Thursday Afternoon Dredging | Southern Fried Science

Orca protection and vanishing Arctic lakes: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, December 20th, 2018

Posted on December 20, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow YouTube science communicator Kurtis Baute on twitter!
Ottawa designates two new areas as critical habitat for killer whales in B.C. waters. CHEK news.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Arctic lakes are vanishing by the hundreds. By Chelsea Harvey, for Scientific American.
Even fish get the bends. By Anna Saleh, for ABC news
Seals eye view shows shows Weddell seals playing, fighting underwater in Antarctica. From New Zealand’s One News Now
Deep Seagrass Bed Could Stall Climate Change, If Climate Change Doesn’t Kill It First. By Emma Bowman, for NPR All Things Considered.
Gila Trout: A Native Trout conservation story. By Steve Midway, for the Fisheries Blog.
Warming oceans offer coral a new place to colonize. By Richard Kemeny, for Hakai
Shorebirds can no longer count on the Arctic as a safe haven for rearing their young. By Mike Gaworecki, for MongaBay
Alarming levels of chemicals in great barrier reef turtles. By Lisa Cox, fo the Guardian

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Amazing fish eyes, the real cost of halibut, and protecting local species: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, December 13, 2018

Posted on December 13, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow UBC’s wildlife conservation economics lab on twitter!
The Deep-Sea Fish with the Telescopic Tubular Eyes. By Craig McClain, for Deep Sea News.
How to take action to help endangered species near you. A Revelator News Podcast by John Platt.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Why does halibut cost so much? By Larry Pynn, for Hakai.
Feed a fishery, starve a seabird. By John Cannon, for Mongabay
What I learned from an ocean radioactivity testing project. By Ken Buesseler, for Scientific American
Unexpected consequences of hurricanes. By Dana Sackett, for the Fisheries Blog
The effects of anti-depressants span generations in fish. By Diana Kwon, for the Scientist.
Surviving Great Barrier Reef corals have greater heatwave resistance. By Ben Smee, for the Guardian
What does climate change mean for our oceans? By Sarah Cooley, for the Ocean Conservancy blog

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Dive bombing birds, octopus intelligence, and a red tide update: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, December 6, 2018

Posted on December 6, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow Joe Cunningham, a marine engineer who was just elected to Congress, on twitter!
The dive bombing birds of Newfoundland. By Craig McClain, for Deep Sea News
How much does it cost to save a species? Less than you think! By Erik Vance, for the last word on nothing.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Yes, the Octopus Is Smart as Heck. But Why? By Carl Zimmer, for the New York Times.
Global biodiversity treaty (Convention on Migratory Species) searches for its moment in the spotlight. By Isabel Esterman, for MongaBay. Do you know about CMS? Why do you think it gets less publicity than other conservation meetings?
It’s Time for Journalism to Ring the Alarm About Climate Change More Loudly. By Daniel Grossman, for the Revelator
Connecting fish, rivers, and people. By Abigail Lynch, for the Fisheries Blog.
The secrets of lonesome George: genome may contain clues about longevity. Editorial from Nature.
Code red: An update on Florida’s toxic seas. From the Save Our Seas Foundation blog.
Fishermen blame, sue energy companies for climate change that affects their catch. By Alistair Bland, for NPR.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Ancient fish farming and popular invasive species: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, October 18th 2018

Posted on October 18, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow everyone in this amazing thread of twitter wildlife biologists started by David Steen.
Ancient Egyptians farmed fish thousands of years ago. By the New Arab. This is a neat story about a new archaeological study, which tells us about ancient humans’ relationship with the sea.
Fun fish festivals around the world. By Dana Sackett, for the Fisheries Blog.
Drug trafficking at sea is devastating island states, ministers say. By Karen McVeigh, for the Guardian.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

What Happens When Humans Fall In Love With An Invasive Species? By Maggie Koerth-Baker, for 538. This is a really excellent long read about the cultural impacts of invasive species, and how they’re not always considered to be bad.
Herschel, the Very Hungry Sea Lion. By Katharine Gammon, for Hakai. This great story is all about how humans wrongly blame marine predators for our own overfishing.
Will Americans Embrace A Zeal For Eel? This Maine Entrepreneur Hopes So. By Fred Bever, for NPR.
Finding home, magnetically. From ScienceFriday.
Scientists map the impact of trawling using satellite vessel tracking. By John Cannon, for MongaBay
Scientists catch rare glimpses of endangered vaquita. By Elisabeth Malkin, for the New York Times.
The internet of animals that could help to save vanishing wildlife. By Andrew Curry, for Nature
And don’t forget to check out my first-ever op ed, about shark fishing in Florida

