Winter Seals

Since moving from the Northwest to the Northeast 5 1/2 years ago I haven't been going on as many excursions into the natural world, especially during winter. But I decided to make an exception and visit the Jersey Shore to see some seals that I heard were visiting. My first attempt was postponed a week due to bitter cold. The second attempt was still chilly, but a much nicer day. To top it all off, I met up with some friends I hadn't seen since moving from the Northeast to the Northwest over 15 years ago. 

Four seals visit New Jersey in the winter months. They are the harbor seal (most common), gray seal, harp seal, and hooded seal (least common). The seals I saw were harbor seals, and there were two or three dozen of them. After spring arrives, the seals return north to Canada and New England. Since it was getting to be the end of their time in my neck of the beach, I put my discomfort aside and ventured outdoors. 

I arrived in the Sandy Hook area early, so I stopped by the Twin Lights State Historic Site for a quick view. The lighthouse is on top of a hill about 200 feet above sea level, one of the highest coastal points along the Atlantic. From the heights you can see just how narrow the Sandy Hook peninsula is. A few turkey vultures down the hill were basking in the sun.

Sandy Hook seen from Twin Lights

Seals haul out when the tides are low, so I had to check a tide table to plan my trip. Low tides were around 5 AM and 5 PM. I opted for the evening low since there's still light at that hour. And because I didn't want to get up at 3 in the morning on a Saturday. The exact time of the low tide wasn't important. Seals don't wait until the tide reaches its lowest point to haul out. A few hours early was fine, and the seals were at the appointed location ahead of me and my entourage. A small crowd was gathered along a fence, looking into the bay. I said "I bet those rocks everyone is looking at are actually seals." Sure enough, one of the "rocks" moved. 

Harbor seals in Sandy Hook Bay

Harbor seals in Sandy Hook Bay through a scope (NPS photo)

It's important to keep your distance from seals (or any other marine life) not just because it's a federal law, but because seals especially are easily annoyed and will leave if disturbed. Any unnecessary movement burns valuable calories that are keeping them warm. And there's a reason they're on land, so let them stay there doing seal things. There could be any number of reasons for seals to haul out. They bask in the sun to warm up, just like reptiles and amphibians. Mother seals nurse their pups on land. They need to rest just like we do. Their time in the water is spent hunting prey and trying not to become prey. It's exhausting.

I'm glad the day went how it did. Usually wildlife can sense me coming, and I wind up seeing nothing except some tracks and scats. But the seals didn't disappoint. It was great seeing my friends again, and since one is a shark enthusiast, it was a thrill for her to see shark food in its natural environment. In spite of the chill, I would make this an annual tradition.

Seal information came from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. The NPS picture of seals comes from a post on Gateway National Recreation Area's Facebook page

The Hunt for Red Knot

For the second time in three years, I journeyed to the Delaware Bay beaches of New Jersey in search of the red knot, a long-distance voyager from South America. In 2019 I spent a day scouring Cape May County and while I had a great day of birding, I was unsuccessful. I decided to try again in a year, spending a few weekdays on vacation there to have 24 hour access to the beaches while avoiding the weekend crowds. That trip was cancelled because of Covid, although I'm sure the shorebird migration was unaffected. This year I was able to make the trip, giving myself a Sunday, Monday, and part of Tuesday to find the elusive little sandpiper.

Red knot (USFWS)

Sunday, May 23rd was one of the warmest days of the year so far. I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere so I wasn't on the road at the crack of dawn, but I didn't want to waste any daylight. Leaving by 7:30 was a good compromise. I made great time getting to the beaches in the area of Villas, NJ. Two years ago my first stop was Kimbles Beach, a part of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. I decided to stop there first again. There were laughing gulls and "peeps", a generic term for the little sandpipers that all look alike to me. They weren't present in as great a number as 2019, and it could be because this year's trip was a little later in the migration than before.

Peeps and gulls feeding at Kimbles Beach

The tide was on its way out, and there were quite a few horseshoe crabs on the beach, and pearly green eggs in the wrack line. Some were making their way back into the bay, while others were burying themselves in the sand. Still more were dead, becoming meals for the birds and other critters. I scanned up and down the beach, but no red knots. There was a volunteer naturalist on duty, and she told me to check back later in the day when the tide is coming back in, about four in the afternoon.

