kikisch's Identifications

Description: one of the more common sea stars they are found in the inter tidal all the way from Maine to Texas. Generally they have 5 arms but have been found with up to seven. This one was found on a rocky substrate
Fun fact: Although many people call them starfish, it is more scientifically correct to call them sea stars as they aren’t fish and don’t have a backbone

Ensis leei, commonly known as the Atlantic jackknife clam, is distributed all along the Atlantic coast of North America. They typically live in the sand or mud of intertidal and subtidal zones. This organism was found dead and washed up on shore. It is distinguished by its long, narrow, streamlined shell and extremely sharp rim. This species can grow up to 25 cm in length. It is known to have a white shell, and a brownish-green periostracum. A fun fact about this species is that it is regarded as an exotic or invasive species in northwestern Europe.

References:
Martinez, Andrew. Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to Cape May. New York: Aqua Quest Publications, Inc. 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_jackknife_clam

Scientific Name: Echinarachnius parma

Common Name: Common Sand Dollar

Location: Found on Long Beach in Nahant, MA

Distinguishing feature:flat and circular; very thin; 5 point petal like pattern on top; reddish/brown when alive (Martinez, A. J. (1994). Marine Life of the North Atlantic Canada to Cape May. Locust Valley, NY: Aqua Quest)

The common name is green string lettuce. This species was found growing on a rock while scuba diving in Nahant. It is generally found in the mid to low intertidal on cobble, boulders and bed rock. This alga prefers protected and semi-protected habitats. It is distributed all over the North Pacific. Generally tubular only at the base of the plant then quickly flattens into long 45cm blades that are ruffled and much wider than a similar species of intestinalis. A fun fact is that you are unable to see through the blades of this species because the blades are two cell layers thick. Information found at:http://www.seaweedsofalaska.com/species.asp?SeaweedID=14.

Common name: Common Coralline
Species name: Corallina officinalis
Location found: Boothbay Harbor in East Boothbay, Maine
Status: Alive, attached to rocks
Habitats: Typically and predominantly grows in the lower and mid-littoral zones on rocky shores, especially where fucoid algae are absent. It is usually found growing around rims of tide pools, but can also be found in shallow crevices anywhere on the rocky shore, regulated by refreshed sea water. It is also found further up shore on exposed coasts
Physical description: Pinkish white to lilac, calcified, articulated fronds, axis cylindrical to compressed, repeatedly pinnate from and expanded discoid base, branching often irregular. The growth is often stunted (short). Miniature and flat version of branching corals
Fun fact: To strengthen its thallus, t forms calcium carbonate deposits within its cells
Reference(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corallina_officinalis
http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/Corallina_officinalis.php
"Illustrated Key to the Seaweeds of New England" by Martine Villalard-Bohnsack (A Publication of The Rhode Island Natural History Survey, Kingston, RI. Second Edition, 2003)

Common Name: Sugar Kelp

Location: Found dead washed onshore at Canoe Beach, Nahant, MA.

Habitat: Subtidal zone on rocks and hard substrate.

Physical Description: Large, flat blade with a ruffled texture on the edges. Yellowish brown in color.

Fun Fact: Editable and used for fertilizer.

Stewart Van Patten, Margaret. Seaweeds of Long Island Sound. (Connecticut: Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, 2009) 47.

Scientific name: Limulus polyphemus

Common name: Atlantic horseshoe crab

Location:Dead shell was found at Great salt marsh, Ipswich, MA, United States

Distinguishing feature: Shell is light tan to dark brown. Legs and gills are dark reddish brown with white markings.Averages 24 inches long and 12 inches wide. Females are larger than males.Shallow and deep water, over all types of bottom.

Fun fact: Their blue, copper-rich blood contains a clotting agent that reacts to bacteria that are harmful to humans. This compound is used to test medical equipment that comes into contact with human blood or spinal fluid for the presence of bacterial contamination. It is also used to test for diseases such as spinal meningitis.

Scientific name: Geukensia demissa

Common name: Atlantic Ribbed Mussel

Location: Found in mud sediment of intertidal zone in Great salt marsh, Ipswich, MA, United States

Distinguishing feature: grows 2 to 4 inches in length. Its glossy, ribbed shells vary in color from olive or yellowish-brown to black. The shell's interior is iridescent blue to silvery white.Lives in low, regularly flooded marshes and mud flats

Common Name: Sea Lettuce

Location: Found dead washed onshore at Canoe Beach, Nahant, MA.

Habitat: Intertidal zones with abundant nutrients.

Physical Description: Bright green in color. A single flat, leafy blade.

Fun Fact: Edible.

Stewart Van Patten, Margaret. Seaweeds of Long Island Sound. (Connecticut: Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, 2009) 26.

Common name: Eastern Oyster
Species name: Crassostrea virginica
Location found: Strawberry Hill Marsh , Ipswich, MA
Status: Alive
Habitats: Forms extensive reefs, both intertidally and subtidally
Physical description: The shell is thick, flattened and highly variable in shape. It grows from round/irregular to oval and usually bears concentric ridges. The outer color of the shell is dirty white to gray and the inner shell is bright white with a deep purple or red-brown muscle scar (Kay 1979)
Fun fact: They are considered a foundation species in many environments as they provide a key structural element within their ecosystem. They also serve as ecosystem engineers in western Atlantic estuaries
Reference(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_oyster

This species was found in the rack on Long Beach in Nahant. It is commonly found in the low tide to sub tidal areas in the North and sub tidal in part of its range from the Artic to Cape Cod. This species looks like it has been shot full of holes and has a branched holdfast. It also has a relatively short stipe and a thick, indistinct midrib. It is generally dark brown/greenish.
A fun fact is that this species is also called devil's apron. (Marine Life of the North Atlantic, Andrew J. Martinez)

Found dead along the shoreline of the Strawberry Hill Saltmarsh in Ipswich, MA. Atlantic horseshoe crabs are a species of chelicerae commonly found in estuaries and coastlines along the North American East Coast. When they are mating they can be found in intertidal zones, but primarily are subtidal when not mating. They are the only horseshoe crab found in the Americas. They are benthic detritivores, primarily eating dead organic matter. They are dark brown with a large circular domed carapace, which is where they get the "horseshoe" part of their name.

Horseshoe crabs have 9 eyes! Their compound eyes undergo a shedding process every morning as they reconstruct the opsin structure of their eyes!

Battelle, B. A. (2013). What the clock tells the eye: lessons from an ancient arthropod.

Ulva lactuca, commonly known as sea lettuce, is distributed worldwide, including both coasts of North America. It is commonly found on rocks and other algae in the littoral and sublittoral zones. This organism was found while scuba diving in 10 ft of water. This species is distinguished by its discoid holdfast, flat appearance, and ruffled, often torn margins. It can also be identified under the microscope by being two cells thick. This green to dark green colored species can grow up to 18 cm in length and 30 cm across. A fun fact about this species is that when decayed, it produces gases like hydrogen sulfide and methane.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulva_lactuca