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Banning Arctic fishing and protecting public beach access: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, October 4th, 2018

Posted on October 4, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow fisheries biologist Justin Rizzari on twitter!
Commercial fishing banned across much of the Arctic. By Fiona Harvey, for the Guardian.
Slavery with your seafood. By the Save Our Seas Foundation blog.
The top fish books for kids. By Abigail Lynch, for the Fisheries Blog.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Supreme Court refuses to take up Martins Beach case. Surfers, beachgoers relieved. By Peter Fimrite, for the San Francisco Chronicle. This case is important for the right of public access to beaches, and involved a wealthy Californian who tried to keep people off of “his” stretch of beach.
Indonesian Tsunami Was Powered by a Deadly Combo of Tectonics and Geography. By Andrea Thompson, for Scientific American. A fascinating (but scary) look at what made this tsunami so powerful and deadly.
Largely banned industrial chemicals could wipe out killer whales, study warns. By Shreya Dasgupta, for MongaBay. Harmful chemicals can continue to wreak environmental havoc even years after they’ve been banned.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Angry Canadian Crabs and Extinct Australian Sea Stars: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 27(8)th 2018

Posted on September 28, 2018 by David Shiffman

It’s a special Friday morning edition of Thursday Afternoon Dredging because I was traveling!

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow Nova the White Shark, a great white shark tagged in Canada by OCEARCH, on twitter! The day after Nova was tagged, I spent a day with the OCEARCH team- check out this Facebook live interview.
Canadian crabs with bad attitude threaten coastal ecosystem. By the Associated Press.
More minnow misconceptions. By Brandon Peoples, for the Fisheries Blog.
Discovery of vibrant deep-sea life prompts new worries over seabed mining. By Amy Maxmen, for Nature News.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Eulogy for a seastar, Australia’s first recorded marine extinction. By Tim O’Hara, for Earth Touch News.
The future of fish farming may be indoors. By Laura Poppick, for Scientific American.
Strengthening mussels for cleaner rivers. By Madeline Bodin, for the Revelator.
Food Fight: Why the next big battle may not be fought over treasure or territory—but for fish. By Katie Higgins-Bloom, for Foreign Policy
How much plastic is too much plastic for sea turtles? By Shreya Dasgupta, for MongaBay
Off Tanzania, in one of the world’s richest seas, why is the catch getting smaller? By John Vidal, for the Guardian

Rules of the road (news about regulations governing the ocean)

Washington Rolls Back Safety Rules Inspired by Deepwater Horizon Disaster. By Coral Davenport, for the New York Times
A summer review of the Trump administration’s national ocean policy. By Amy Trice, for the Ocean Conservancy Blog.

SCALLOPPPPPPPPPPPP WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (An update on the brewing BREXIT-related war over scallop fishing rights between the UK and the EU):

We have scallop peace…for now.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Cleaning beaches and saving right whales: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 13, 2018

Posted on September 13, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow marine biologist (and research tech in the lab I’m in) Wade VanderWal on twitter!
The science behind the International Coastal Cleanup. By George Leonard, for the Ocean Conservancy blog. Here’s a plastic pollution reduction program that works!
The hidden lives of deep-sea creatures caught on camera. By Amy Maxmen, for Nature News.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Bid to reduce right whale deaths “extremely effective,” Canadian officials say. By Michael MacDonald, for CBC news.
Warming oceans are changing the world’s rainfall. By John Abraham, for the Guardian
In Washington, a farm-to-table restaurant tried to serve the best local fish. Instead, it stumbled into a debate over tribal fishing rights. By Doug Bierend, for the New Food Economy.
Wait, So How Much of the Ocean Is Actually Fished? One prominent study said 55 percent, its critics say 4 percent, and they both used the same data. Really interesting discussion of how fisheries data analysis works, by Ed Yong for the Atlantic.
Searching for survivors in a post-nuclear reefscape. By Greg Asner and Clare Reduff, for MongaBay
Endangered Languages, Endangered Ecologies. By Deb Krol for the Revelator.