Horseshoe crab eggs

It was late morning, so I had quite a bit of time to kill until then. My next stop was Higbee's Beach, where I saw my first American oystercatcher two years earlier. This time there were more people than birds on the beach so I didn't spend much time there. The highlight of this beach was a whelk egg case that had washed ashore.

Whelk egg case

The clock was still slowly ticking away until the tide returned, so I went to Fire Control Tower #23, a World War II observation tower. It was lovingly restored and opened to the the public for tours while I was living in Washington, and in 2019 I arrived just after it closed for the day. I was determined to get inside this time after years of wondering what was in there.

Skipping over the history lesson and staying on track with nature, the real reason for my visit, I had a picnic lunch at Cape May Point State Park before hitting the trails there. The trail I chose was a loop through a maritime forest and around a freshwater pond. Swans and ducks were beating the heat with a swim, songbirds serenaded me, and the air was scented with saltwater, bayberry, and eastern red cedar. Some wildflowers added a splash of color, and a muskrat lodge was the only sign of mammals. By the lighthouse, a flock of purple martins flitted around their little hotel on a pole, calling to each other and snagging insects like little flying acrobats.

Muskrat lodge

I checked in at my AirBNB just a block from the bay and took a nap until it was time for the tide to return. I went back to Kimbles Beach and waited. The horseshoe crabs were still there, and in greater numbers. The laughing gulls and peeps were still there, but no sign of red knots. A few other people came to the beach and we talked about wildlife for a while. I was scanning to the south and Liz, a birder from North Jersey, was scanning to the north. She spotted the red knots in a mixed flock. Finally, after two years I got the bird I was after. Much like the first time seeing the horseshoe crabs spawning, it was a surreal experience.

Horseshoe crabs coming ashore to spawn

A mixed flock that includes red knots

Seeing the red knot on the first day freed up the rest of my time to look at other wildlife areas. I went to Sunset Beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mercury and Venus after sunset, but the clouds had already come in by then. I spent some time at the gift shop and got a few items for my friends while I waited for the traffic situation there to clear out, then got some nighttime lighthouse pictures.

Monday was cloudy, drizzly, and about 30 degrees cooler. I wasn't about to let a few raindrops ruin my day. A rainy day at the beach is better than a sunny day at work. After breakfast in Cape May, I went to the Nature Conservancy's Garrett Family Preserve. It's a small property in between a residential neighborhood and Cape Island Creek. The property is a matrix of forest and field up against a salt marsh. I saw and heard quite a few songbirds, a young rabbit, a baby diamondback terrapin, a duck, a turkey vulture, wildflowers, a pile of feathers and bones, and some bee hives. In the salt marsh, there was an osprey on the nest and a bunch of holes where I saw some kind of motion. It was fiddler crabs scuttling back into the holes when they saw me coming.

Baby diamondback terrapin

My next stop was South Cape May Meadows, another Nature Conservancy property on the Atlantic. I first went there in 2019 and had a great day of bird watching. This time was more of the same, despite the drizzle. I saw my first glossy ibis and more turtles. However, it was just turtle heads poking out of the water so I couldn't tell what kind they were. There was another muskrat lodge, swans, ducks, geese, terns, and peeps. On the beach in the fenced off nesting area there were terns, oystercatchers, and some other bird that was too far for me to identify. I came across a toad, lots of feeding peeps including dowitchers, otter scat, and more piles of feathers where some bird met its demise. 

Long-billed dowitcher

Beach toad

Glossy ibis

A walk around Lake Lily brought me pond lilies, a robin fledgling, and a family of swans. After a late lunch I went to the wildlife refuge's Two Mile Beach unit on the Atlantic outside of Wildwood. While I didn't see them, there are snowy plovers nesting there. By the time I got there, the rain became steadier than a drizzle and the dark clouds and high wind made for an angry looking ocean. I continued walking the trails. More ducks and peeps, my first eastern towhee, and my first yellow warbler were waiting for me.I decided to head back to the bay to see if the red knots would be back with the rising tide. But first, I had to hit the boardwalk and grab some more gifts. Bubble blowing unicorns are in, license plates with your name are out.

Kimbles Beach was getting a steady rain when I arrived, but the wind was gone. Despite the incoming tide, the waves were almost nonexistent. So were the crabs. And so were the red knots. I decided to order dinner and call it a night. I had one last stop planned for Tuesday before going home, but my GPS wanted me to drive around a trailer park so I just left. One of the last things I saw before leaving New Jersey was a great blue heron flying over the Delaware River. 

