Whether you like to call it a beach, the seaside, the seashore, the seaboard, or the sea coast, that little strip of sand touching the ocean is everyone's place to be, especially in the summertime. In South Carolina, many of our beaches are located on the eastern side of barrier islands. Due to the force of wind and tidal surges brought by annual hurricanes, our beaches are constantly shifting, disappearing, and reappearing. Many of the birds who populate our beaches, such as oystercatchers, terns, willets, black skimmers, gulls, and brown pelicans, are ground nesters. In addition to birds, many crabs, or marine anthropods, also live on the beaches. Considered the. insects of the sea, crustations come in numerous shapes and sizes. Horseshoe crabs have lived on the earth for more than 600 million years. Take a minute to think about that! 

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But what about all those shells we love to collect? What is a shellfish?  

How seashells are made? Did you know that the shell or mantle of a mollusk grows much like a tree? And when the animal dies the action of the waves breaks the shell into tiny pieces and turns it into sand. 

https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/did-you-know/how-are-seashells-made/

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What is a mollusk?

Many mollusks such as clams and mussels have two shells, also called mantles, that open and close. Others have one mantle, like a snail. Some mollusks can live as long as 40 years! Did you know that octopus are also mollusks?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_GJH1t7VVM

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Where do jelly fish live?

Did you know that most jellyfish live their life on the ocean floor until they become adults and rise to the surface?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k146Jk7Qk1k

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Know you Ocean?

https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/

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Shellfish reefs inhabit coastlines all over the world and have been shaping the health of the ocean for millions of years. Comprised of clusters of mussels, oysters, or clams, these reefs filter water and provide vital habitat for juvenile fish, vulnerable invertebrates, and even other shellfish! Unfortunately, this ecosystem is on the brink of collapse thanks to severe over-harvesting and poor water quality along coastlines.

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​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwUpTROuV4I

Stay tuned to more read more about the coastal habitats and coastal ecology! ​​

https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/barrier-islands/#:~:text=Among%20South%20Carolina's%20major%20barrier,%2C%20Hilton%20Head%2C%20and%20Daufuskie.

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Salt Marsh 

https://www.saltmarshguide.org

 

Coastal birds

https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/species/coastalbirds/seabirds/index.html

https://www.saltmarshguide.org/guide/identification-guide/chordates/birds

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Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast, by Peter Meyer

 

Crabs and Crustaceans

https://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/Crustacean%20gallery.htm

https://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/bluecrab.html

 

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