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.

A Brief Primer on Inbreeding Depression

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on A Brief Primer on Inbreeding Depression
Popular Culture, Science

There I was, proudly ambivalent about events happening across the pond. Some royal something or other getting civil union-ed with some wealthy something something. Apparently this happening also involves some high-falutin’ muckity-muck. I had managed to avoid just about everything about this event, until my shields were ultimately breached by an unlikely saboteur. The scientific journal Cell bizarrely decided to dedicate this weeks issue to the royal wedding by publishing this bit of ad nauseum:

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What we don’t know can hurt us – the final open thread

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Uncategorized

So far this month, we’ve asked what sustainability mean to you, what changes you’ve made to lead a more sustainable life, and what changes society needs to make. Our final open thread for Science and Sustainability month is not about the things we know, or the things we believe, but the things we don’t know. Sustainable living is fraught with … Read More “What we don’t know can hurt us – the final open thread” »

Weekly dose of SHIFF: Detection of an ontogenetic shift in sandbar shark diets

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Science

All is quiet on the site today because Bluegrass Blue Crab and I are currently in Charleston watching WhySharksMatter’s masters thesis defense. Since y’all can’t be there with us, take a moment to enjoy David’s talk from Benthic Ecology 2011 – Detection of an ontogenetic shift in the diet of a heavily exploited shark species. … Read More “Weekly dose of SHIFF: Detection of an ontogenetic shift in sandbar shark diets” »

The end of whaling in Japan…

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 3 Comments on The end of whaling in Japan…
Conservation

…was a hoax. A report that the Japanese government will scrap all research whaling has been dismissed as a hoax. source So please, stop e-mailing me this: “Effective immediately, Japan will no longer conduct scientific research on whale populations which require capture and dissection,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Makoto Inoue, speaking at a press conference … Read More “The end of whaling in Japan…” »

Book Review: Five Fundamentals for Fisheries

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Conservation

Daniel Pauly’s research over the last 20 has provided much of the foundational theory in modern fisheries management. In 5 Easy Pieces, Daniel Pauly presents his five most influential papers, with a concise history of both the intellectual and human motivations that led to each study. The papers that were included in this volume are: Primary Production required to Sustain Global Fisheries, Fishing Down Marine Food Webs, Systematic Distortion in World Fisheries Catch Trends, Towards Sustainability in Global Fisheries, and The Future of Fisheries.

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What Societal Changes need to be Made for a Sustainable Future?

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 3 Comments on What Societal Changes need to be Made for a Sustainable Future?
Uncategorized

So far this month we’ve asked what Sustainability means to you and what you personally are doing to lead a more sustainable life. But not all sustainability goals can be met by individual actions. Our society is collectively on an unsustainable path. For the third week of Science and Sustainability Month, I’d like to know … Read More “What Societal Changes need to be Made for a Sustainable Future?” »