The plan for finding the red knot worked. I avoided weekend traffic for the most part, I slept in an ideal location, the weather was mostly cooperative, I learned a lot, and saw a blend of new sites and old. I saw close to 30 different bird species, 5 that I never saw before, including the one bird I went to see. My long weekend was a nice break from the office and recharged my batteries for me, in spite of the miles I put on my feet.

Species of the Month

Halloween is just around the corner. Traditionally, we examine a spooky critter with a connection to Halloween for the Species of the Month. This year let’s try something different. There’s nothing scary about a ghost crab, but its name fits the season. 

Ghost crab (Science Magazine)

Scientific name: Ocypode quadrata 

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Malacostraca (soft-shelled crustaceans)

Order: Decapoda (ten-footed crustaceans)

Range: Rhode Island to Brazil 

Habitat: Ocean or estuary beaches, from the tide line to the dunes 

Lifespan: 3 years 

Diet: Bean clams, mole crabs, sea turtle eggs and hatchlings, organic detritus 

Predators: Shore birds, gulls, raccoons 

Conservation status: No special protection

Other info: Ghost crabs are small, nocturnal crustaceans. They grow to about a two inch carapace (back shell) with long legs and eye stalks, and their claws are uneven sizes. Ghost crabs hatch from an egg in the ocean and go through six larval stages before developing into adult crabs. Unlike other crabs that can only mate when the female is molting, ghost crabs can and do mate at anytime after reaching maturity which is usually after a year old.  

Juvenile ghost crab (NPS)

Ghost crabs live in burrows in the sand. They plug the holes during the day and emerge at night for feeding and mating. Mating occurs near the male’s burrow. They travel several feet per night and may not return to the same burrow. Occasionally they will go into the water to wet their gills; they are also capable of absorbing water from the sand into their gills. 

Ghost crabs can be used as an indicator species to monitor the health of their habitat. Populations can be easily estimated by counting burrows. Knowing the status of the crab population can tell what kind of impact human activities are having on the ecosystem overall. Off road vehicles and coastal development are the biggest challenges we give them. 

A pair of ghost crabs (NPS)

Once again this week's information comes from the Animal Diversity Web at University of Michigan. Next week is a rerun. We'll have fresh content after Halloween. Stay tuned!

Herring Spawning

One of the great spectacles in North American wildlife watching is the Pacific herring spawning. It happens every year in late winter and early spring. Not only does the event produce the next generation of an important fish species, it also sustains the current generation of many other animals.

Pacific herring form an important strand in the food web. They are classified as forage fish, meaning they serve as meals for larger fish like salmon. As we'll see a little later, herrings feed the larger community beyond just the salmon.

Herring spawning turns the sea white (Prince William Sound Conservation Center) 

Herring move to shallower seas during spring, which happens to be right around the same time hungry humpback whales arrive from the tropics. The herring are looking for eelgrass or kelp beds for their sticky eggs to attach to. After the females lay their eggs over the vegetation, the males swim over and release their milt to fertilize the eggs.

Before reaching the spawning beds, the herring must navigate a maze of predators: sea lions, sea birds like cormorants and gulls, bald eagles, and those hungry, hungry humpbacks. Once the work is done, the eggs aren't safe and the smorgasbord continues as diving ducks pick them off. About two weeks later, the remaining eggs hatch and the herring larvae are carried by the tide and are subject to predation by fish of all shapes and sizes.

Herring eggs attached to kelp (US Geologic Survey)

With all that eating going on, it's a wonder any herring survive to adulthood. Females typically lay 20,000 eggs a year, and if she lives a long life, she'll do this three times. Multiply her by a million of her closest friends, and you have about 20 billion eggs. If only 1% hatch, that's 200 million baby herring.

