Stories from the Seaside - an E-Newsletter from the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab

OCTOBER 2020

Spooky October Finds: 6 Deadly Box Jellyfish in the Gulf

The four-handed box jelly or Chiropsalmus quadrumanus is a species of box jelly that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico. Although they aren't as deadly as their Australian cousins, they do pack a pretty powerful sting and can sometimes be fatal, especially to children. If you are a local beachgoer rethinking your safety at the beach, don’t worry! These box jellies are extremely rare. So rare that we have only encountered them three times in over 30 years! Obtaining a living specimen of this jellyfish can be tricky because box jellies are very fragile and completely transparent. The only way to properly spot them is when the water is completely calm. Four jellies were shipped to jellyfish expert, Dr Allen Collins at the Smithsonian. He hopes to study them to get a better understanding of their overall behavior, diet and ontogeny which largely remains a mystery. The remaining two were shipped to National Geographic photographer, Joel Sartore to add to his Photo Ark project. Sartore’s Photo Ark aims to document every species in the world to inspire people to care about our unique life on Earth. If you happen to see any in the Gulf, we would love to know! You can send a picture of your sighting to our Facebook Page @GulfSpecimenAquarium or email us at gspecimen@sprintmail.com.

Watch our WCTV Box Jelly Interview Here

NEW Videos in October:

Electric Ray and Genomics Research ft Dr Gavin Naylor and Jack Rudloe

Biological Batteries with Rocks In Their Heads (ft Jack Rudloe)

New Segment: Jack's Adventures

Aquaculture vs Wild Caught Shrimp

In 2010, after our book, “Shrimp the Endless Quest for Pink Gold” was published, Robins McIntosh invited Anne and myself to visit Thailand on an all expense trip paid by CP Foods to get a first-hand look at their shrimp farming operations. We learned much: the good, the bad and the ugly. Shrimp boats kill thousands of tons of fish as part of their bycatch. With shrimp farming there is no bycatch, but millions of pounds of fish, mostly anchovies, die to make fish meal, a critical part of shrimp and chicken feed. Which has the greater impact?  Which tastes better, wild caught or farmed shrimp? I have my opinion, but decide for yourself. Eric Thompson and all the local fish houses in Panacea, Carrabelle and surrounding areas have wonderful wild caught white, pink and brown shrimp. Publix, Winn Dixie and Walmart all carry good quality frozen Pacific white-leg farmed shrimp. Fry up or broil both, use seasons or sauces and see if you can taste the difference. - Jack Rudloe

Get a FREE BACKPACK with donation!

Just like our intelligent octopuses, our backpacks are color-changing too! They have a little solar magic that allow bright colors to show up in the sun. Get yours today by donating $75 above to our new ARMEC building. We need your support now more than ever to complete the construction of this building. Your donations will help educate future generations about the oceans around them. This building will provide much needed space for important summer camps, classes and lectures that will continue to inspire and teach our communities to continue conserving, protecting and exploring our coastal environments. (Visit our new page dedicated to the Anne Rudloe Memorial Education Center. Learn more about Anne as an insightful naturalist, a brilliant scientist, a compassionate Buddhist, and the woman behind Gulf Specimen. Follow this page for updates, future plans, drawings and new information about the center as we start building. ) Donate Now

October Sea Turtle Release at Mashes Sands: Netty the Juvenile Kemp's Ridley

Netty, a juvenile Kemp's Ridley was brought to us by a local fisherman in Panacea. She spent a short but sweet two weeks with us. After a thorough checkup and an x-ray by Dr Griggs at Shepherd Spring's Animal Hospital, she was released by our wonderful all-women team of volunteers. Watch Netty's release and Jack's speech here:

Netty Virtual Release

October & November Weekend Feeding Schedule

Meet Our Fall 2020 Interns: Every semester, Gulf Specimen offers a unique college internship program. This program has helped many young college students experience on-the-job type training that explores the field of biological supply, aquarium husbandry, sea turtle rehabilitation and marine life education. Click here to learn more about our Aquarist Internship Program.

Taylor Hatjioannou Taylor is a senior at Florida State University studying psychology. She loves being around animals and is a proud cat mom of two. She is a scuba diver and volunteers with Gulf World Marine Institute’s Sea Turtle and Dolphin Rescue Rehabilitation Program. Taylor’s favorite part about the internship is teaching guests about the animals and inspiring the next generation to care about the planet. After graduation Taylor hopes to work with marine mammals.

Ethan Dolata Ethan started diving at age 19 while volunteering in Madagascar. He has assisted in scientific surveys and acquired his advanced open water. Although he is from landlocked Pennsylvania, he loves getting in and on the water as much as possible. His favorite part about being a Gulf Specimen intern is experiencing specimen collection and learning about the different animals in the Gulf. Ethan plans to work in the marine biology field as a collector as well as study the different, unique species of marine life. His favorite animal at the aquarium? The lionfish of course!

Wonders of the Gulf: Creature Feature

North Florida is gifted with an amazing array of diverse animals where we find fascinating creatures almost every week. Our exhibits change with the seasons. Check out some of the amazing finds we've had this past month.

Lesser Electric Ray Narcine brasiliensis "Bzz Bzz Bzz" This baby electric ray was found by local fisherman, Justin Spencer in a cast net out at Alligator Point. While they may look like a cute, chocolate chip pancake, they pack a pretty powerful punch of more than 20 volts! They mysteriously filter the sand for heavy minerals and store it in their skulls. Not much is known about them but they certainly are an electrifying animal.

Common Brown Octopus Octopus vulgaris Meet our first octopus of the season, Rocky. Named by our instagram followers, Rocky stays to true to her name. You can find Rocky hiding by her favorite rock with shells attached to her suckers, waiting for unsuspecting crabs. Octopuses are intelligent critters that can open jars, climb out of tanks and even change the color and texture of their skin. Come to the aquarium and see if you can spot Rocky change colors as she swims around her tank.

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