Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
One of the most famous “sea monsters” of all time – so famous that her outline graces the Ocean of Pseudoscience Week logo – actually lives in a lake. I’m talking, of course, about “Nessie”, the Loch Ness monster.
Local reports of a bizarre creature inhabiting the Scottish lake go back over a thousand years, but the story became popularized in the 1930’s when Dr. Robert Kenneth Wilson took a now-famous photograph.
One of the most prevalent shark myths is “sharks don’t get cancer”. This is associated with the more troubling myth that consuming shark cartilage will cure humans of cancer. Despite the success of books with titles like “Sharks don’t get cancer: How shark cartilage could save your life” and “Sharks still don’t get cancer: The … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Sharks and Cancer” »
One of the first things I did when I woke up this morning was to check CNN’s website to make sure that the Outer Banks were still there. I was pleased to discover that everyone is ok, but something else on the homepage surprised me. CNN has been experimenting with ways to make their site … Read More “CNN.com FAIL: How many readers?” »
This is one of the most clever commercials I have ever seen: ~WhySharksMatter
This past Saturday was my 26th birthday, and also marked the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck probably chose that date for his “Restoring Honor” rally because of the latter exciting historical moment that August 28th marked.
Beck’s rally inspired no shortage of controversy, including a counter-protest by modern civil rights leaders. One of the controversies deals with how many people attended. Political organizers have long used rally crowd sizes as measures of support for a cause, and fighting over crowd sizes has gotten so bad that the United States Park Police no longer provide official estimates on how many people attend.
Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I recently was allowed to participate in a unique scientific and educational opportunity- my Tetrapod Biology class and I attended the necropsy of a large Loggerhead Sea Turtle. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a necropsy is basically an autopsy for animals. The goal is to figure out why the animal died, information which can hopefully be used to protect the rest of the species in the future. Since this species is considered “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, this information is particularly valuable.
Many factors contributed to population declines among Loggerheads. Like sharks, they are slow growing, which makes it difficult for their numbers to quickly rebound. I’ve heard a range of numbers, but according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, they reach reproductive maturity around 35 years of age. Turtle populations have historically taken a big beating from shrimp trawling (the turtles used to get caught in the nets and drown), but the invention of the Turtle Excluder Device has helped on this front. These animals use the beach to lay their eggs, which are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance (beach nourishment, riding ATV’s on beaches, poaching, etc). Artificial lighting along the beach can also distract hatchlings, which are used to crawling in the direction of the light to reach the relative safety of the oceans. Since the temperature of the beach determines what sex the turtle will become, they are also threatened by global climate change.
It is extremely important to put the photos you are about to see into their proper context- they show a team of trained professionals who care very deeply about sea turtles using the latest scientific and medical techniques to figure out what happened to an already-dead turtle. They do not show animal abuse of any kind. Some are quite graphic and if such things bother you I’d advise against reading further.
Note: All photos were taken by me
Read More “Death of a dinosaur: WhySharksMatter attends a loggerhead sea turtle necropsy” »
On Thursday, September 2nd at 7:00 P.M., I will be the South Carolina Sierra Club’s Speaker of the Month! The event will be held at MUSC’s Baruch Auditorium, which is 284 Calhoun Street. I have prepared a 45 minute multimedia presentation on shark conservation, followed by a question and answer session. If any of our … Read More “The Sierra Club Presents: WhySharksMatter!” »
In addition to being a scientist, blogger, and a good friend of mine, Daniel Brown of BioChemicalSoul is also a very talented artist. His latest series is called “Ocean Invasions“, and they show marine animals entering the terrestrial world. One of the most recent pieces deals with my favorite subclass- Elasmobranchs! “The Great Migration” shows … Read More “Invasion of the Mantas?” »
No visit to Pittsburgh is complete without examining the “Steel City’s” industrial heritage. Charlie, WhySharksMatter, and Bluegrass blue crab visited the abandoned Carrie Furnace, which is now part of the Rivers of Steel national heritage area. Pittsburgh’s transformation from industrial center to green industry leader is impressive to say the least.
Charlie, WhySharksMatter, and Bluegrass Blue Crab check out a Pittsburgh Pirates game. The Pirates won, but today’s New York Times reported that the Pirates officially have the most consecutive losing seasons of any team in any major sport.