Sea lions await their feast (Tillamook Coast)

In a good year, spawning herring will color the sea white. However, the spawning isn't nearly as good as it used to be. Overfishing is one reason, but loss of habitat (spawning and feeding areas) and pollution are also big contributors.
This week's information comes from Wayne Hoffman, Ph.D. and Washington Department of Natural Resources.
nm1: Prince William Sound Conservation Center https://pwssc.org/herring-spawn/
nm2: USGS https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/pacific-herring-eggs-macrophytes
nm3: Wayne Hoffman https://tillamookcoast.com/blog/spawning-of-pacific-herring/

Nature Minute Book Club

Winter is my least favorite time to be outside. It's cold, dark, and precipitating. In fact, I'm expecting snow the day after tomorrow. It's a great time to grab a cup of tea and a good book. Here are some more suggestions for your reading pleasure.

Dolphin Diaries by Dr. Denise L. Herzing

Herzing spent a quarter century in the Bahamas, essentially living among the spotted dolphins, if only
during the summer. During her seasons there she was able to gain unprecedented access to their
behaviors, communications, and rituals. She was seemingly accepted into their society. This book
chronicles the amazing discoveries she made in her time with these fascinating creatures and will
challenge what you think about animal intelligence.

A Sting in the Tale by Dave Ghoulson

Learn about British bumblebees. Ghoulson recounts the history of bumblebees from their appearance
in natural history when dinosaurs roamed the Earth to their problems today. All this, of course, is
interspersed with his own humorous tales from a childhood fascinated with wildlife to his more recent
time in the field tracking down some elusive bees. Oh, and there’s pie.

The Invention of Nature, Alexander Von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf

This biography of Humboldt explores his development from a dutiful son to the father of ecology, even
if the word didn’t yet exist. A contemporary of Darwin’s father, it was he who planted the seeds that
germinated into the theory of evolution. He even warned of human activities influencing the climate,
making him possibly the world's first environmentalist. We discover his intellectual, philosophical, and
artistic influences as well as tag along on his adventures around the world. 

Winter World by Berndt Heinrich

Heinrich is an entomologist by trade, but his keen eye for observation makes him a great naturalist as
well. Part science, part personal narrative and drawing on his own research and observations, in this
book he takes us for a walk through Maine woods to see how critters from flies to bears survive the
brutal Down East winters.

Species of the Month

Shark Week is nigh upon us and we're getting in on it with July's Species of the Month. I've chosen the most famous (or infamous) sea creature, the great white shark. While they've been known to attack people, we are not their prey. Shark attacks may be curiosity or just a case of mistaken identity. Unlike Jaws, these apex predators won't eat you, even if they do happen to bite. Sink your teeth into this quick profile!

Scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias

Great white shark (NOAA)

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Chondrichthyes (rays and sharks)
Order: Lamniformes (mackerel sharks) 

Range: Coastal ocean areas of Asia, Australia, Oceana, North and South America, Africa, and Europe

(NOAA)

Habitat: Marine
Lifespan: 30 to 40 years
Diet: Fish, seals, sea lions, sea birds, squid, sea turtles, dolphins, whale carcasses, rays
Predators: Humans, killer whales, other sharks
Conservation Status: IUCN consideres great whites to be vulnerable, protected in the US

(NOAA)

Other information: This massive apex predator can grow to lengths of 20 feet and weigh as much as 6600 pounds! It's mouth can open to over three feet wide, plenty of room for anything it wants to eat. And that mouth is packed with razor sharp teeth. Unlike humans, gifted with two sets of teeth, the great white can apparently grow an unlimited number, replacing teeth as needed. The shark's streamlined body is built for speed and power. Not much is known about their reproductive habits. Females give birth to live young, which eat unfertilized eggs and possibly even siblings in the womb. They are mostly solitary creatures, but sometimes congregate to feed, such as at a whale carcass. In situations like this, they form social hierarchies. In addition to a well-developed sense of smell, great whites can detect electrical fields. These highly developed sense allow them to detect prey by a single drop of blood in 100 liters of water, or by the beating of its heart. The great white's prefer hunting method is to strike from below. A powerful blow is enough to stun the prey, avoiding a chase or a struggle. Across the board, fish populations are declining at an alarming rate and the great white is no exception. Sport fishing, commercial fishing bycatch, and finning take a toll, and as a large species reproductive rates are generally low. As an apex predator, populations are already low to begin with. Sadly, despite its deadly reputation the great white shark has more to fear from us than we from it.
This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.
nm1 https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?ParentMenuId=123&id=21434
nm2 https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/marine-migration-great-white-shark-3d/
nm3 https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/18whitesharkcafe/welcome.html

Reef Madness

Last week we explored the dynamic barrier islands, a great place for wildlife and a popular vacation destination. This week, we venture beyond the island into the coral reefs just offshore. As an avowed landlubber, I'll probably never get to see a coral reef for myself, but I'll live vicariously through myself telling you all about them.

