Science – Page 63 – Southern Fried Science

Conservation and the Concept of Species in a Biodiversity Crisis (Part 1)

January 24, 2011January 23, 2011 Andrew Thaler 2 Comments

In The Mass Extinction of Scientists Who Study Species, Dr. Craig McClain argues that we are loosing a fundamental unit of biological science – the Taxonomist. He’s right, of course. Taxonomy is a shrinking field. Entire phyla sit, unstudied, as the expertise necessary to understand them retires and expires. With few to train the next generation of taxonomists, the field could slowly vanish. Molecular tools are supplanting traditional taxonomy (once described to me as “the ability to identify hundreds of species of centimeter-long worms by counting ass-hairs under a microscope”) as the de rigueur method for identifying organisms.

I do not disagree with Craig. Losing skilled taxonomists is tragic for the biological sciences. Unlike many leading the charge in support of taxonomy, I did not benefit from a rigorous taxonomic study in my early career. I fall into the same camp as Dr. Holly Bik, relying primarily on molecules, not morphology, to draw the distinctions between my samples. I never identified species by counting the ass-hairs on a worm, and my education is poorer for it.

Dive into the mushroom reefs of Brazil with Dr. Al Dove

January 20, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Science

Beginning today, Dr. Al Dove of Deep Type Flow will be floating somewhere of the coast of Brazil exploring the Abrolhos reef platform. They will be using the Johnson Sea Link, the tragically mothballed US submersible once described as “a shining legacy of deep sea research“, which has been granted a second life under long-term contract with CEPEMAR Environmental Services. Follow along with the adventure at Deep Type Flow or under the twitter hashtag #Abrolhos2011.

Can marine protected areas save the oceans? Under certain circumstances, maybe.

January 20, 2011December 31, 2011 David Shiffman 4 Comments

Conservation, Science

Although marine fish face many threats, one of the greatest is large-scale modern commercial fishing. Technology makes it all too easy for so-called “factory ships” to remove enormous numbers of fish from the oceans, sometimes with devastating effects on the populations of those fish and their habitat.

Marine conservationists have proposed a variety of policies to protect fish populations around the world. Of these, the concept of the marine protected area (MPA) is arguably the most popular. Though technically a marine protected area is any area of the ocean where human activities are restricted in some way, the best known version is an area where fishing is banned with the goal of letting exploited fish stocks recover.

Lessons from the Death and Life of Monterey Bay

January 19, 2011February 17, 2011 Andrew Thaler 3 Comments

Conservation, Science

A few weeks ago, Mark Powell at Blogfish posted “Where are conservation success stories?” in which he asks if we have a bias against good news in conservation. Late last year we presented a series of conservation success stories from the IUCN. Whether because we choose to focus only on the doom-and-gloom news stories or because the natural world really is in pretty bad shape, success stories in conservation are few and far between. That is why The Death and Life of Monterey Bay, a new book by Stephen Palumbi and Carolyn Sotka, is so important. Palumbi is a working scientist and director of the Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey Bay and his work has been cited on this blog before. Carolyn Sotka is the project coordinator for COMPASS, an organization that connects scientist to policy makers and journalists.

In The Death and Life of Monterey Bay, Palumbi and Sotka present the history of Monterey Bay, from discovery, to exploitation, to collapse, and ultimately to rebirth. They weave the narratives of many important players, exploring the legacy of a dedicated conservationist who existed before the term was coined, the hunters, fishers, and canneries who found fortune and destruction, the writers and scientists who made Monterey Bay a literary icon, and the Bay itself, which survived by equal parts luck, tenacity, and foresight. The events in the book span hundreds of years, but we can still glean lessons from both the collapse and rebirth of Monterey Bay.

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.

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.

Traveling with Samples: the impossible journey

January 10, 2011January 10, 2011 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Science

It’s the end of a long a productive field season abroad. You’ve collected, processed, and packed thousands of precious samples. These samples are your life-blood. They will be the foundation of not only your thesis, but dozens of theses to follow, the cornerstone of a long and prosperous scientific career. There’s only one barrier left between you and scientific glory – you have to get those samples home.

Traveling with samples, especially internationally, carries with it a bit of diplomacy, some tact, confidence, and a huge amount of (often undue) stress. Even if you’re completely on the level, there are horror stories about overzealous security guards, irate customs agents, suspicious packages, and the risk of being detained, having a visa revoked, being stuck on the next plane out of the country, or, worst of all, losing your samples. As you pack up your gear and prepare to board your flight home, take a step back and remember the immortal words of Douglas Adams – don’t panic.

Weekly dose of TED – Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail

January 7, 2011January 7, 2011 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

For 2011 we’re going to do a bit more with our Weekly dose of TED series. Instead of just posting a video each week, we’re going to include a short discussion of either the entire talk or a point that could be expanded. The idea that, when it comes to seafood, we may not know … Read More “Weekly dose of TED – Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail” »

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.

Biodiversity Wednesday – The Western Ghats

January 5, 2011December 31, 2010 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

This year, we’re going to change around our Biodiversity Wednesday series. Instead of posting a YouTube clip of some various organism or region, we’re going to highlight a lesser known region of biodiversity importance and discuss related conservation and management issues.

Located along the west coast of India, the Western Ghats are a 1600-km mountain range formed when the Indian sub-continent split from Gondwana approximately 150 million years ago. These basalt mountains are rich in iron ore and, to a lesser extent, bauxite, making them prime candidates for mineral extraction. Due to the position of the mountains, the Western Ghats interact with the annual monsoon season to generate high amounts of rainfall. Nearly 40% of all Indian river systems drain through the Western Ghats.