The seaweed is here {jumping for joy} . . .

"People protect what they love"

- Jacques Cousteau

Yes we do. We protect our families, our homes, our possessions.

We protect our freedom.

We do so with force and sometimes 'til death.

But in my humble opinion, we have failed epically to protect our environment and its precious resources.

Everything was put here on this Earth to fulfill a purpose.

Not just for our sustainability, but also for our pleasure.

So, without further delay, I'm here today to help you fall in love . . . with a frogfish! lol
Oh yeah, you're gonna wish you could hold one when this is over

Do you remember I finally found one last year in the sargassum seaweed? Well, in my only two visits to the beach so far this year (yes that comes as a shock to me too-the two part not the visit), I not only found one but I found 5!

I was so happy to get to the beach AND see the seaweed  . . .  I skipped straight into the water!!

And I'm not the only one that gets excited for this massive entrance of seaweed dinner.

The seagulls can almost always be found waiting for their fair share of seaweed critters to snatch up.

I was only going to go and stay for a few hours . . . 

. . . but me and my handy dandy blue net (you remember that one) were having way too much fun!

The waves AND the seaweed were crashing into the shore (and my legs). Always takes just a bit to desensitize my legs to that feeling of something crawling on me. But as you start to hit pay dirt, you just kinda forget about it.

The one I found last year was probably about twice this size, and they can reach up to 7.5".

Such a fascinating looking fish complete with weedy dermal appendages that help it to blend right in. Ever seen a fish with blue eyes? Me either. 

They depend on their camouflage for protection since this fish has no scales.

Now watch what happens when I put him in the water . . . 

Ta da, just look at all those crazy appendages, isn't it cute! Do you see the sargassum shrimp on the left?

Oh yeah, I caught a ton of millet too. These are used a lot as bait fish, when they get larger of course.

As I was photographing these through my temporary aquarium glass jar, I hear someone say excuse me.

I turn around and it's a white truck with the words, Texas Parks and Wildlife! Ruh roh, and then he asks me, "Whatcha got there"? Whew, he was really just interested in what I had in the container, and was a little surprised that I caught them in my little kids net. 

1. I could live at the beach (shocker)

2. I go to the beach to relax, but I never sit down...hardly ever (another shocker)

3. I love the seaweed . . . people think I'm crazy (I know, shocked again)

4. There is almost 100 species of marine life that lives in that seaweed (I heard ya say wow)

5. I'm on a mission to find them all (of course you're not surprised) 

Sargassum shrimp...check

Sargassum frogfish...check

sargassum crab...check

nudibranch...check

cute little fish I do not know the name of ...check  

The problem is, people look at the seaweed as a smelly glass that is half empty . . . 

But really it's half chocked full of really cool sea life!!

I can tell you nearly 9.5 times out of 10 after someone asks me why I'm shaking the seaweed

they had no idea all these things live in there and then they get really interested. In fact, most of the things that do live in it can be found no where else, exclusive to this seaweed.

From experience I have found that people warm up to things they may fear when they have some knowledge
and understanding . . . which may lead to interest and caring about it . . . which may lead to loving it.

And,

People protect what they love.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Love, Kim
XO

Sharing with Little Things Thursday, Friday Photo Journal, Finding Serendipity {1440}

Random 5 Friday

Foto Friday . . .

I interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you . . . yes more seaweed.

And it looks like this seaweed isn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

(She says with a sheepish grin)

The news said it's the worst in great abundance and that Galveston hasn't seen this much

seaweed in a decade and partly because we have been having really strong south winds.

When I was there last week I thought there was a lot, but I went back (because I had too much

fun just days before) even I was shocked by the amounts I saw and it went on and on for as far

as my eyes could see.

But before we headed to the beach we took in the sunrise. . .

and a little starburst to go with it.

And then we headed to Galveston to the beach . . . and there wasn't a soul there but us and the birds!

Oh, and the seaweed - lots and lots of seaweed!

The birds were in smorgasbord heaven and so was I, practicing shooting (with my camera only of course) birds in flight. These little fellows are fast.

This time there was so much of it and it went so much further out into the water that I just couldn't get to it to find more critters . . .

 . . . and well, after seeing this seagull grab this out of the seaweed I wasn't sure I wanted to anyway! (And to think I was knee deep in this last week) I'm not going to rush to any rash judgements here, but just sayin' I'm not sure pipefish grow that long?

And as I ventured along I came across this female blue crab, noted by her lipstick stained claws - she was a little out of sorts, blowing bubbles which is never a good sign. But she soon got a second wind and was headed off to find the water.

