#WildlifeWednesday Huge fan of seeing ants in their natural habitats (not in our buildings). 🐜Tennessee collard ants, or Aphaenogaster tennesseensis, live throughout the eastern United States. They prefer a warmer climate and nest in rotting stumps or logs. Fun fact: The queens (see slide 2) act as temporary parasites, taking over the nests of other Aphaenogaster species for their own colonies. So while you’re not likely to find these ants in your house, it might be because they’re off invading the house of another ant.
📸 by Sergio Ibarra
Next Tuesday: Meet "coastal acidification," ocean acidification's wilder cousin. Ocean acidification takes a strikingly different form in coastal waters like Chesapeake Bay. Here, the water's acidity levels can swing more drastically from day to night, season to season and even between tides. What's driving these extremes, and what do they mean for aquatic life? Join Dr. Whitman Miller, head of SERC's Ocean Acidification Lab, for an in-depth look at the dynamic chemistry of the coasts. Our next free evening science webinar airs May 19 at 7pm ET. Click the image in our bio to sign up.
Join SERC senior scientists Justin Nowakowski and John Parker to learn more about the science behind #FunctionalForests—one of North America’s largest tree restoration experiments. Check out the full story on @smithsonianmagazine by clicking the image in our bio!
#WildlifeWednesday What'ssss that in the grasssss? Check out this North American racer (Coluber constrictor) spotted on the SERC campus. North American racers are nonvenomous. They're known for being fast hunters, holding their heads high to spot their prey before darting after them, a technique called "periscoping." But despite their scientific name, these snakes don't actually constrict—they simply swallow their prey alive after catching it.
A few additional fun facts 🐍
• When threatened, they sometimes rattle their tails in dry leaves, which can sound like a rattlesnake.
• They lay between 6–36 eggs, depending on the size of the female.
• They’ll eat almost anything they can catch, from other snakes to birds, turtles and small mammals.
📸 by Sergio Ibarra
We love our teacher partners! This #TeacherAppreciationDay, we’re excited to feature the work done by educators through the Beach Surveyor Project: Opening the Window to the Sea. These educators teamed up with SERC on a pilot project to survey beaches throughout the Americas with their students. Led by our MarineGEO and public engagement teams, they helped create and refine classroom guides to examine beach strandings, supporting scientists in better understanding ocean health. The final version of the Beach Surveyor Project guides are now publicly available in English and Spanish in SERC's eLearning Lab (https://learninglab.si.edu/org/serc).
“We gain freedom by understanding our environment and the ability we have to transform it," said educator Claudia Berea of @prepaiberomerida in Mexico.
“It was an incredible honor to collaborate with scientists and educators across the Americas through the Smithsonian Institution on the Beach Surveyor Project,” said educator Katie Strait of @baxteracademyme in Maine. “Working across languages and cultures toward a shared scientific goal was not only inspiring, but it reaffirmed the power of collective action in protecting our coastlines."
Below, we’ve highlighted a few of the fantastic teachers that have been part of the program. Thank you to research intern Ninoshka López Xalín for her work putting this together. Photos provided by the educators. Click the image in our bio to download the guides.
#FellowSpotlight Meet Dr. Allie Blanchette, our Fisheries Conservation Lab’s new postdoctoral fellow! 👋
Allie’s research focuses on nearshore ecology. During her Ph.D., she worked in Bonaire studying coral restoration and farmer damselfish. Here at SERC, she's using acoustic telemetry to track key Chesapeake Bay species like bluefish, sheepshead and river herring. Learn what sparked her interest in marine biology and more about her work by reading the Q&A on our blog (click the image in our bio).
📸 by Henry Legett, Rassweiler and Lester Labs and Allie Blanchette
Join us on the water this Saturday, for the first River Days festival of 2026! We're teaming up with the @aacogov County Executive's Office for a half-day of nature-themed fun beside the Rhode River. All activities are free except purchases from food trucks. Activities include:
🚜 Hay rides ⚓ Boat rides
🔬 Hands-on science activities with SERC researchers 🐢 Live turtle talks with SERC educators
📜 1735 Woodlawn History Center exhibits, with a talk on the U.S. Constitution at 2pm
🎶 Live music
🍟 Food trucks
Photos by the Anne Arundel County Executive's Office. Learn more by clicking the image in our bio or visiting https://serc.si.edu/events/river-days-festival
#WildlifeWednesday Meet one of SERC’s nesting ospreys, spotted at the docks by our Reed Education Center. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of one this spring too...
#Ospreys are expert divers and feed almost exclusively on live fish (check out the second photo to see one in action). They’re sometimes known as “sea hawks” and can dive up to a meter underwater to catch their prey. A few additional fun facts:
• The Chesapeake Bay region hosts the largest concentration of ospreys in the U.S.— ¼ of the world’s breeding population.
• Ospreys mate for life and return to the same nesting site year after year.
• You can watch their eggs hatch live through the @chesapeakeconservancy 's nest cameras each summer.
📸 by Mace Mayor, our science illustration intern
Now Hiring: Biological Technician (Marine Biologist)
Join the Marine Invasions Research Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland!
If you’re passionate about marine ecology, benthic invertebrates, and fieldwork on the Chesapeake Bay, this is your chance to dive in. You’ll support field surveys, process sediment samples, work with microscopes, collaborate across research teams, and contribute to understanding how non‑native species shape coastal ecosystems.
📍 Edgewater, MD
💼 Full-time | $46,610/year + benefits
🗓️ Deadline: May 15, 2026
We’re looking for someone who:
• Has a bachelor’s degree in biology, aquatic, or environmental studies
• Can lift up to 50 lbs and work outdoors on small vessels
• Is comfortable with microscopes and basic data tools
• Works well on a team and communicates effectively
• Is excited about marine ecology, taxonomy, and aquatic invasions
SERC values diversity and encourages applicants from all backgrounds.
📩 To apply: Email your cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcript to [email protected] with the subject line Biological Technician – Marine Biologist (SERC).
🌱 Explore. Discover. Protect our coastal ecosystems.
This Saturday: We're psyched to kick off the first River Days festival of 2026, with the Anne Arundel County Executive's Office! Join us for a half-day of hay rides, boat rides, live music and nature-themed fun with Smithsonian and @aacogov staff. Free; no advance signup required. Click the image in our bio for details, or visit https://serc.si.edu/events/river-days-festival
Tonight: Catch SERC fisheries ecologist Dr. Matt Ogburn in "A Passion for Oysters," airing at 5:30pm ET on @marylandpublictv ! This documentary, narrated by environmental journalist Tom Horton, chronicles the history, culture and science of Maryland's most popular bivalve. Part of Maryland Public Television's #ChesapeakeBayWeek. The program is also available to stream online by clicking the image in our bio.
Background photo courtesy of The Bay Journal
