Carnival of the Blue #31!

Surf's up - literally! The North Shore is getting some monster waves here in Hawaii right now (as high as 50 feet!). I want to go check out the killer surf, so I'm gonna dive head first into Carnival of the Blue #31 so that I'll still have time to go catch the waves!

First up: Wanderin' Weeta had a heck of a time with a terrible twosome of mollusc-eating flatworms. Read all about her adventures into the platyhelminthes!

After you're done digesting that little tale, swim on over the Sea Notes and read all about what it's like behind the scenes at the seahorse exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Then, of course, you have to check out Kelsey from Mauka to Makai (That's mountains to ocean, for those not familiar with Hawaiian terms) as she tells us all about her lovely doormat. Yes, it's really about a doormat. What does that have to do with the ocean? I guess you'll have to find out.

A new trailer for an upcoming film has gotten the shark blogging community in a frenzy. See the 2-minute preview for yourself, then join the debate. WhySharksMatter from Southern Fried Science wants to know what you think of it!

Finally, plunge into the frigid waters off of Peru. While conservationists often tout the dual benefits (preserving the environment while providing financial support) of eco-tourism, sometimes these ventures go a bit too far, as is the case with the Palomino islands sea lion swim program. Gunnar warns us of the dangers of swimming with cute, furry things. Sure, it looks unbelievably cool. But I don't care how cute they are - those things have teeth, and are wild animals, people!

Ok, that's it for this month's Carnival of the Blue! For more salty sea action, tune in next month for COTB #32, hosted by Sea Notes! In the meantime, submit your posts through the Blog Carnival Submission Form or directly to dotoftheblue @ gmail . com.