Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Charlie and WhySharksMatter at the Rally to Restore Sanity
Last week, Andrew asked readers to send us their marine themed Halloween costumes. We are pleased to announce that our winner is Gabriella M! Gabriella, please e-mail us with your mailing address to collect your prize (a Southern Fried Science t-shirt). We will also donate $50 to the Gam Donors Choose Initiative project of your choice, so please let us know which one is your favorite.
Here is Gabriella’s winning entry:
National Geographic’s Great Migrations, a seven part series which premieres November 7th, calls itself a collection of “the most moving stories on Earth”. It focuses on some amazing animals from around the world and the incredible journeys they take to survive. This series was a massive undertaking, with the National Geographic crew spending 2 years traveling more than 420,000 miles over 20 countries. The end result is visually spectacular, full of fascinating science and rich in never-before-told stories of animal behavior. The series itself is an great educational resource, and the website has plenty to offer teachers (particularly the Science page and the Teacher Resources page).
While many of the best-known migrations involve land animals or birds, some marine migrations are also pretty darn great.
Longtime readers have probably noticed an increase in political-themed posts from me over the last few months. I pointed out that despite satellite photos and computer analysis, Glenn Beck just made up the size of the crowd at his rally. I discussed the bizarre “Save the Light Bulb” movement whose members are actively against energy efficiency. I complained about how one Senator engaged in political grandstanding at the expense of sharks and other species in need of legal protection. Most recently, I wrote about the Tea Party and their anti-global warming, anti-evolution, anti-stem cell agenda.
There are two reasons for the change in content. One is the upcoming midterm elections and my belief that scientists have a stake in the outcome. As a scientist, I feel that the anti-science views of the Tea Party should inspire us to vote. As a political moderate (admittedly left-leaning), I am alarmed by the rise of extremists on both sides, and I wish I could do something about it. If you follow me on twitter, you already know the second reason for the increase in political posts. This weekend, I will be attending the Rally to Restore Sanity.
Read More “Scientists For Sanity: Mr. WhySharksMatter Goes to Washington” »
Earth is facing a biodiversity crisis so severe that many conservation scientists refer to it as a mass extinction event. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a professional network of 11,000 volunteer scientists belonging to more than 1,000 government and NGO agencies in 160 countries, evaluates species worldwide and determines their risk of extinction. This Red List, which ranks species in increasing risk of extinction – Least Concern, Near Threatened, Conservation Dependent, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct – is described as “the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species”.
Statistics from the Red List are terrifying. One fifth of all evaluated vertebrate species are threatened with extinction, including 12% of birds, 21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, and 26% of fish. On average, fifty species of amphibians, birds, and mammals move measurably closer to extinction each year. One fifth of the world’s plant species are in danger of extinction. Critical habitat-builders, including 33% of reef building coral species and 14% of seagrass species are in very big trouble.
Read More “Back from the Brink: Victories in Conservation” »
Last week, I asked for your help funding a project about sharks from our Donors Choose initiative. I’m pleased to report that thanks to your generosity, it has been fully funded! Mrs. S posted a thank you letter: “Dear Arkansas Community Foundation SIMS Grant Program, Elizabeth, Chuck, John and The APSRC and Walton Family Foundation, … Read More “Donors Choose Success: “Our Shark Tale” is fully funded!” »
In this week’s Shark Science Monday, University of Tromsø Norwegian Polar Institute researcher Lisa-Marie LeClerc discusses her research on the feeding habits of the Greenland Shark. As always, feel free to ask questions of our interview subject in the comments below. ~WhySharksMatt
The conservation movement is full of organizations whose stated goal is to protect specific organisms (i.e. “save the whales” or “save the sea turtles”) or to protect certain ecosystems (i.e. “save the rain forest” or “save the coral reef”). While these groups do admirable work, I can’t help put notice that they primarily focus on charismatic, likable organisms and ecosystems that are considered beautiful. The reason for this is simple- it’s easier to get the public to support conserving these things. Any conservation is a good thing, but when we focus exclusively on what we like instead of what’s important to the environment, it can lead to ecological disaster. That’s why I was so excited to learn of the existence of the “save the krill” movement.
Check out Oceana’s new ad!
In the language of television reviews, the phrase “jump the shark” refers to a show that has been on the air too long and is out of good ideas. The original use refers to an episode of Happy Days where Fonzi literally jumped over a shark while waterskiing. A recent episode of CSI made me question if they are guilty of this same phenomenon. In episode 2 of season 11 (yes, the show has been on the air for 11 years), a woman is attacked by a shark. CSI watchers know that the show takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, an unusual place for a shark attack. As it turns out, the shark attack took place in a Vegas hotel swimming pool. I’m not joking. Check out the preview: