General Info

Horseshoe crabs have existed for about 445 million years—and despite their name, they aren’t true crabs. They’re more closely related to spiders and scorpions. Their long tails help them flip over and dig into sand, protecting their vulnerable underside.

Green crabs are invasive to Cape Cod! They can disrupt local ecosystems.

Meroplankton are tiny juvenile animals that begin life drifting in the water before either settling onto the seafloor or becoming swimmers.

Fin whales are the second largest cetaceans, just behind blue whales. They were heavily hunted for their blubber, which people used for oil and meat.

Slipper shells are single-shelled snails that are “protandrous”—they start as males and later become females. They are found stacked together with lower, larger females topped by smaller males that change sex as they grow.

Dolphins use “motherese,” a higher-pitched way of communicating with their calves—similar to how humans talk to babies.

Comb jellies can eat other comb jellies—even larger ones—by biting off pieces using specialized cilia structures in their mouths.

You can tell male and female spider crabs apart by their undersides—males have a narrower, elongated shape, while females have a wider, more triangular one.

Cormorants are expert diving birds that can hold their breath on average between one and two minutes.