Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
In another universe, Queequeg is a woman, Ishmael is a harpooner, and the Great White Whale is a … dragon? Somehow, I can’t quite picture this as a faithful adaptation, but it might be fun. Hat tip to Jason. Follow along with our year long expedition into the real Moby Dick at Finding Melville’s Whale. … Read More “Finding Mellville’s … dragon?!” »
Chapter 3 of the classic Moby Dick by Herman Melville, summarized in verse. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. The Spouter-Inn The tavern heaves as if it were a sloop battered by too many waves, too much drink, as three years afloat celebrates the … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 3 – The Spouter-Inn” »
The ocean is full of metals and minerals that naturally occur such as zinc, copper, and cobalt and many marine organisms therefore depend upon access to those metals in small concentrations. However, inshore marine systems receive inputs from industrial, mining, and stormwater runoff that far exceed what these organisms can use. So what’s the effect? There was recently a good review article by Mayer-Pinto et al describings the effects of these metals at the assemblage level that basically did my job for me, research-wise, covering both marine and freshwater systems.
Charlie, Sophie, Bluegrass, and Morgan hanging out by the fire.
This past Saturday was my 26th birthday, and also marked the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck probably chose that date for his “Restoring Honor” rally because of the latter exciting historical moment that August 28th marked.
Beck’s rally inspired no shortage of controversy, including a counter-protest by modern civil rights leaders. One of the controversies deals with how many people attended. Political organizers have long used rally crowd sizes as measures of support for a cause, and fighting over crowd sizes has gotten so bad that the United States Park Police no longer provide official estimates on how many people attend.
That pasta salad looks yummy.
Chapter 2 of the classic Moby Dick by Herman Melville, summarized in verse. Read along with us and discuss this chapter or the book as a whole in the comments. The Carpet Bag South he journeys, to the island from which the new world whaling ships unfurled their sails and raised anchor, but the ferry … Read More “Finding Melville’s Whale: Chapter 2 – The Carpet Bag” »
It must be time to eat. Charlie digs in.
Charlie wields his fork with the determination of a doll ready to eat things.
Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I recently was allowed to participate in a unique scientific and educational opportunity- my Tetrapod Biology class and I attended the necropsy of a large Loggerhead Sea Turtle. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a necropsy is basically an autopsy for animals. The goal is to figure out why the animal died, information which can hopefully be used to protect the rest of the species in the future. Since this species is considered “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, this information is particularly valuable.
Many factors contributed to population declines among Loggerheads. Like sharks, they are slow growing, which makes it difficult for their numbers to quickly rebound. I’ve heard a range of numbers, but according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, they reach reproductive maturity around 35 years of age. Turtle populations have historically taken a big beating from shrimp trawling (the turtles used to get caught in the nets and drown), but the invention of the Turtle Excluder Device has helped on this front. These animals use the beach to lay their eggs, which are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance (beach nourishment, riding ATV’s on beaches, poaching, etc). Artificial lighting along the beach can also distract hatchlings, which are used to crawling in the direction of the light to reach the relative safety of the oceans. Since the temperature of the beach determines what sex the turtle will become, they are also threatened by global climate change.
It is extremely important to put the photos you are about to see into their proper context- they show a team of trained professionals who care very deeply about sea turtles using the latest scientific and medical techniques to figure out what happened to an already-dead turtle. They do not show animal abuse of any kind. Some are quite graphic and if such things bother you I’d advise against reading further.
Note: All photos were taken by me
Read More “Death of a dinosaur: WhySharksMatter attends a loggerhead sea turtle necropsy” »