Coral reef (Smithsonian)

Coral reefs are hard, rocky structures made of the skeletal remains of what was once living coral. Corals are a marine animal, not a plant, and the best-known form a symbiotic relationship with algae. Because algae needs sunlight for photosynthesis, many coral reefs are found in clear, shallow water. Cold water corals that live in the deep sea. Without sunlight, these organisms filter feed plankton. Because of their inaccessibility, we are still learning about them.

Coral polyps (NPS)

The most popular corals are the shallow ones, because they are relatively easy to reach. Scuba diving, snorkeling, and even glass bottomed boats bring humans right to the biological hot spots. People are drawn to coral, not just because of the beauty of the coral itself, but the amazing biodiversity found within the reef. Fishes, crustaceans, sponges, anemones, and countless other sea creatures call the reef home. The coral structure provides hiding places for mobile critters and anchorages for sessile ones. Hiding places benefit predator and prey alike- they provide somewhere to hide from bigger fish, or place to launch a quick strike at an unsuspecting meal.

Coral reef (NPS)

Cold water corals provide the same habitat and ecosystem, and may be even more important than their shallower counterparts. Most sea life can be found near the coast and relatively shallow. Corals in the deep sea for a sort of island in an area that is otherwise mostly devoid of life.

Deep sea cold water coral (Joint Nature Conservation Committee)

Like just about every ecosystem in the world, coral reefs are in trouble. Coral is dying as sea temperatures and carbonic acid levels rise. The algae component of the coral either dies or evacuates in a process known as coral bleaching. Some corals show some resistance to slightly warmer temperatures. Research into this is continuing. If you ever get a chance to explore coral reefs, either by boat or underwater, remember to look but don't touch.
This week's information comes from NOAA and the Smithsonian Institute.

Getaway Islands

Summer is here and for many people it's the perfect time to relax at the beach. If you're at an East Coast beach, odds are you're on a barrier island. The Atlantic barrier islands extend from Canada to Florida, then up Florida's Gulf Coast and all the way around to Mexico. Prior to development, many of these islands came and went at the whims of the tides and storms. Now that we've built homes and resorts on them, there is a vested interest to make them more permanent by using jetties to block the outflow of sand and beach replenishment to restore what's been lost. Let's take a look at the natural history of where you built that sand castle.

Grassy dune in New Jersey

Barrier islands, if left to nature, live and die by the tides. Ocean currents carry sand away from the islands. The sand either moves out to the sea floor, where it can be brought back to the island by currents, or it is carried to another part of the island or to a different island. Strong storms can accelerate the process, wiping islands off the map or opening up a new inlet to the back bay.

Hurricane Irene cut these inlets across Hatteras Island (NOAA) 

Barrier islands can move toward the mainland as wind blows sand over the dunes to the bay side. The marshes fill in with sand and build up new dunes, while ocean moves to where the dunes originally were and new marshes form in the bay on the edge of the old marshes.

Salt marsh at Assateague Island (NPS)

The islands are important because they are barriers protecting the mainland from such storms. A few weeks ago we looked at hurricanes on this blog. Barrier islands absorb the brunt of the storm surge that comes in ahead of the hurricane. Developed barrier islands still absorb the storm surge, but not as well as undeveloped islands from times past. Impermeable surfaces like roads and parking are terrible at absorbing water, while sand drains quickly. If the dunes have been removed from an island, the storm surge rushes right over top with nothing but buildings to slow it down.
Barrier islands are also important as habitat for critters other than summer vacationers. On an undeveloped island, different plants and animals that can tolerate different amounts of salt water and exposure to the air make their homes in different zones. Clams live beneath the sandy shore, while birds that prey on them scurry above. Grasses hold the dunes in place, and at the highest points of the island you can find trees and shrubs where songbirds and mammals live. Brackish marshes on the other side of the dunes host crabs and serve as a nursery where fish can eat and grow before venturing into the open sea. Wading shorebirds take advantage of this bounty. Beyond the marsh is the back bay and the mainland.