This is some of the seaweed that has been on shore and has started to dry up. Those little berry looking things are actually filled with a gas and are what keeps the sargassum afloat. It comes from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic and when it breaks free and catches the gulf stream it ends up in the Gulf of Mexico benefiting the beaches by replenishing and preventing erosion.

We decided to head down the street a bit further west to a spot where they were pushing the seaweed back off the shore.

Where I found even more birds . . .

[ Photograph life - one color collage ]

. . . and they were working the beach!

And these Sanderlings, which are not babies, usually will not let you get close but they were so all consumed

by lunch to even care.

[ Shoot, edit, submit ]

And then how perfect, the theme over at Photo Art Friday this week if you chose it was to make a piece of photo art with a horizon. This is the view walking back down the ramp from the beach. And this is kind of monumentous( monumental and momentous, it's a kimism) for me in that I still haven't quite learned my elements yet and found that picmonkey allows you to upload your own texture. Imagine my excitement, and especially because I was able to use not one, but two of Bonnie's textures [from Pixel Dust Photo Art] that I won. Whoo Hoo!

I used two images that I superimposed, one of the scene and the other of the pelicans. I used Northern Lights overlay in subtract at 44%, and then Splendor in the Grass in hardlight at 25%, ta da!!

I love how the textures really enhanced the clouds, thanks again Bonnie!

[ Photo Art Friday ]

And strangely last but not least and only because it doesn't fit the beach theme, is my interpretation of still life for project 52. And check it out, no spray bottle this time, lol!

And oh sigh, boy do I love Ranunculus......

[ P52 project  -  Flower Art Friday ]

Kim Klassen's texture Warm sun, hardlight 81% 

The winds are suppose to die down giving a small reprieve of seaweed this weekend, but we are expecting storms, shucks! I'm on a quest to find a pipefish and flatworm...wish me luck!! ; )

Have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Mother's Day to you, early!

Love, Kim

XO

        

Foto Friday - A sunrise and a beach walk

 

The sun rises,

and nature wakes up

there is an instant reminder

we are alive

The ocean,

it has the ability

to heal our hearts

and to bring joy to our minds and our souls.

 A common sight among Galveston beaches between May and August is a gulfweed, or seaweed called sargassum which grows in dense intertwined mats in the Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea, in the North Atlantic Ocean, is surrounded by ocean currents and is the only 'sea' without shores.



Different parts of the island vary in their management of the seaweed. There are some areas that are raked and others like the Galveston Island State Park which is a natural area and no raking occurs. The seaweed that ends up at the base of the dunes is important in helping to establish other dune systems, which absorb wave energy during hurricanes and protects the sand from wave erosion.

 

Foto Friday - A sunrise and a beach walk

 

The sun rises

and nature wakes up

there is an instant reminder

we are alive

The ocean

and its ability to heal our hearts

brings joy to our minds

and wakes our souls

-Kim

Finally, after three visits to watch the sunrise, we actually got to 'see' the sun rise!
I really do wish I could watch it everyday,
because it's painted with a different brush
and a different color palette
on each new morning!

Three minutes later.....

And then another 6 minutes . . .

After the sunrise, we drove to Galveston for a walk on the beach, and to relax. But it's that time of year again for the seaweed, which between May and August is a common sight along Galveston beaches. It's a gulfweed, called sargassum which grows in really dense mats in the Sargasso Sea, and this year it's the worst it has been in 10 years. The Sargasso Sea, in the North Atlantic Ocean, is the only sea that has no coastline. Yep, it's completely surrounded by water and known for its deep blue color, very warm and very clear water. When large masses of it break off and hit the gulf currents, it's brought to the Gulf of Mexico.

Now depending on what part of the Island you're on will depend on how much you find because each area manages the seaweed differently. There are some areas that are raked and others like the Galveston Island State Park which is a natural area and no raking occurs. After it dies some of the seaweed ends up at the base of the sand dunes and is important in helping to establish other dune systems, which during a hurricane absorbs wave energy and protects the sand from wave erosion.

The amount of seaweed that comes ashore varies from day to day. The lighter color being the seaweed that is still alive and the darker which is dead. On this day there were more seagulls than I have ever seen at one time and they were as far as the eye could see. They were feeding on all of the marine life that also finds food and shelter in the seaweed.

But really, it's just a minor nuisance. And when you love the beach, you just work walk around it.

 Being watched by a sandpiper . . .

Sandpipers in flight . . .

Isn't nature is a wonderful thing . . . these guys are so well camouflauged

not only in the sand but in the seaweed too!

Notice her tool of choice, it's an ice cream scooper - Gotta love it!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Do something that makes you feel alive,

brings joy to your heart,

and wakes your soul!

Yep, you know where you'll find me . . .

Love, Kim

XO