The fake eye

Tropical warm water fish are often very colorful. Since they have so much color to attract mates it also makes them venerable to predators.

They often have a "fake eye" pattern on their bodies to confuse larger fish. The fake eyes can be elaborate and include under eye dark circles. The larger fish see these fake eye patterns and aim for the wrong part of the fish to grab. This often gives the smaller fish the chance to get away from the predator.

Baby dolphins dying

Are the baby dolphins that are washing up on the Gulf Coast shorelines the result of the BP oil spill or is something else going on? That is the question that is currently circulating through the news wires. On the NBC nightly news, the reporter claimed that the oil was the possible cause due to the contaminated fish that the mother dolphins were eating while pregnant. Since the gestation period for a dolphin is close to a year long, it would be almost impossible to determine if the mother dolphin was in the oil spill area for that entire time or even part of the time.

What we have to wait for is the toxicity results of the autopsies of the baby dolphins to be completed and that will take a few more weeks. Knowing that us humans also use the rivers that flow into the gulf waters as sewer lines, I would not be surprised to find that other factors would be in the report.

Antibiotics, those nasty best weight loss pills, household cleaners and all sorts of other chemicals could have contributed to the deaths. We also have no idea what is going on in Mexico and the other countries that also border the Gulf.

Northern lights

If you are in the northern hemisphere..........look north. You might catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. Our Sun just had a huge solar flare, the largest in the last 5 years. So far there are reports of GPS units having problems and some other minor communication problems being reported.

I wish I could see them from where I am, but there are just too many clouds in the way. It almost makes me want to get those motorhome repairs done and travel just a bit farther north and watch them.

A fasinating way to relax

I was just cruising the information highway when I came across this:

I thought that it would be a great place to relax and type up my research papers while enjoying the ocean surf. I also found this outdoor piece of furniture which they called a daybed:

It has got to be the most interesting daybed I have ever seen. I wonder what kind of daybed covers it would take since it is round?

They both look very relaxing. Just perfect for that seaside residence. You just have to keep the seagulls off of them.

Salt water reef tank

There is nothing prettier than a well cared for salt water reef tank. Picture this beauty in your home. Of course along with the care comes short or no vacations unless you can find someone to come in to your home to feed the live reef and the fish. That person should also know emergency tank care.

I had a friend of mine come in to take care of my 55 gallon tank when I went on vacation one year. I was only gone for 3 days and the fish were common tropical fish, but she let the tank almost completely drain itself out. I was pissed and she said that she thought it was odd that there was water on the floor next to the tank when she checked on everything.....well duh!!!

I couldn't stay mad at her for long, after all she is a good friend. She even got me a Sony VAIO for a gift some months back. Who could stay mad at a person like that?

The dreaded meeting

I bet you think that this post will be about me meeting face to face with some unusual sea life or dangerous creature. You could not be farther from the truth. The meeting I speak of is those boring, put you to sleep program updates that really don't amount to much of anything. Yes I attend those things once and awhile. If it was not for the donuts they have during the meeting I would be falling asleep. I do wish that the organizers would think more along the lines of having Conference calls instead of dragging everyone away from their research.

At least the meeting was shorter than normal this time. Now if the meetings were located at the beach or even at the aquarium then it would be a welcome diversion, but no, it has to be at the college in one of the smaller, older classrooms.

Oh well, enough ranting and back to sea life stuff.