Ghost crab (NPS)

Sandpiper feeding frenzy

The US has more barrier islands than any other country in the world. Best known are New York's Fire Island, Texas's South Padre Island, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the Jersey Shore. If you spend a summer weekend at the beach, be sure to check out the wild side of things.
This week's information comes from Science News for Students.

Spring Shorebird Migration

I spent a day along the Jersey Shore (Delaware Bay side, away from the beachgoers) in search of migratory shorebirds making their way north. In particular, I was after the rare and elusive red knot. I failed to find any, but they were at the first beach I visited just hours before I arrived. Instead, I saw sandpipers, terns, laughing gulls, some oystercatchers, and even a few ruddy turnstones. Some of these birds nest and breed in New Jersey, while others are taking advantage of the horseshoe crab spawning as an opportunity to fatten up after flying nonstop from South America on their way to other areas. I also strolled around inland and found some egrets, osprey, purple martins, swans, geese, ducks, and songbirds. There were non-birds running around too: a muskrat, snake, deer, and of course lots of bugs. The sightings kept coming after I left. I spotted a great blue heron flying overhead, and a turkey flew across the road ahead of me as I made my way back home.

Unidentified sandpipers jumping for joy

Those sandpipers have friends

Here, we see hundred of birds flying over Delaware Bay

This beach had maybe a thousand laughing gulls.
Not pictured: the noise 

Animal Attraction

People are more like animals than we like to admit sometimes. Rather, we tend to believe that animals can be so human sometimes. One area where the lines between humans and animals can become blurred is that of courtship rituals and relationships. This Valentine’s Day let’s look at “love” in the animal world. Hopefully our finned, feathered, and furred friends don’t feel as awkward as we do.

Many times, in the animal world it is the female who chooses a mate. Males might compete with each other not by fighting, but other means. Bowerbirds build little houses with decorated yards to impress females. Prairie chickens and sage grouse gather in a lek, where the males display for the females. South American birds called manakins show like an 80s break dance fight from a movie. It reminds me of teenage boys trying to upstage each other to get a girl’s attention.

In other species, brute strength carries the day for males eager to win mating rights. Large mammals like elk and bison have a dominant male who controls a harem of females, unless a younger and stronger challenger is able to put him out to pasture. This behavior reminds me of countless schoolyard and lunchroom fights over a girl.

Once these critters become an item, how long does their relationship last? It depends on the critter, just like with us. Some species are monogamous pairs, some are promiscuous males, and some are promiscuous females. For those that have a hard time getting around, like corals and clams, it’s free love. Look around at our own society and you’ll see the same scenarios, though not always for the same reasons.

In promiscuous relationships it is the female who raises the young with no paternal help in most cases. The bison and elk, where a male controls a harem, are male promiscuous. He will mate with as many of the females as he can. His goal is to have as many offspring as possible, while the female’s goal is ensure that her offspring have the best chance of survival. Surely the strongest and most fit of the males has the genes that offer better odds.

Sometimes it is the female who gets around. Several species of primates and birds practice this. The female hopes for better reproductive success by keeping her options open. It may also have the advantage that comes with several males all believing the offspring are theirs. Since the male’s goal is to have as many offspring as possible, the uncertainty will make sure they are looking out for any that are potentially theirs.

Everyone’s favorite relationship is monogamy. A pair mates for life and we think it’s so sweet. It’s almost like they’re married. This behavior is seen in bald eagles and gray wolves, for example. In this situation, both parents care for the young. In most cases, the pair nest together year-round. Not so for the Laysan albatross like Wisdom, who we met a few weeks ago. While she has a monogamous partner, they spend most of the year apart, coming together only for the breeding season. Once they chicks fledge the nest, they all go their separate ways. Wisdom and her mate will see each other again next year.

The messiest mating strategy is dispersal. Wind pollenating plants (think of pine trees) use this method, as do many sea creatures. Some environmental cue triggers corals, clams, and other sessile critters to release sperm and egg cells simultaneously. The sea becomes a soupy mess as the currents mix everything together. The pinnacle of group sex, critters who have never met or even seen each other become proud parents of children drifting off to parts unknown.

Every species is adapted to whatever mating and parenting style works best to ensure the next generation will survive. A general rule of thumb: fewer offspring get more intense parenting, while more offspring get little to no parental care. Either way, parents are playing the percentages to make sure they win the mating game.

 This week's information comes from Nature Education and the Washington Post.