Kachemak Currents: Recent Episodes
KBBI
Kachemak Currents is a natural history program produced by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. The program covers a wide variety of subjects, all sharing the common theme of "the natural history of the Kachemak Bay area."
The Ribbon Worm is found among rocks in the intertidal zone, and is a formidable predator
Galls are a growths on plants due to a form of irritation, often due to insects laying eggs. The plant host, in turn, grows around the eggs, thereby providing protection
There are many poisonous plants in our area; in this episode of Kachemak Currents, we focus on three
Minke whales are common in Kachemak Bay, though less frequently observed than other whales
Tree Swallows are in decline in Alaska, but there are ways we can help rebuild the poplulation
The first official sighting was April 12. The Kenai Peninsula's portion of the 'Pacific Flyway' population of Sandhill Cranes has returned.
The upcoming equinox signals the eventual arrival of warmer weather and the 'photoperiod.'
Gravel is of fundamental importance in the construction of buildings and infrastructure
Common winter resident Siskins rely on spruce seeds to sustain them and maintain body temperature
This summer was one of the rainiest in recent history for the Homer area, and that could explain the comparative lack of fireweed blossoms
Inspiration Ridge Preserve and how sandhill cranes have adapted to human-made changes in the Homer area
Nemertea worms, a marine worm also known as ribbon and proboscis worms, are readily found in Kachemak Bay
The slime mold is neither plant nor animal, and it's not a fungus either; it's an amoeba.
Six species of bats live in Alaska, most of these in Southeast, but the Little Brown Bat has adapted to life in central Alaska, even north of Fairbanks
Both resident and transient orca pods inhabit Kachemak Bay, and they differ in both appearance and behavior
The Bar-Tailed Godwit stops in Kachemak Bay on its migration north from New Zealand to the Yukon Delta. The return journey, from Western Alaska to New Zealand, is the longest non-stop migration of any animal.
Barnacles are one of the planet's oldest animals. This sessile crustacean affixes itself to rocks, docks, boats and marine mammals with its own fast-curing secretion.
Just as plankton refers to organisms in the water column that are not strong enough to move against the currents or tides, aerial plankton is a way of describing organisms in the air that are moved around by thermal updrafts, winds, and atmospheric circulation patters like the jet stream
German botanist Georg Wilhelm Steller explored coastal Alaska in the 18th century, and was the first non-native to document six species, including the Steller's Jay and the now extinct Steller's Sea Cow.