Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Today marks 15 years of blogging for Southern Fried Science! In that time, I’ve written over 600 blog posts on a huge variety of topics, and spread the good word about shark science and conservation. I’d like to celebrate the occassion by looking back on 15 things that I’m proudest of during my time as … Read More “15 things I’m proudest of in 15 years of science blogging” »
I recently got an incredible opportunity to do some public science engagement. My friends’ daughter, who absolutely loves sharks, was turning 5 and having friends over for a shark (and pirate, and octonauts) themed birthday party. And she wanted to know if I would be willing to attend and answer the kids’ questions about sharks. … Read More “I was the entertainment at a 5th birthday party: A new favorite science communication gig” »
It finally happened. Three years after Chris Parsons and friends announced their podcast on this very blog, I have joined the Cephalosquad (I actually joined almost a year ago, but we have A Backlog). Meet Patches Tenderfoot, a rabbitfolk necromancer who believes that if he delves deep enough into the arcane arts, he can de-extinct … Read More “Want to join the Cephalosquad? Fight the Kraken!? Listen to a D&D Podcast!?!? Start here!” »
In a region once thought to be so ecologically uninteresting that it was viewed as a useful testbed for deep-sea mining equipment, NOAA researchers have detected what could be the world’s largest cold water coral reef. “For years we thought much of the Blake Plateau was sparsely inhabited, soft sediment, but after more than 10 … Read More “The world’s largest cold water coral reef lies beside the first experimental deep-sea mining test site” »
2023 was a year of endings. I closed several projects and spent a lot of time, behind the scenes, laying the foundation for project I hope will have an impact in 2024. I don’t really think of myself as a science communications person anymore. We are activists, working to achieve specific science-informed policy outcomes. We … Read More “Taking Initiative: My 2023 year in environmental education, outreach, and activism” »
In January 2024, I presented the John Moore Lecture at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology conference. The aim of the Moore plenary is to offer the society a new perspective on science education, and my talk was entitled “You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Engagement Strategy: Lessons Learned from Teaching the Public About Shark … Read More “Lessons learned from teaching the public about shark science and conservation: Insights from my SICB Plenary” »
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that deep ocean exploration is an expensive endeavor. Vessels, instrumentation, deep-submergence vehicles, and analytical tools are costly to run and the specialized training needed to maintain that equipment is often a career in itself. Deep-sea research cruises are among the most logistically complex peacetime operations in human history. When access to … Read More “Deep Ocean Exploration needs to move beyond Imported Magic” »
This morning, the Norwegian parliament approved a bill that moves the country one step closer to commercial deep-sea mining in Norway’s waters. This bill opens up nearly 300,000 square kilometers for mining companies to to explore for lithium, scandium, cobalt, and other critical minerals. Importantly, this does not mean that Norway is about to strip … Read More “Norway moves one step closer to deep-sea mining” »
2023 was a pretty good year for woodworking. After the whirlwind furniture building of the last few years, I had a chance to sit down and work on some smaller projects to practice my skills and progress as a craftsman. January Though not exactly find woodworking, I spent January rebuilding the solar shed and adding … Read More “Cherry, Maple, and Walnut: My 2023 woodworking year in review.” »
