Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
The Trump Administration opens up the national “refuge” system for hunting On August 13, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced what it called the largest expansion of hunting and sport-fishing opportunities in the agency’s history. The headline states: 1,488 new hunting and fishing opportunities, spread across 111 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries in … Read More “Refuge – I think this word does not mean what you think it means” »
The last 18 months have been an absolute nightmare for U.S. ocean and conservation policy. But here are the top ten worst things (in no particular order) this administration has done to marine conservation. 1. Opening Papahānaumokuākea to fishing In June 2026, a sweeping executive proclamation tore down commercial fishing bans in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine … Read More “Ten very bad, no good things the latest Trump Administration has done to the oceans” »
A “zombie idea” is a policy, belief, or theory that has been thoroughly disproven by facts and evidence, and continues to resurface again and again… it just won’t die. Somehow they continue to stagger through public discourse, dragging their rotting limbs into legislative chambers and conservation galas. One of the loudest, most persistent groans from … Read More “Zombie ideas in conservation: trophy hunting and conservation” »
Another example of the Trump Administration ignoring science There are many ways to make an endangered species less inconvenient. You can weaken regulations. You can exempt industries from environmental review. You can convene the Endangered Species Committee—the infamous “God Squad”—to override protections. Or, apparently, you can simply question whether the species exists at all. The … Read More “Rice’s whale and the curious case of the disappearing species.” »
Logan’s Run is a sci-fi movie from the 1970s, in which humans live in domes protected from a ravaged world outside. In these domes they live lives of pleasure and luxury. Until they reach the age of thirty, when they go to the Carousel and “renew” (in truth, they get vaporized). Anyone who tries to escape … Read More “Ageism in the conservation job market” »
Let’s be honest. Most of us got into conservation science because we wanted to save something. We envisioned our data serving as a shield, protecting a fragile ecosystem or an endangered species from the relentless march of human expansion. We write our papers, carefully craft our “Management Implications” sections, and wait for the policy world … Read More “Screaming into the void – Why your scientific paper doesn’t matter” »
Earth Day used to be about the environment. In 2026, it’s about traffic. The Trump administration marked April 22 with a mix of infrastructure announcements, deregulation, and a heavy dose of branding … while environmental protection took a noticeable back seat. Freedom to Drive… Over Everything The headline initiative? A “Freedom to Drive” push from … Read More “Earth Day 2026: We paved paradise and put up a parking lot” »
I am excited to be attending the upcoming Sharks International conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka! If you’re attending, I’d love to chat with you about your work. Here’s how to find me. This photo of me at Sharks International 2018 in Brazil is now my official Amazon author photo. (I donated that costume to a … Read More “I’m coming to Sharks International! Let’s chat!” »
Back in 2017, the United Nations announced something that sounded genuinely exciting: a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). The idea was to have ten years of coordinated global investment in ocean science to help solve the ocean’s biggest problems, such as climate change, marine biodiversity collapse, pollution and fisheries mismanagement. As well … Read More “The UN Decade of Ocean Science: A failure to launch” »
I defended my Ph.D. on April 1, 2016. Ten years later, I’m not where I thought I’d be, but I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. My original goals If you had asked me on April 1, 2016 what career path I had planned after I finished graduate school, my answer would have … Read More “Reflections on science and my role in it, ten years since my Ph.D. defense” »
