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The next OpenCTD is here!
June 22, 2026
humpback whale in Antarctica
The evolution of the International Whaling Commission – from  whaling quotas to whale conservation
June 10, 2026
Isn’t ironic, don’t you think: dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative on World Oceans Day
June 9, 2026
“Why Sustainable Seafood Matters” is now available for preorder! Here’s what it’s about, and why I decided to write it.
June 8, 2026
Here’s how to join my IMCC8 symposium, “Ocean Science Communication: What’s New and What’s Next?”
April 22, 2026
Deep Sea Mining Symposium Announcement
April 21, 2026

“You Could Walk On The Backs of Sea Turtles”

Posted on September 7, 2010September 7, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 1 Comment on “You Could Walk On The Backs of Sea Turtles”
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Sea turtle research is unique in that many if not most of the people actually out in the field taking data are volunteers. By day, they are teachers, librarians, business owners, lifeguards, firefighters, students, retirees, you name it. If you’re curious, check out the network’s website. Sea turtles are the classic cute endangered animals that can really make someone care about marine conservation. And all of this data has gone to help produce population assessments such as this that confirm that while overall population is declining, some areas are actually increasing. But no where is back to the populations on which people could walk out to sea on the backs of turtles.

Read More ““You Could Walk On The Backs of Sea Turtles”” »

Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Bloop!

Posted on September 7, 2010September 7, 2010 By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Bloop!
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Our oceans have always been full of mystery, and those mysteries have inspired many fascinating stories over the centuries. We tend to think of sea monster stories as ancient superstitions, but the tale of the Bloop is less than 15 years old. In 1997, some US Navy hydrophones that had been in place for decades … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Bloop!” »

Bone-eating worms and contorted creationist thinking

Posted on September 7, 2010January 12, 2012 By Andrew Thaler 10 Comments on Bone-eating worms and contorted creationist thinking
Science

I tend to avoid the creationist blogs. Every time I get sucked into that vortex of pseudoscience, I find the exact same debunked claims that were bunk when I was 12. There are better bloggers out there who have the energy and patience to systematically dissect the same tired old rubbish day after day, but I’m not one of them.

This claim, however, is special. There’s nothing new in the rhetoric behind it, it’s just another “how could this commensalism/symbiosis/mutualism evolve? It must be magic!” mantra. And the analysis isn’t terribly sophisticated, anyone could do the basic googling to find out why every argument in it is either wrong or deceptive. What’s special is that it’s about one of my favorite critters, Osedax – the bone eating worm.

Read More “Bone-eating worms and contorted creationist thinking” »

Chemistry of the Great Big Blue: Nutrients

Posted on September 7, 2010September 7, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 1 Comment on Chemistry of the Great Big Blue: Nutrients
Science

The Great Big Blue looks like it contains nothing but water and maybe a little salt, especially out in the open ocean. However, this kind of sparse environment is exactly where the chemistry matters the most – it’s a fine line between not enough, too much, and just right. Given this, there’s no distinct myth here but an underlying unresolved question: what is the limiting factor that keeps the open ocean at low productivity?

Read More “Chemistry of the Great Big Blue: Nutrients” »

Our favorite sea monsters – Mermaids (#5)

Posted on September 7, 2010September 7, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 5 Comments on Our favorite sea monsters – Mermaids (#5)
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Mermaids occur in legends from cultures around the world and vary in shape, origin, and intent. From the beautiful temptress on the cliffs luring boats onto dangerous shoals to peaceful coexisting aquatic humans, mermaids have made a place for themselves in history. The basics of merfolk is that they are neither human nor fish but some sort of mammal that includes elements of both. They are musically talented and astoundingly beautiful.

Read More “Our favorite sea monsters – Mermaids (#5)” »

365 days of Darwin: September 7, 2010 (3/7)

Posted on September 7, 2010August 31, 2010 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on 365 days of Darwin: September 7, 2010 (3/7)
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Charlie wants to see what it’s like to be a Mer-Darwin

An Ocean of Pseudoscience Linkfest

Posted on September 6, 2010September 8, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

Below are all the other blogs that have joined in on our week long adventure into an Ocean of Pseudoscience. Ya Like Dags? – There’s an Ocean of Pseudoscience Out There Arthropoda – Ocean of Pseudoscience Week Cephalove – News flash: Octopuses are actually psychic Observations of a Nerd – Ocean of Pseudoscience: Sharks DO … Read More “An Ocean of Pseudoscience Linkfest” »

Our favorite sea monsters – Nessie (#6)

Posted on September 6, 2010September 7, 2010 By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Our favorite sea monsters – Nessie (#6)
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One of the most famous “sea monsters” of all time – so famous that her outline graces the Ocean of Pseudoscience Week logo – actually lives in a lake. I’m talking, of course, about “Nessie”, the Loch Ness monster.

Local reports of a bizarre creature inhabiting the Scottish lake go back over a thousand years, but the story became popularized in the 1930’s when Dr. Robert Kenneth Wilson took a now-famous photograph.

Read More “Our favorite sea monsters – Nessie (#6)” »

The Green Flash

Posted on September 6, 2010September 7, 2010 By Bluegrass Blue Crab 5 Comments on The Green Flash
Uncategorized

Legend goes that just as the sun sets below the horizon, a flash of green light appears to kiss the day goodbye. Sailors say that when the flash appears, it means a soul has crossed over. Jules Verne wrote that those who witnessed it could no longer be deceived because he could read the thoughts of others. Admiral Byrd supposedly saw one that lasted 35 minutes.  For a full record of sightings, see here.  But is this really stuff of legend or a real phenomenon in the sky?

Read More “The Green Flash” »

Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Sharks and Cancer

Posted on September 6, 2010September 7, 2010 By David Shiffman 1 Comment on Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Sharks and Cancer
Science

One of the most prevalent shark myths  is  “sharks don’t get cancer”. This is associated with the more troubling myth that consuming shark cartilage will cure humans of cancer. Despite the success of books with titles like “Sharks don’t get cancer: How shark cartilage could save your life” and “Sharks still don’t get cancer: The … Read More “Ocean of Pseudoscience Shorty – Sharks and Cancer” »

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