Category: Science

Great Migrations of the Ocean

Posted on By David Shiffman 3 Comments on Great Migrations of the Ocean
Popular Culture, Science

National Geographic’s Great Migrations, a seven part series which premieres November 7th, calls itself a collection of “the most moving stories on Earth”. It focuses on some amazing animals from around the world and the incredible journeys they take to survive. This series was a massive undertaking, with the National Geographic crew spending 2 years traveling more than 420,000 miles over 20 countries. The end result is visually spectacular,  full of fascinating science and rich in never-before-told stories of animal behavior. The series itself is an great educational resource, and the website has plenty to offer teachers (particularly the Science page and the Teacher Resources page).

While many of the best-known migrations involve land animals or birds, some marine migrations are also pretty darn great.

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Back from the Brink: Victories in Conservation

Posted on By David Shiffman 13 Comments on Back from the Brink: Victories in Conservation
Conservation, Science

Earth is facing a biodiversity crisis so severe that many conservation scientists refer to it as a mass extinction event. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a professional network of 11,000 volunteer scientists belonging to more than 1,000 government and NGO agencies in 160 countries, evaluates species worldwide and determines their risk of extinction. This Red List, which ranks species in increasing risk of extinction – Least Concern, Near Threatened, Conservation Dependent, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct – is described as “the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species”.

Statistics from the Red List are terrifying. One fifth of all evaluated vertebrate species are threatened with extinction, including 12% of birds,  21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, and 26% of fish. On average, fifty species of amphibians, birds, and mammals move measurably closer to extinction each year. One fifth of the world’s plant species are in danger of extinction. Critical habitat-builders, including 33% of reef building coral species and 14% of seagrass species are in very big trouble.

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Massive fish kill in France

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Science

The following photos are from a massive fish kill in a river close to la Guillec, France. According to Dr. Sophie Plouviez, the die-off affected not only fish, but nearly all of the benthic invertebrates in the river. The cause of the die-off has yet to be determined. We are trying to locate the source of the images, and will continue to update as more information become available.

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Shark Science Monday: Lisa-Marie LeClerc discusses the feeding habits of the Greenland Shark

Posted on By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Shark Science Monday: Lisa-Marie LeClerc discusses the feeding habits of the Greenland Shark
Science

In this week’s Shark Science Monday, University of Tromsø Norwegian Polar Institute researcher Lisa-Marie LeClerc discusses her research on the feeding habits of the Greenland Shark. As always, feel free to ask questions of our interview subject in the comments below. ~WhySharksMatt

Save the krill!

Posted on By David Shiffman 5 Comments on Save the krill!
Conservation, Science

The conservation movement is full of organizations whose stated goal is to protect  specific organisms (i.e. “save the whales” or “save the sea turtles”) or to protect certain ecosystems (i.e. “save the rain forest” or “save the coral reef”). While these groups do admirable work, I can’t help put notice that they primarily focus on charismatic, likable organisms and ecosystems that are considered beautiful. The reason for this is simple- it’s easier to get the public to support conserving these things.  Any conservation is a good thing, but when we focus exclusively on what we like instead of what’s important to the environment, it can lead to ecological disaster. That’s why I was so excited to learn of the existence of the “save the krill” movement.

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Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 6 Comments on Grampa Hagfish: say hello to your greatest uncle
Science

Image from http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/labs/biomaterials/slime.html

Today is Hagfish Day! Who knew?

What is a hagfish?

Hagfish are primitive eel-like chordates make famous for their relative unattractiveness*, profuse production of slime, and charismatic ability to tie themselves in knots. They are perhaps the only ‘fish’ that possesses a skull, but no vertebral column. But the question “What is a hagfish?” goes much deeper than that and it’s answer is fundamental to the evolution of vertebrates and, ultimately, us.

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Shark Science Monday: Julia Spät discusses the effect of ocean acidification on sharks

Posted on By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Shark Science Monday: Julia Spät discusses the effect of ocean acidification on sharks
Science

In the latest edition of Shark Science Monday, Woods Hole/Boston University researcher Julia Spät discusses how ocean acidification is likely to affect sharks. As always, feel free to ask questions for Julia in the comments. ~WhySharksMatter