Conservation – Page 37 – Southern Fried Science

Beneath the Waves Film Festival: Mini-Season

April 11, 2011April 2, 2011 David Shiffman

The latest 2011 Beneath the Waves Film Festival entry, Mini-Season, comes from University of Miami graduate student Erica Staaterman. It explains the culture and biological effects of lobster mini-season in the Florida Keys.

Is it time for a sustainable pet movement?

April 8, 2011December 3, 2013 Andrew Thaler 37 Comments

Conservation

The world is rapidly approaching 7 billion people and the challenges of food supply, security, and sustainability will, along with climate change, be the defining issues of the 21st century. While the issues of the wealthiest nations revolve around the quality of our food, the environmental impact or our farming practices, and the value we place on a perceived degree of “naturalness”, the rest of the world is simply concerned with having enough to eat. What we chose to value in our society affects the rest of the world, and perhaps the most visible, and most dramatic difference between the developing and developed world is the ways in which we treat our pets.

Beneath the Waves Film Festival: Sink Your Shucks

April 7, 2011April 2, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation

The winner of “Best Conservation Message” at the 2011 Beneath the Waves Film Festival came from Laura Hutchinson, a graduate student at Texas A and M’s Harte Research Institute. Sink Your Shucks explains the ecological importance of oysters and how people can help to restore oyster reefs.

Republican House leaders abandon Pelosi’s “green the capitol” initiative

April 7, 2011April 2, 2011 David Shiffman

Conservation

While I often disagreed with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, her “green the capitol” initiative was admirable. Serving local foods in the cafeteria and providing diners with compostable utensils and cups helped make the House of Representatives a model eco-friendly workplace. Now that Republicans have retaken the house, they have decided to abandon these policies.

MSC considering granting sustainable status to a fishery with high shark bycatch

April 6, 2011April 6, 2011 David Shiffman 11 Comments

Conservation, Science

In a world where greenwashing, overfishing, bycatch and pirate fishing run rampant, it can be difficult for eco-conscious consumers to know what to buy. Many eco-certification agencies exist, but they often offer conflicting advice. Who should you listen to?

Book Review: A year at Lazy Point

April 5, 2011April 13, 2011 Andrew Thaler 8 Comments

Conservation, Science

I adored Song for the Blue Ocean. The first time I read it was a formative moment in my development as a young marine biologist and conservationist. When I picked up Eye of the Albatross and, later, Voyage of the Turtle, I expected that same magic, but could not find it. Safina’s subsequent books were not bad. Both were evocative, beautifully written, and stirring tributes to the natural world. But their stories felt too familiar, like listening to a contemporary symphony built around a Bach fugue or watching a remake of a classic movie. So I approached The View from Lazy Point with the same expectations, as yet another supplement to Song for the Blue Ocean. I was mistaken.

Shark shooter identified, but has he broken any laws?

March 31, 2011March 31, 2011 David Shiffman 18 Comments

Conservation, Popular Culture, Science

Earlier this month, a video of fishermen shooting a rifle at sharks appeared on YouTube and caused quite a stir. The video has since been removed, but not before shark conservation activists made copies (warning: the videos are extremely graphic and have inappropriate language). Apparently some computers can access the site with the videos and others can’t, if you can’t access the site and want a copy of the videos just let me know. All images in this post are screenshots from the video.

Severely injured great white shark found, are scientists responsible?

March 29, 2011May 3, 2011 David Shiffman 125 Comments

Conservation, Popular Culture, Science

[Editor’s Notice – Comments have been suspended on this post. Please visit “Full video of injured shark shows numerous natural injuries” for an update on this controversy]

Last summer, I reviewed National Geographic’s “Expedition Great White” and interviewed the lead scientist. Several researchers and conservationists were concerned about the methods that Dr. Michael Domeier uses to study great white sharks, particularly after one shark was “foul hooked” through the gills. These methods (removing captured great white sharks from the water to study them using a forklift-like structure) make for excellent television, but may be harmful to the sharks. As I reported last year:

Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Rejects Shark Conservation Policies

March 24, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

Last week, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission held their annual meeting in Sri Lanka. As one of the few international fisheries policy organizations in the region, the IOTC is also responsible for management of billfish and sharks. Several new shark conservation policies were proposed this year. These included species-specific protections for hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks, closing loopholes in existing policies that ban finning sharks and discarding the bodies at sea, and requiring fishermen to collect and report more types of data on their shark bycatch. All of these proposals were rejected.

Biodiversity Wednesday: South Carolina’s Santee Cooper Lake System

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011 David Shiffman 3 Comments

Conservation, Science

As part of our Biodiversity Wednesday series, we’ve discussed amazing ecosystems all over the world. This week’s post will focus on an area a little closer to home (at least a little closer to my home). The Santee Cooper lake system, home to unique fish and a fascinating history, is less than an hour from Charleston. If you’ve ever driven on I-95 through South Carolina, you’ve gone right over it.