~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ One of the many luxuries that Nantucket visitors can experience is the chance to see a humpback whale, and just a few weeks ago we had one cavorting very close to the island in the shallow […]
Island Science
Crab Wars
~ by Marc Hensel and Dr. Sarah D. Oktay ~ Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station. There is a habitat war going on between many different colored armored soldiers who hide in the muck like WWII combatants and fight to the death over territory and food. Much of the […]
Raccoon on the Loose on Nantucket
-by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station- For the first time in many years, we have a new mammalian intruder who has managed to stowaway on a boat and make their way to the island. What would be a farcical children’s book story for the […]
Basking in the Sun, Ocean Sunfish
by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station We have had three visitors this week, a Mola Mola otherwise known as an ocean sunfish, a beautiful humpback whale out by Great Point and an errant washashore/rode-ashore raccoon, and I thought I would write about one of […]
The Grey Grampus or Risso’s Dolphin
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Over the past few weeks, a deceased Risso’s Dolphin has been seen off Madaket as its sad corpse is returned to the shoreline by incoming waves. At least three people have emailed or texted me […]
It Came for My Cherry Trees
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • I wrote about eastern tent caterpillars a couple of years ago but they are so prevalent around the island, literally spreading out in all directions, that I felt it made sense to write about them […]
Dreaming of a Green Nantucket
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Spring has sprung, the island is filling up with people and warm sunny weather is erasing memories of a long hard winter. This is a perfect time to become aware of how your actions can effect […]
Strange Visitors – Giant Oarfish
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Two photos accompany this article and they may look like an elaborate gimmick or hoax but they are photos taken by Tyler Bradbury and Mike Strazzula of a giant oar fish that washed up on Nantucket […]
Ticked Off on Nantucket – Deer Ticks
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • As tourists and summer residents start streaming back to the island, Nantucketers are emerging from our hobbit holes to bask in the sunnier and warmer days like a pack of painted turtles and all this […]