Sites of Interest

I like to share cool sites I come across with you all as many of you share them with me. Today I have one new and one local site tried and true. They both will interest surfers or anyone with a profound love of the ocean.

Okay look to the right and notice "Oceanus Magazine" under ONLINE MAGAZINES WE LIKE. It's published online by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute In Massachusetts. This is an extremely well done publication with a myriad of Ocean related articles written to the layman reader as well as those of you with a keener understanding of ocean science, its lifeforms and geology.

First I must compliment any publication which emphasizes online publication. There's no waste of trees/paper in order to pass along current information. Maybe this is the way it should be. You think? I can't quote you the supporting numbers, but the logic goes something like this: How many trees would be saved, how much cleaner would the air be in the world, if we didn't produce so much paper in order to pass along our thoughts, simply to communicate ideas and knowledge? Do you think it would be a better way, I mean with the technology to do this in our hands now? Hmmmm...

I found articles as diverse as these. One covering the undersea search for John Paul Jones' sunken American Revolutionary War ship, the Bonhomme Richard, sunk off the British coast in 1779 after capturing the H.M.S. Seraphis.

I also found an article covering how pesticide runoff may be causing a decline in shellfish in developed countries due to the disruption of hormonal function in arthropods. You see, crustaceans and insect pests are both arthropods. So the intended disruption of the reproductive cycle in insect crop pests or even mosquitoes aren't the only ones being disrupted apparently. Shrimp, blue crabs, and lobster are being affected by the pesticide running off into the rivers, sounds, and ocean. I had heard of nitrogen-rich rainwater (from fertilizer) running into rivers feeding the Chesapeake Bay depleting oxygen causing fish kills and decline in oyster population. But I had never read a clear accounting of how pesticides affect marine life.

This is great reading cause these things affect me directly. I love eating shellfish! Thanks to "Oceanus", I get the picture. Anyway, check for yourself.

Another fine local site I visit regularly is SurfKDH.com featuring the photography of local photog, Micky McCarthy. (By the way, for you out of town readers, KDH is what we call the town of Kill Devil Hills, N.C.) In fact, Mick covers the swell we just had this week on Wednesday with some great shots of S-Turns in Rodanthe. I'll have local links up soon for you, so enjoy.