Brown Study

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We may hardly notice them because they're always present, including on the town of Seabrook Island's official seal, but brown pelicans, with their seven-foot wingspans and silent gliding formations, are a key indicator species of the health of our surrounding waters. Feeding on sardines, anchovies, herring, mullets, minnows and small crustaceans, a thriving colony means a sustainable marine ecology.

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis carolinensis) are one of three species of pelicans found in the Americas (the Peruvian and American White are the other two), and are common from southern New England as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River. Listed as endangered until 2009 due to low birth rates caused by exposure to DDT and other toxic pesticides, populations of "brownies" have stabilized, as a visit to the Deveaux Bank, a major breeding ground at the mouth of the North Edisto River, will confirm.

Breeding takes place during March and April, when you'll see a yellow patch on the birds' white heads while in breeding plumage. Males and females alternately tend to a clutch of three or four eggs, keeping them warm under their webbed feet until they hatch in about thirty days. Pelicans are among the longer-lived marine species with a lifespan of up to thirty years.

Soaring as high as seventy feet above the water while searching for fish, brown pelicans are one of only two of the world's eight species to feed by diving, plunging headfirst into the water to scoop up their prey before surfacing and straining the water from their signature pouch to swallow their catch.

Brownies are non-migratory, so we're able to enjoy these magnificent birds all year round as they soar gracefully overhead or skim offshore waters.

Black Sands

Seabrook is known for its three miles of pristine beaches and the sustainable management of this precious natural resource. But what about the black streaks and clumps that mark our otherwise white sand coastline?

They're evidence of a valuable mineral resource hidden in the sand - titanium, a metallic element found in minerals contained in ancient deposits of soil and rock ground over millennia to form our sands. While our beaches contain only trace amounts, so-called heavy metal beaches in Virginia and Florida are among those mined around the world for titanium, used widely in the aerospace industry for its light weight but high tensile strength. Those same qualities make it useful for joint replacement surgery, dental implants, and everything from bicycles to golf clubs. The United States is a major world supplier of the stuff, with mines in seven states.

Titanium was first described in the late 18th-century, when a curious clergyman wondered about the magnetic qualities of the sand he found on the beaches of Cornwall in southwest England. Extracted and purified some years later by a German chemist, it was declared a new element and slotted into the periodic table as the ninth most abundant mineral on earth, named titanium after the giant gods of Greek mythology.

About 65% of refined titanium is used by the aerospace industry for jet engines, wings and fuselages; the remaining 35% is used for medical purposes and in the manufacture of sporting goods, from golf clubs to tennis racquets, skis and baseball bats. Its resistance to corrosion makes it an important component of ship propellers and hulls. It even shows up in fireworks, where it produces silvery white sparks against the night sky. So the next time you're out on the golf course, on the tennis court or enjoying a day on the water, thank those black beach sands for making it all possible.

The Basin Buffer

After the recent heavy rains that swept the Lowcountry, we can be glad of one of our favorite areas visited on our SINHG Trip schedule - the ACE Basin. This 350,000-acre estuary, less than an hour's drive south on Savannah Highway, serves as a huge sponge to absorb and store rainwater, just as our local marshes do to a lesser degree. The basin's acronymn is derived from the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers which flow through the area before merging to form St. Helena Sound near Beaufort. The scores of secondary tidal creeks and tributaries that thread through this critical environment are popular kayaking sites for SINHG members, thanks to the 23 boat landings that dot this largely undeveloped area.

Known for its pristine marshes, wetlands, hardwood forests and riverine flora and fauna, the Basin's protected status is thanks to the efforts of combined public and private entities that, during the 1970's and 1980's, worked to secure funding, including more than $50 million in federal support for conservation efforts to maintain a healthy ecosystem under the guidance of the ACE Basin Task Force. The Ernest F. Hollings National Wildlife Refuge is one of many great locations for wildlife viewing, hiking and fishing. Learn more here, and join one of our kayaking trips for a unique Lowcountry perspective.