Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
I am a huge fan of the Alien franchise…mostly. Alien and Aliens were ground-breaking movies and instant classics. Alien 3 had good parts (mostly the great British actors shining up a quickly knocked out script). Alien Resurrection was … not great. Alien: Romulus was pretty good, despite a dodgy CGI android and a practical effect … Read More “Aliens, Ridley Scott, and bad science” »
Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (retired) made an exciting announcement recently on the American Alchemy podcast. Gallaudet has significant credentials: he served as the Navy’s oceanographer and later headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He said that he is working with a team of “very esteemed archaeologists and geologists” and they believe that they … Read More “Have we found the city of Atlantis?” »
Are you in conservation or academia and have noticed these things happening? Somehow, those concerns never seem to involve the actual quality of their work. Welcome to the wonderful world of “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, where the flower that stands out above the others must be cut down. It is the peculiar phenomenon in which someone … Read More “Toxic workplaces: the “tall poppy” problem in conservation and academia” »
Let’s be honest: if you are working in conservation, you have probably stared down a peer-review nightmare that made you want to throw your laptop into ocean. We’ve all been told the same myth since undergrad: do the science; write the paper; pass the peer-review gauntlet; and magically you’ve saved the planet. The peer-reviewed paper … Read More “Is Academic Publishing is breaking conservation science?” »
Let’s be honest. Most of us got into conservation science because we wanted to save something. We envisioned conducting science that would be serving as a shield, protecting a fragile ecosystem or an endangered species from the relentless march of human expansion. We expected long hours, muddy boots, and a few mosquito bites. What we … Read More “The “Conservation Paywall”: why saving the planet has become a luxury sport” »
The “Freedom 250” activities in Washington DC have been controversial for a number of reasons, but after the fireworks display in the early hours of July 5th, the environmental and health impacts of this event became a concern. In the aftermath of the fireworks display on the National Mall, Washington D.C.’s Air Quality Index went … Read More “What goes up must come down: the toxic hangover from the Freedom 250 fireworks” »
Logan’s Run is a sci-fi movie from the 1970s, in which humans live in domes protected from a ravaged world outside. In these domes they live lives of pleasure and luxury. Until they reach the age of thirty, when they go to the Carousel and “renew” (in truth, they get vaporized). Anyone who tries to escape … Read More “Ageism in the conservation job market” »
Let’s be honest. Most of us got into conservation science because we wanted to save something. We envisioned our data serving as a shield, protecting a fragile ecosystem or an endangered species from the relentless march of human expansion. We write our papers, carefully craft our “Management Implications” sections, and wait for the policy world … Read More “Screaming into the void – Why your scientific paper doesn’t matter” »
For decades, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was defined by a single, highly polarized debate: the battle between pro-whaling and anti-whaling nations over commercial catch quotas. Today, however, the landscape of the IWC has radically evolved. For the current IWC Commissioners, conservation-related topics (such as sustainable whalewatching, marine pollution, and protected areas) hold an equal, … Read More “The evolution of the International Whaling Commission – from whaling quotas to whale conservation” »
For a planet that is 71% ocean, humanity spends a surprisingly small amount of time (and money) trying to understand it. Ocean science sits in a strange place in the research ecosystem. It underpins climate science, fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, and coastal economies. It’s essential for understanding everything from hurricanes to heatwaves to global carbon … Read More “Why ocean science is still one of the worst-funded scientific fields worldwide” »
