Brazil? Along South Carolina’s coast, they are often found in the state’s offshore waters, particularly around reefs, wrecks, and nearshore structures like docks. These…

This week’s night sky gave us a spectacular show,  the Harvest Supermoon, which peaked on the evening of October 6–7, 2025. The Harvest Moon is a full moon that gets its name from the extra light it once gave farmers to finish gathering their crops after sunset. This year’s event was extra special because it…

Calling all ocean lovers, quizmasters, and trivia buffs — join us Wednesday, October 8th at 6:30 PM for Marine Trivia hosted at Islander 71, and lead by crew from Barrier Island EcoTours. Gather your smartest team (2–6ish folks), flex your fins and facts, and compete for bragging…