We sparked a good debate over the effectiveness of direct action conservation movements over at the post “Is Sea Shepherd really saving whales?” One of the most difficult questions raised was if Sea Shepherd wasn’t there, would the Japanese make their full quota? The data presented in that post was inconclusive, because the quota increase corresponded to the beginning of SSCS’s Southern Ocean campaign, so we have no time period in which the Japanese quota was increased while Sea Shepherd was absent.
Category: Science
And yes, CNN failed at identifying these as Crinoids.
If you ever find yourself pulling in a hand-deployed longline in murky water and the line gets heavy all of a sudden, the best thing to do is not to get on your knees and pull as hard as you can while leaning slightly overboard. Even though you might think the line is merely caught … Read More “Thoughts on an “oopsie”” »
A University of Miami research team that included my friend Austin (seen here posing with Charlie) recently had a CNN team tag along on a shark tagging cruise. There is also an article on CNN.com, which can be found here ~WhySharksMatter
Charlie helps WhySharksMatter measure two Atlantic sharpnose sharks by using himself for scale. Atlantic sharpnose sharks are by far the most common species that the SCDNR shark survey finds, and these males are almost full grown. SSV Robert C. Seamans
The extent of migration among populations drives population structure. With enough migration, populations become homogeneous and behave as a single larger population. As migration rates decrease, populations drift apart and become differentiated. By measuring the amount of differentiation, we can determine the extent of migration between them. But what happens when there are unsampled populations also exchanging migrants?
Charlie helps WhySharksMatter measure a pregnant bonnethead shark by using himself for scale. This bonnethead is fully grown.
An awesome short introduction to how celestial navigation works. Hat tip: @SEA_Cramer (which happens to be my very favorite tall ship) ~Southern Fried Scientist
Welcome to the 33rd Edition of Scientia Pro Publica. Food – Input and Output The Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog asks “Why are there no perennial grain crops?” Meanwhile, on the consumption side of agriculture, Akshatrathi looks into the details of molecular gastronomy. Finally, The Rational Conservationist looks at revolutionary techniques in hazardous waste mitigation. I need … Read More “Scientia Pro Publica 33” »