May 18, 2019 – A heart-to-heart with clams and crabs

Nils Volkenborn, Stony Brook University. Meet with local scientist from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at StonyBrook and watch the heartbeat of hard-shelled animals in real-time and learn why and how scientists use heartbeat rate measurements to study their life in the coastal ocean. Do not miss the great show.

Infrared and Hall Effect sensors glued on the shell of a scallop for simultaneous measurements of heartbeat rates and valve gaping. (Photo credit: Nils Volkenborn,  visit Nils website for more information  https://you.stonybrook.edu/voll/environmental-variability-and-faunal-repsonses/

March 30, 2019

Gregg Rivara, Cornell Cooperative Extension, NY.

Gregg showed baby clams and oysters, their parents and the food they eat. He explained Long Island aquarium visitors the importance of shellfish not only for aquaculture but also for the environment.  Everybody enjoyed!

Huge success for Chris Brianik this week at the LI Aquarium. Big eyes and some winces and grimaces! But a lot to learn.

January 19, 2019 – Small fish, bug worms

Megan Hahn and Christopher Brianik, Stony Brook University. The world of creepy-crawlies parasites is just fascinating and they are all around us! Join us and meet local scientists to learn more about the parasites and microbiom found in local and distant fish.

Three spinned stickleback and its huge macroparasite (tapeworm).

Photo credit: Christopher Brianik. 

December 15, 2018 – How Old is My Striped Bass?        

Zachary Schuller and Stephanie Rekemeyer, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Striped bass is a valuable species for New York’s commercial and recreational fisheries. They spend the majority of their life in the ocean, returning to our local bays and rivers to spawn in the spring. Come learn how to age striped bass scales and learn how you can help contribute to management of this species.

Photo Credit: D Ross Robertson

Last Saturday (10/2018), visitors of LIA found out that eating a lot of seafood might be an issue for their health. With the help of Maureen Murphy from SBU, they learnt how choose fish and shellfish wisely.

What a wonderful Saturday afternoon  with Pr. Levinton and his little friends with carapace! Children and their family enjoyed holding Fiddler Crabs and learning about their biology.

June 23, 2018 – Fiddler Crabs: Lovers and Fighters of the Marshes.

Jeffrey Levinton, Stony Brook University.

Fiddler crabs are found all over quiet beaches and salt marshes of Long Island. They may be small but males have a giant claw, used for signaling to attract females and to fight off competing males and predators such as raccoons and birds. They guard their hole and can dash to safety by means of their astounding vision. They also help salt marsh plants to grow and can move in herds of tens of thousands. Meet with a local Marine Biologist and learn exciting facts about this sea creature.

Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fiddler_Crabs_at_Indian_River_Lagoon_-_Flickr_-_Andrea_Westmoreland.jpg

Fantastic Saturday at LI Aquarium in the great company of Dr. Rober Aller from Stony Brook University. 

Mai 19, 2018 – Worms’ World: nutrient cycling in marine muds.

Robert Aller, Stony Brook University.

Most gardeners know that earthworms and beneficial insects are critically important for a fertile soil and healthy crops.  Far fewer people appreciate that worms, clams, and other mud-dwelling animals play a similar role for coastal marine ecosystems. Along with a local Scientist, we will examine how animals living in muds promote nutrient recycling, fertilize phytoplankton, and clean-up coastal waters.

Photo credit : Original photo taken by Nick Veitch on Ballyholme Beach, Bangor, Co.Down, N.Ireland.