Author: Andrew Thaler

Marine science and conservation. Deep-sea ecology. Population genetics. Underwater robots. Open-source instrumentation. The deep sea is Earth's last great wilderness.

The Growing Consensus of Global Draining

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 13 Comments on The Growing Consensus of Global Draining
Science

Since my initial post of the new phenomenon of Global Draining, there has been an outpouring of support and a trickle of criticism (mostly stemming from hydrologists in the pockets of Big Flood Insurance). Dr. M of Deep Sea News kicked it of with an advanced mathematical model of the effects of Global Draining. Micheal Bok from the blog, Arthropoda, chimed in with his personal observation of Global Draining. Jeff Ives has been tweeting his thoughts on the big drain over the last month @thejives.

But my detractors have raised valid criticisms. Primarily that my original study covered too short a time frame and was biased to only a small period of the tidal cycle. To remedy these concerns, I have conducted a new study, tracking the draining of the sea over an 8 days period, by measuring the maximum high tide of each day. The results are shocking.

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Ancient sharks, not only sub-par, but also pretty gross

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 4 Comments on Ancient sharks, not only sub-par, but also pretty gross
Science

If you’re still unconvinced by previous meditations into the sub-par-ody of sharks, consider this study, reported over at Laelaps: The simplest explanation was that the shark (or sharks) which left the marks had been intentionally trying to eat the feces. “From the curvature of the toothmarks and their positions on the specimens,” Godfrey and Smith … Read More “Ancient sharks, not only sub-par, but also pretty gross” »

Bluefin tuna fails to make UN’s list of protected fish

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Conservation

Seriously, what the fuck? A proposal to protect the Atlantic bluefin tuna prized in sushi was rejected at a UN wildlife meeting today. The decision was reached after Japan, Canada and scores of poor nations opposed the measure on the grounds that banning exports of the fish would devastate fishing economies. Monaco introduced the proposal … Read More “Bluefin tuna fails to make UN’s list of protected fish” »

10 things I hate about sharks

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 7 Comments on 10 things I hate about sharks
Science

Although vertebrates, sharks have cartilaginous skeletons. Why can’t they make up their minds? Sharks don’t fly anymore. Seriously, there used to be flying sharks. Flying Sharks. You can’t make this stuff up. Shark fins have no flavor. None. I mean what’s the point? Dermatologists get confused. Teeth for skin? What’s up with that? Sharks aren’t … Read More “10 things I hate about sharks” »

Sharks are sub-par, at best

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 15 Comments on Sharks are sub-par, at best
Science

In honor of the world premier of David Shiffman’s first major motion picture, “Four things everyone needs to know about sharks,” we are proud to repost our original response to the article, “Sharks are sub-par, at best.” Enjoy!

For too long have I sat idly by as my co-blogger has waxed poetic on the glories of sharks. How great they are as predators, how perfectly they’ve evolved. They’re ancient, pre-historic, haven’t changed in millions of years. They’re the ultimate predator, and champion in the ocean. Unchallenged, unmatched, awesome. A wonder of evolution.

It’s time to clear up some of those -other- myths about sharks.

The fearsome whorl-toothed shark
The fearsome whorl-toothed shark

1. Sharks are ancient creatures that have lived unchanged for millions of years.

While technically true that sub-class Elasmobranchii has been around for hundreds of millions of years, modern sharks are, well, modern. They’ve been evolving for exactly as much time as just about everything else currently alive. And they are far from unchanged. Modern sharks, though they may resemble some older models (just like modern lemurs resemble Ida), are much different beasts then their Silurian cousins. Ancient sharks occured in a diversity of forms, back when they actually dominated the ocean. These modern sharks are just the scruffy leftovers.

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Life in FAILboat Bay

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Life in FAILboat Bay
Uncategorized

If you haven’t been following my Twitter feed (why aren’t you following my Twitter feed?), you may have missed the picture from FAILboat Bay over the last two weeks. For some reason, the small bay right next to my house has accumulated derelict boats over the winter. Vacationers tend to leave their boats moored over the winter and assume nothing will happen to them during the 9 months they’re abandoned. Of course, anything can happen to a boat over 9 months, and most tend to not be well anchored to begin with. Here is a selection of some of my favorite FAILboats from the last 2 week.

failboat bay

No one can guess which boat will be aground on any given day, but rarely do we get three at once. Can you spot the ultimate FAILboat?

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