Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (retired) made an exciting announcement recently on the American Alchemy podcast. Gallaudet has significant credentials: he served as the Navy’s oceanographer and later headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He said that he is working with a team of “very esteemed archaeologists and geologists” and they believe that they … Read More “Have we found the city of Atlantis?” »
Did you see the Snallygaster? It was there, clear as day, rooting through the trash at Foxy’s Harbor Grille, its tentacles probing for scraps of fish and week-old oysters. More than a few people heard its horrifying caw as it took the the sky. Thus begins the Curse of the Snallygaster. The Snallygaster is an … Read More “Jabberwocks and Snallygasters: teaching environmental education with monsters, mayhem, and dice.” »
Are you in conservation or academia and have noticed these things happening? Somehow, those concerns never seem to involve the actual quality of their work. Welcome to the wonderful world of “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, where the flower that stands out above the others must be cut down. It is the peculiar phenomenon in which someone … Read More “Toxic workplaces: the “tall poppy” problem in conservation and academia” »
Fishing for fun, even “catch and release” fishing, can sometimes have a significant impact on fish species of conservation concern. When most environmentalists think about the impacts of fishing, they’re thinking about large-scale industrial commercial fisheries. These impacts are serious and absolutely deserve our attention, and indeed how to mitigate those impacts is the subject … Read More “The conservation impacts of recreational fishing” »
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” »
There are three ways to destroy an environmental law. You can repeal it. You can withhold funds to enact or enforce the law. Or you can keep the law on the books, but rewrite the machinery that makes it work (i.e., you can sabotage it). Over the course of two weeks, the U.S. Fish and … Read More “The Trump Administration’s latest attack on the Endangered Species Act” »
Deep sea mining lease sales are scheduled to take place in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in November and December, respectively. The Trump administration has advanced a rushed and secretive process in both U.S. territories with limited public participation. Thankfully the United States is still a democracy and the First Amendment guarantees us … Read More “How to help protect the deep sea in the Marianas and American Samoa today” »
Want a fun and unique birthday gift+ for the shark nerd in your life? I’m now on Cameo, the app that lets you get a personalized video message from celebrities*. You can now hire me through Cameo to deliver a personalized birthday message, including a fun fact about sharks! Here’s how it works, for those … Read More “Want to wish someone happy birthday with shark facts? I’m now on Cameo!” »
Yesterday the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ignored the voices of 60,000 public comments and issued a proposed leasing notice for the seabed surrounding the Mariana Trench. This is a key step in selling off 69 million acres of the American seafloor to the mining industry, an area about the size of Nevada. A new … Read More “Trump Administration Advances Mariana Trench Offshore Mineral Leasing Process” »
Why well-intentioned but uninformed guessing cannot and will not solve conservation problems, and what we should do instead. Picture this scene: you’re walking down the street, and you see your neighbor pacing back and forth nervously near the door to his house. He’s locked himself out of his house, accidentally leaving his keys inside. A … Read More “The locksmith and the conservation scientist” »
