David Shiffman

Shark Science Monday: Barry Bruce discusses great white shark behavior

January 17, 2011January 17, 2011 David Shiffman

Science

In this week’s edition of Shark Science Monday, Barry Bruce of CSIRO (the Australian government science agency) discusses great white shark behavior. If you have a question for Barry, please post it as a comment below and I’ll make sure that he gets it.

“Only One Ocean”- ocean literacy through music

January 12, 2011January 12, 2011 David Shiffman 3 Comments

At last count (which was last summer), the number of conservation/science/ocean listservs I subscribe to was over 100. It’s kind of a problem. Every once in a while, though, a real gem comes through.

Yesterday, the award-winning eco-friendly Banana Slug String Band released their 11th album. It’s called Only One Ocean, and the goal is “outrageously good music that inspires youngsters and their families to learn about and take better care of our precious oceans.”

Shark Science Monday: Geremy Cliff discusses South Africa’s “shark control” program

January 10, 2011January 12, 2011 David Shiffman 2 Comments

Conservation, Science

In this week’s edition of Shark Science Monday, Geremy Cliff of the Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board discusses South Africa’s “shark control” program. If you have a question for Geremy, please leave it as a comment below and I’ll make sure that he receives it.

Turtle excluder devices: analysis of resistance to a successful conservation policy

January 7, 2011December 31, 2011 David Shiffman 9 Comments

Conservation

Conservation efforts often have an associated tradeoff, and many proposed solutions are shot down because the costs are perceived to be too high. A conservation policy that benefited a charismatic endangered species with very little cost should be popular and enthusiastically adopted. However, even though turtle excluder devices greatly reduce sea turtle mortality and have very low costs, they were vigorously opposed by shrimpers. Though many factors contributed to this opposition to turtle excluder devices, analysis of quotes from newspaper articles reveals that one of the major issues was a failure of the conservation community to educate and communicate with shrimpers.

The problem

Most species of sea turtles are either threatened or endangered. Although they face many threats, a 1990 National Academy of Sciences study reached the conclusion that “drowning in shrimp trawls kills more sea turtles than all other human activities combined”. Trawling consists of dragging a large net behind a boat to catch shrimp. This fishing method has one of the highest bycatch rates of any used today, resulting in over 11 million metric tons of bycatch a year. Sea turtles breathe at the surface, and being trapped underwater in a net can be fatal if they aren’t freed in time. Adult loggerhead turtles can hold their breath for up to 45 minutes, but trawlers often wait up to four hours before hauling in their nets. This resulted in an estimated 48,000 sea turtles caught in trawl nets each year from 1973-1984 in U.S. waters, of which 11,000 died . Gulf of Mexico shrimping was particularly hard on loggerhead and kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

Blog-cation Shark news roundup

January 6, 2011December 22, 2010 David Shiffman

Science

While we were away, a variety of interesting shark news stories were reported. Here are links to some of my favorites.

It’s been an exciting time for shark conservation.

In addition to the Shark Conservation Act passing the Senate, the Northern Mariana Islands voted to protect sharks in their waters, and the Phillipines will start protecting thresher sharks and manta rays.

The IUCN shark specialist group also came out with a study recommending a complete ban on shark finning in European Union waters.

A Brazilian NGO called the Environmental Justice Institute is suing to stop illegal shark finning in Brazil.

Beneath the Waves Film Festival- There’s still time to submit!

January 5, 2011January 5, 2011 David Shiffman 2 Comments

Uncategorized

Last November, I told you about the upcoming Beneath the Waves Film Festival. Since it takes place at a scientific conference, Beneath the Waves provides a unique forum for scientists and filmmakers to interact. It is ideal for starting filmmakers, as well grad students and scientists who make public education films. The deadline for submission … Read More “Beneath the Waves Film Festival- There’s still time to submit!” »

Thoughts on the shark attacks in Egypt

January 4, 2011January 5, 2011 David Shiffman 9 Comments

Conservation, Science

While we were away on our December blog-cation, sharks were all over the news. Specifically, a series of shark attacks in the resort town of Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt, captured the attention of the media and of beachgoing news watchers worldwide. I normally don’t talk about shark attacks on the blog, but lots of readers have been asking me for my opinion on this incident. Fortunately, even though I was on blog-cation, the rest of the shark blog-o-sphere was hard at work covering this issue.

While it’s difficult to integrate a month’s worth of news stories after the fact, I’ll do my best to provide you with a complete picture of what happened. Please feel free to point out inaccuracies in the comments section.

Shark Science Monday: Richard Ellis discusses a new “sharks in popular culture” museum exhibit

January 3, 2011January 3, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Science

In the latest edition of Shark Science Monday, Richard Ellis of the American Museum of Natural History discusses a new “sharks in popular culture” exhibit that he’s designing for an art museum in Florida. If you have a question for Richard, please leave it as a comment below. ~WhySharksMatter

U.S. Senate passes Shark Conservation Act, but at what cost?

December 20, 2010December 22, 2010 David Shiffman 28 Comments

Conservation, Science

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog-cation to bring you some exciting news- today, the U.S. Senate passed the Shark Conservation Act!

The act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year, closes important loopholes in current U.S. shark management policy by banning the practice of removing fins * at sea (for almost all species, more on this later). It also provides a framework for Federal officials to work with our trading partners that don’t similarly protect sharks.

It was expect to easily pass the Senate, but as we reported earlier this fall, Republican firebrand Tom Coburn blocked it and related conservation legislation. Senator Coburn’s stated objection to the bill was that it would cost too much, but the estimated cost according to GovTrack is less than $1 per American taxpayer.

How to apply for a job working with sharks

November 30, 2010December 31, 2011 David Shiffman 14 Comments

Science

A few weeks ago, I listed several common mistakes that people make when applying for a job in the field of shark science. This led to a lot of laughs and commiseration. It also led to a series of e-mails asking me how to apply for a shark science job. These e-mails came from people in various stages of their lives, all the way from children to adults who already have another career. Since I had some laughs at the expense of people who apply for jobs incorrectly, it seems only fair that I offer my advice on how to do it correctly.

Sandbar — This photo of me with a sandbar shark was taken while working for the South Carolina coastal shark survey

It is important to note that I am describing the path that worked for me. There are many other paths, though there are likely lots of similarities with mine. Some may seem pretty straightforward, but what seems obvious to some can be a life-changing revelation for others. Most are applicable to science in general and not just sharks. Similar advice can be found on this excellent website from the Love lab.