SCALLOPPPPPPPPPPPP WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (An update on the brewing BREXIT-related war over scallop fishing rights between the UK and the EU):

Scallop negotiations end with no deal, say fishing leaders. BBC News alert. I am officially setting the Scallop War Doomsday Clock at 5 minutes to midnight.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Scallops, barnacles, and oysters- oh my! Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 6th, 2018

Posted on September 6, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, on twitter.
‘Scallop wars’: UK offers olive branch as French navy threatens to act. By Pippa Crerar, for the Guardian. Brexit is complicating some existing relationships between the UK and European nations, including some fishing rights issues. Don’t worry, though, it’s not like the UK would ever get involved in a shooting war over fishing… except for that one time. And three other related times.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

A new trick to keep barnacles from sticking to ships. By Veronique Greenwood, for the New York Times.
The World Of An Oyster: Scientists Are Using Microphones To Spy On Reef Life. By James Morrison, for NPR’s the Salt
An Orca in Grief: Tahlequah’s Call to Arms. By Rachel Clark, for the Revelator
From Fish to Humans, A Microplastic Invasion May Be Taking a Toll. By Andrea Thompson, for Scientific American.
Diverse family of algae could help corals survive warming seas. By John Cannon, for MongaBay
Hundreds of seals have died in Maine. By Dan Zukowski, for Hakai

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Red tide, whale poop, and vanishing puffins: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, August 30th, 2018

Posted on August 30, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow the official account of the US Sawfish Recovery Team on twitter!
The harmful algal blooms in Florida, explained. From the Ocean Conservancy blog. This environmental news story has resulted in not only heartbreak, but confusion. This explainer post by Ocean Conservancy experts answers many of the questions that folks have been asking me for weeks.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

How Whale Poop Could Counter Calls to Resume Commercial Hunting. By Mike Shanahan, for Scientific American.
Why Are Puffins Vanishing? The Hunt for Clues Goes Deep (Into Their Burrows). By John Schwartz, for the New York Times. Be sure to check out Andrew’s twitter thread about puffins, the origin for “The Last Jedi’s” porgs.
A controversial comeback for a highly prized tuna. By Patrick Whittle, for the Associated Press.
Taking it slow can reduce Arctic shipping’s impact on whales. By Matt Pine, for MongaBay.
Invasive species are riding on plastic across the ocean. By Whitney Pipkin, for National Geographic. Yet another problem with ocean trash- it serves as mobile habitat for invasive species.
Fish populations could rise in warming climate with better management. By Fiona Harvey, for the Guardian.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Plastic Eating Worms and Scientists Running for Office: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, August 16th, 2018

Posted on August 16, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow underwater engineer Amy Kukulya, as seen on Shark Week, on twitter! (And have you seen my review of Shark Week 2018?)
Marine worms are eating plastic now. By Michael Allen, for Hakai Magazine.
Predatory coral bring down jellyfish by working together. From MongaBay news updates.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Canada is flying blind into Arctic Conservation. By Cody Dey, for the Narwhal, about research I’m a coauthor on (Cody is lead author). We’re excited about this paper, which, among other things, shows major gaps in the research and understanding of many Arctic fishes. This is a big problem as Arctic fishing is only going to increase in frequency.
Are narwhals starting to go extinct? By Matt K. Smith, for the Daily Beast
Tax havens shield companies responsible for deforestation and overfishing. By Fiona Harvey, for the Guardian.
Shifting baselines: another threat to coral reefs. By Todd Woody, for OceansDeeply.
Florida’s gulf coast battles smelly, deadly red tide. By Greg Allen, for NPR.

Plumbing the depths (discussion):

An unprecedented number of scientists are running for elected office in the United States this year… but is that a good thing? I do not see how an elected official who is a trained scientist will be a stronger advocate for science than an elected official who has a good scientific advisor that they listen to, and the latter has many advantages over a scientist. (Obviously a scientist in office is better for science than an anti-science idealogue). What do you think? Let us know in the comments! And check out Maggie Koerth-Baker‘s excellent in-depth article about this for 538.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!