Conservation – Page 30 – Southern Fried Science

Vote for Sophi: List of Oceana Ocean Hero finalists includes 8 year old shark conservationist

May 24, 2011May 22, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Oceana has released their list of finalists for the Ocean Hero award. As always, the finalists represent people who have done some amazing things for our oceans. This year, one of the nominees for the “Junior Hero” category is Sophi Bromenshenkel, an 8 year old shark conservationist.

The Global Extinction Crisis – species area relationships, habitat loss, and population dynamics

May 23, 2011June 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler 4 Comments

Conservation, Science

We are in the midst of a global extinction crisis. Biodiversity is in decline as species after species disappear. Some estimates predict that up to 50% of species will be committed to extinction by 2050. Other estimates claim the current rate of extinction may be 10,000 times the background rate. Many ecologists and conservationists have declared the current species decline the sixth great mass extinction.

A recent paper published in the journal Nature argues that our current estimates of species loss are based on a flawed model and tend to overestimate the magnitude of species decline. The paper has received plenty of attention, and has been heavily criticized by ecologists and conservation biologists. The paper is wrong, but it is wrong for the right reasons, and the criticisms it has garnered point to a gaping hole in our understanding of population dynamics.

Shark Science Monday: Claudia Li discusses Shark Truth’s ‘no shark fin soup’ wedding contests

May 23, 2011May 23, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

In this week’s edition of Shark Science Monday, Claudia Li of Shark Truth discusses the Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest, which aims to reduce the consumption of shark fin soup at wedding banquets. If you have a question for Claudia, leave it as a comment below and I’ll make sure she gets it.

A Path for Sustainable Development

May 23, 2011May 23, 2011 Bluegrass Blue Crab

Conservation

After our sustainability month, it becomes easy to ask for a plan to become more sustainable. On a national scale, this becomes demand for a blueprint or recipe for how to organize society successfully in the future along sustainability principles. The idea of a given trajectory of development goes back to Walt Rostow, who described development around the world up to 1960, ending with the emergence of a first, second, and third world. More modern theorists realize that the world is not linear, however.

Science to action: A scientist’s guide to influencing decision making

May 17, 2011May 17, 2011 David Shiffman

Conservation, Science

This week at the International Marine Conservation Congress, a great resource was introduced. Science to Action, an affiliate of Conservation International, released a dual volume called “A scientist’s guide to influencing decision making /a decision maker’s guide to using science”.

New Ocean Acidification PSA

May 17, 2011May 17, 2011 David Shiffman

Conservation, Science

This morning, Plymouth Marine Laboratory launched a new public service announcement about ocean acidification entitled “Connecting science, industry, policy and public”. According to the Official MPA Blog:

Off to the International Marine Conservation Congress!

May 12, 2011May 12, 2011 David Shiffman 2 Comments

Conservation

I’m on my way to the 2nd International Marine Conservation Congress in Victoria, British Columbia. This gathering, organized by the Society for Conservation Biology, brings together leading scientists and conservationists from around the world.

Short update on the North Carolina Wildfire and Red Wolves

May 12, 2011 Andrew Thaler 2 Comments

Conservation

The wildfire that ignited in Dare County last week is still burning, as many coastal residents were reminded last night when the wind changed and brought smoke inland. Fortunately, the incident command is reporting that the fire is more than 50% contained, has not reached the town of Stumpy Point, and did not penetrate to … Read More “Short update on the North Carolina Wildfire and Red Wolves” »

The Outer Banks Ablaze

May 9, 2011May 9, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

Early hours of the wildfire in Dare Country. Image NCFWS

In Beaufort, the first sign that something was amiss occurred on Sunday night. The air became thick with haze and smelled like of burning mulch. At first we thought it was just an overzealous barbecue somewhere down the road, but as we drove over the Morehead City highrise bridge, we discovered that the smoke was everywhere. This wasn’t an isolated grilling accident, trash burn, or house on fire, some thing was burning, something big. It could only be a forest fire, and, judging by the direction of the wind, it was blowing in from somewhere near the Outer Banks.

Read More “The Outer Banks Ablaze” »

Chronicle of a Death Forestalled: the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that didn’t happen

May 2, 2011May 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler 3 Comments

Conservation

February 2005 – A giant in the oil industry sets out to drill what is, at the time, the deepest oil well in the world, a staggering 32,000 feet below the sea bed. The oil field, just 28 miles from the Louisiana coast, is estimated to contain up to a billion barrels of oil. The success of this well could launch a new era of offshore drilling and revolutionize an industry. And then, after 18 months and $180 million dollars, just 2,000 feet from their target, ExxonMobil halts their drill, declares Blackbeard West unsafe, and walks away.

Barely 5 years later, a similar well, deep and deeply unsafe, would suffer a catastrophic blowout, pumping millions of barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting investigation revealed a history of unacceptable risk and a blasé attitude towards safety on the part of BP. While the BP blowout at the Macondo well was a disaster on a global scale, Blackbeard West was a disaster deferred. How could these two incidents, both created by nearly the same conditions, have had such dramatically different consequences? What can we learn about the culture of oil exploration and the true cost of a crude economy from Blackbeard West?