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.

Project S – The creation of the Rimicanoe

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 6 Comments on Project S – The creation of the Rimicanoe
Science
Rimicaris exoculata

Rimicaris exoculata, the eyeless vent shrimp is an iconic member of hydrothermal vent communities on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The shrimp is characterized by a lack of eyes, an enlarged carapace, chemoautotrophic symbionts that they farm in their gills, and, most curiously, large photoreceptors on the top of its carapace. A solution to the mysterious eyespots was first hypothesized by Cindy Lee Van Dover, who inferred that Rimicaris exoculata can “see” low-level light produced by hydrothermal vent effluent.

Iconic, novel, biologically fascinating; of all the adjectives I can think of to describe Rimicaris exoculata, the one that jumps immediately to mind is sort-of-canoe-shaped. In fact, it’s so sort-of-canoe-shaped that this hydrothermal vent shrimp needs to have a canoe made in its image.

Presenting the grand unveiling of Project S – the Rimicanoe (sensu strictissimo Rimicaris exocu-yacht-a)!

Project S revealed! The <i>Rimicanoe</i>
Project S revealed! The Rimicanoe!

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Real Leadership for the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Conservation

I’ve been a fan of Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen for a while now. His blog, iCommandant, provided a window into a world few of us glimpse. His openness, honesty, and no nonsense attitude made the iCommandant blog one of the best blogs on the internet. Which is why I began today disheartened to see that he was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Admiral Robert Papp. But that sadness was short lived when it was announced the Admiral Thad Allen will continue serve as National Incident Commander for the Gulf of Mexico.

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And sense achieved a great victory – 85 years after Scopes

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Science

85 years ago today John Scopes was indicted for violating the Butler Law – a law that made it illegal to teach evolution in Tennessee. The Scopes Trial, engineered by several parties to bring attention to both Dayton, Tennessee and the controversial anti-evolution laws, left a lasting mark on America’s legal system and the public perception of science. It was the bombastic firebrand H. L. Menken, one of the architects of the trial, that summerised best the spirit of the Monkey Trail:

The way to deal with superstition is not to be polite to it, but to tackle it with all arms, and so rout it, cripple it, and make it forever infamous and ridiculous. Is it, perchance, cherished by persons who should know better? Then their folly should be brought out into the light of day, and exhibited there in all its hideousness until they flee from it, hiding their heads in shame.

Aftermath by H. L. Mencken

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Welcome stumblers, reddit-ers, and neatorama readers

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

We’re getting a huge surge in pageviews from reddit, stumble, and neatorama today. If you’re new here check out some of our classic Southern Fried Science Posts: How to brew beer in a coffee maker, using only materials commonly found on a modestly sized oceanographic research vessel. The Cove, Dolphins, and Mercury Ethical Debate: Captive … Read More “Welcome stumblers, reddit-ers, and neatorama readers” »

365 days of Darwin: The second 3 months

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

Today marks the official halfway point for our year long adventure traveling the world with Charles Darwin. his first 3 months are summarized here – 365 days of Darwin: the first 3 months. Charlie has had an exciting 3 months, traveling across the country, diving into the Deep Sea Lab, and even testing out his green thumb in the garden. He kicked off these three months with a celebration of Mardi Gras:

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Unguided deep-sea research is essential for national and global security

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Conservation, Science

This Sunday on NPR I heard the following paraphrased comment: “The ROV pilots have never had to deal with anything like this before, no one has trained for the kinds of maneuvers needed to close to well.” I’ve known many ROV pilots. They are all incredibly skilled, know how to handle their robots, and generally have many years of experience working in industrial settings.

But commercial ROV work tends to be monotonous. Many pilots I know spend the vast majority of their time inspecting pipelines and oil rigs, flying over long tracks of seafloor with little to no variation, looking for any signs of damage. When their skills are put to the test, it’s often the same repetitive motion, over and over. Even training simulations to prepare them for catastrophes cannot predict the infinite variations that could occur as an oil-rig collapses. It’s impossible to train for everything.

Until you throw a biologist into the mix.

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