Science – Page 56 – Southern Fried Science

Shark bites snorkeler… who happens to be my friend

September 5, 2011September 16, 2011 David Shiffman 37 Comments

Science

On June 30th, while vacationing in the Turks and Caicos, a 28 year old man was bitten by a large shark. This particular attack got my attention in a hurry. For the first time in my life, a friend of mine was bitten by a shark. Obviously I know some shark biologists who have been bitten while handling sharks in the field, but that isn’t what happened in this case. This victim was simply snorkeling during a vacation. He agreed to answer some of my questions about the incident, and prefers to remain anonymous.

Shark Science Monday: Grant Galland discusses sharks and marine protected areas

September 5, 2011September 4, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

In this week’s edition of Shark Science Monday, Grant Galland from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography discusses marine protected areas and sharks. If you have a question for Grant, please leave it as a comment below and I’ll make sure he sees it.

Happy Hour Science – Domesticating Microbes for Beer

September 2, 2011September 2, 2011 Bluegrass Blue Crab

Science

Saccharomyces_pastorianus_Weihenstephan_34_70 — Little yummy beer yeasts, thanks www.diArk.org

As our ancestors transitioned from hunter-gatherer to agricultural society, they had to domesticate the plants and animals we know today as farm life. Corn kernels became larger and more full of starch, cows became more docile, and all farm organisms became accustomed to life in rows or pastures tended by humans. But some of what we eat depends on more than just these plants and animals – example, take beer. A new study in PNAS by Diego Libkind et al. describes the domestication of the microbes and yeast needed to make lagers of old and describes an unwitting process paralleling agricultural domestication.

Saving Coral Reefs, today at 3 EDT

September 1, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

ScienceLIVE will be featured noted marine biologists Dr. John Bruno and Dr. Mark Eakin who will be discussing the state and future of coral reefs. From the website: Coral reefs from Australia to the Gulf of Mexico are some of the planet’s most vibrant ecosystems. They’re also among the most threatened habitats in oceans today. … Read More “Saving Coral Reefs, today at 3 EDT” »

Climbing Mount Chernobyl

August 30, 2011June 6, 2012 Andrew Thaler 5 Comments

Conservation, Science

In the last century, humans have made dramatic changes to both local and global ecosystems. Some of these changes have been subtle and remained unnoticed until very recently, while others were so visible and so destructive that their names are indelibly etched into our collective consciousness. Despite a legacy of desolation, many of these places, unsafe and long-abandoned, have made dramatic recoveries. Standing tall, but not alone, among these environmental catastrophes is the melt-down of reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Read More “Climbing Mount Chernobyl” »

Shark Science Monday: Austin Gallagher discusses shark stress physiology

August 29, 2011 David Shiffman

Science

In this week’s edition of Shark Science Monday, Austin Gallagher of the University of Miami discusses the stress physiology of sharks. If you have a question for Austin, please leave it as a comment below.

What killed this lemon shark? University of Miami scientists perform necropsy to solve this mystery

August 15, 2011 David Shiffman 9 Comments

Science

Last week, volunteers monitoring a sea turtle nesting beach on Virginia Key came across a beached lemon shark. They called in scientists from the University of Miami’s RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation program, including myself . Dunlap program director Dr. Neil Hammerschlag decided to film the necropsy to use as an online teaching tool. The end … Read More “What killed this lemon shark? University of Miami scientists perform necropsy to solve this mystery” »

Diving the deepest hydrothermal vent field in the world – experience it live!

August 5, 2011 Andrew Thaler 4 Comments

Science

The Okeanos Explorer is diving on the Cayman Rise – the location of the deepest known hydrothermal vent field, and they are broadcasting the ROV feed live, right now. You can be experiencing this: …right now. Go here: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/media/exstream/exstream.html

Tagging Bull Sharks in the Neuse River

August 4, 2011August 4, 2011 Guest Writer 17 Comments

Science

Meagan Dunphy-Daly is a graduate student at the Duke University Marine Lab studying the effectiveness of marine reserves in protecting apex predators. She also has ongoing research examining bullshark/dolphin interactions in the Neuse River, NC, where she recently caught an 8 foot bullshark.

Well, it’s Shark Week and instead of heading up to the Neuse River to try to track bull sharks, I’m sitting in front of my computer staring at the marine forecast. Right now, we’re under a small craft advisory until tomorrow night and we’re all keeping our eyes on what Tropical Storm Emily is going to do over the weekend. Such is the ever-exciting life of a field biologist. Although there are a fair number of days spent in an office in front of a computer (be it checking the weather, entering data, or hoping that a manuscript will write itself), the days in the field are what make this job so sweet. I’m a graduate student in Dr. Andy Read’s Lab at Duke University and, in addition to my dissertation interest in the effectiveness of marine reserves for apex predators (think sharks, tuna, and billfish), I have the chance to carry out and participate in many other research projects in North Carolina and elsewhere (check out Reny Tyson’s previous posts on our trip to Antarctica). This summer, I’m studying bull shark habitat use in the Neuse River. Andrew joined us for a day of fieldwork last week and, although we didn’t catch a shark on this trip, we caught a big bull shark on the first day of our season the week before.

Shark Experts and Shark Celebrities are being Auctioned during Shark Week

August 1, 2011August 3, 2011 Andrew Thaler 3 Comments

Science

Including our very own David Shiffman (aka WhySharksMatter)!

You’ve seen them on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Animal Planet, Nat Geo and the BBC − they are the top shark experts in the world! Now meet them in person for lunch or dinner, learn why they love sharks, and why sharks need protection!

More than 50 of the world’s top shark experts are allowing themselves to be auctioned to raise funds for the Shark Research Institute’s conservation programs. Up for auction are dinners (or lunches) with the world’s foremost shark experts. Each winning bidder has the unique opportunity to “talk shark” face- to-face, one-on-one, with a real authority on sharks.