Conservation – Page 40 – Southern Fried Science

A global shark conservation challenge from Palau and Micronesia

September 23, 2010September 22, 2010 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Yesterday afternoon, the Presidents of Honduras and Palau challenged other world leaders to follow their example by protecting sharks. Both nations have banned shark fishing within their territorial waters, and they are encouraging other nations (both rich countries with fishing fleets and poor coastal countries) to do the same. This announcement was timed to coincide with a high-level United Nations meeting to review millennium development and global biodiversity conservation goals.

The two Presidents had this to say:

Save the light bulb, not the planet: A sneak peak at how Republicans will run the House

September 22, 2010September 22, 2010 David Shiffman 17 Comments

Conservation

Political junkies like myself know that Republicans are expected to regain the House of Representatives following elections this November. The Democrats’ odds of keeping the Senate improved with the primary victory of corrupt Christine O’Donnell last week, but there is still a chance that the Republicans will retake the Senate. This isn’t surprising- the opposition … Read More “Save the light bulb, not the planet: A sneak peak at how Republicans will run the House” »

What’s Killing California’s Sea Otters?

September 17, 2010September 20, 2010 Andrew Thaler 8 Comments

Conservation, Science

Sea Otters are turning up dead in central California. In 2007, 11 sea otters were recovered from Monterrey Bay. Over the last three years, dead otters washing up on beaches has reached a record high?

What could be causing all these otter deaths? Are there new predators in the area? Is there some kind of disease? Could increased otter deaths reflect an increase in otter populations, indicating not otter population decline, but otter population growth? The answer turns out to be even more surprising – freshwater algae.

hearseaspeak — Here no Otter, Sea no Otter, Speak no Otter

Innovative Conservation: Shark Attack Survivors Speak About Saving Sharks

September 15, 2010 David Shiffman

Conservation, Science

Last Monday, the Pew Environment Group’s Global Shark Conservation Campaign arranged for a brilliant PR stunt – they arranged for survivors of shark attacks to speak about shark conservation outside of the United Nations headquarters in New York. Though very few people are ever bitten by sharks, many fear them, which makes it difficult to … Read More “Innovative Conservation: Shark Attack Survivors Speak About Saving Sharks” »

Our favorite sea monsters – The Giant Manta Special Edition

September 8, 2010September 5, 2010 Andrew Thaler 2 Comments

Conservation, Science

Sea Monsters, mythical beasts of legend and lore that ply the world’s oceans, sinking ships, terrifying sailors, swallowing entire crews whole. Sea monsters occupy a special place in our imagination. The ocean is huge, unfathomable. Of course mighty beast could dwell within, undetected.

Every once in a long while, the myths, the legends, the stories, turn out to be true. This is one of those times.

Greenwashing – Is there really a sustainable Orange Roughy fishery?

September 6, 2010September 13, 2010 Andrew Thaler 9 Comments

Conservation, Science

Wandering through the grocery store the other day, I noticed something strange in the fish bin. Now, in general I’m pretty conscious of where my fish comes from, how it was caught, whether the fishery as a whole or the specific population is sustainable. I pay attention to those details and I can usually tell when a company’s branding is legitimate and when it’s just greenwashing.

Imagine my shock when I found a packet of Orange Roughy, sold by the Full Circle brand, and marketed as sustainable.

The Majestic Plastic Bag

September 2, 2010 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Popular Culture

Shark Conservation: The problem, the goal, and how to get there

August 9, 2010July 8, 2012 David Shiffman 12 Comments

Conservation, Science

The problem

Sharks consistently rank near the top of lists of American’s greatest fears. In reality, they have much more to fear from us than we do from them. Because of our actions, many species of sharks are on the verge of extinction. A recent International Union for the Conservation of Nature Shark Specialist Group report shows that fully 1/3 of open-ocean species of sharks are in danger of extinction in the next few decades. Many shark species have had population declines of over 90% in the last few decades.

Shark fin — Fins from a blacktip shark. Photo credit: David Shiffman

Vote for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program

August 3, 2010August 3, 2010 David Shiffman

Conservation, Science

The University of Miami Shark Research Program is in the running for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. The money will be used for tags, boat time, underwater video cameras, and paying for local underprivileged children to participate. Among their many other projects, UM scientists are attempting to track sharks to see if … Read More “Vote for the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program” »

Shark Celebrity Auction

August 2, 2010 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

Throughout Shark Week, the Shark Research Institute is hosting a fundraiser. You can bid to meet various “Shark Celebrities”, and winners can join them for a meal, a face-to-face discussion, or in some cases a trip into the field to interact with sharks! The shark celebrities being auctioned include scientists, filmmakers, authors and conservationists. Unless … Read More “Shark Celebrity Auction” »