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Other items at the Rocks market were more troubling .WhySharksMatter counted jaws from 11 species of shark at this booth.
Conservation, Science
I used to feel warm and fuzzy inside when I saw the dolphin-safe logo on my tuna. I felt like a decision I made was helping the environment- like I was making a difference.
The commonly believed narrative about dolphin-safe tuna goes something like this: Lots of dolphins were being killed by tuna fishermen, outraged environmentalists led a massive PR campaign, legions of adorable children wrote to their elected officials, elected officials changed the rules to protect dolphins, and everything is better now. Hooray, we saved an innocent species and helped the environment!
That narrative is a great story. It shows that if a few people who care can convince others that their cause is just, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. It’s inspiring. Too bad it’s not really true. As it turns out, we made things worse- a LOT worse.
Read More “Dolphin-safe tuna: conservation success story or ecological disaster?” »
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After looking both left and right, Charlie arrives at the Rocks artist market in Sydney. He was quite pleased with some of the items for sale.
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Charlie grows tired of this game
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I just finished the Summer SharkTakular #shark trivia. I had a lot of fun with it, and it seems like participants had a lot of fun as well. I may make this a more regular thing in the future- stay tuned!
As requested, here is a summary of the questions, answers, and prizes.
Conservation, Science
Those of you who follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on facebook may have seen that last month, I asked for volunteers to come catch and tag sharks with me here in Charleston. While I was pleased by how excited respondents were for this opportunity, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that involving members of the public in scientific research is an old idea. It’s called Citizen Science.
Read More “Adventures with Citizen Science: perspectives of a shark biologist” »
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A confused Charlie does as he is told
Science
At a recent conference, I was engaged in a multiple-day bidding war over an item for sale at the silent auction. The item eventually went for more than three times what my maximum bid was and ended up raising a lot of money for student travel. Still, I was sad to have lost, even though matching the winning bid would have meant not eating for a week or so.
The item was a first edition copy of Eugenie Clark’s classic book ” Lady and the Sharks”, and since Eugenie was there, she volunteered to give a personalized signature to the winner. Close friends know that “the Lady and the Sharks” was very influential in my decision to become a shark biologist, and Eugenie Clark was one of my childhood heroes.
Eastern NC readers should come out to the North Carolina Maritime Museum this evening (July 23, 2010) for “The Sea is History” exhibition. This is a free event featuring lectures at the NC Maritime Museum, boat shuttles to the Duke Marine Lab, and a reception at the LEED Platinum Certified Marguerite Kent Repass Ocean Conservation Center.
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans have left their homelands since 1960 by sea. They travel in fragile vessels or smugglers’ boats without prearranging authorized entry into another country. The aim of this exhibit is to raise questions, increase awareness, and encourage informed thought about these people.
Schedule after the jump.
Read More “The Sea is History – Tonight at the NC Maritime Museum” »