Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow marine biologist (and research tech in the lab I’m in) Wade VanderWal on twitter! The science behind the International Coastal Cleanup. By George Leonard, for the Ocean Conservancy blog. Here’s a plastic pollution reduction program that works! The hidden lives of deep-sea creatures caught on camera. By Amy Maxmen, for … Read More “Cleaning beaches and saving right whales: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 13, 2018” »
Foghorn (a call to action)
The U.S. is turning a significant portion of Micronesia into live fire and bombing ranges to train Marines. It has plans to completely take over one island for this purpose and has control of two-thirds of another island.
If people in the U.S. mainland understood the military’s plan for Micronesia they might be alarmed. But this is really happening to U.S. citizens living in America’s territories.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
The Levee (news from LUMCON)
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, on twitter. ‘Scallop wars’: UK offers olive branch as French navy threatens to act. By Pippa Crerar, for the Guardian. Brexit is complicating some existing relationships between the UK and European nations, including some fishing rights issues. Don’t worry, … Read More “Scallops, barnacles, and oysters- oh my! Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 6th, 2018” »
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
The Gam (conversations from the ocean-podcasting world)
Speak Up for the Blue with two great recent episodes.
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow the official account of the US Sawfish Recovery Team on twitter! The harmful algal blooms in Florida, explained. From the Ocean Conservancy blog. This environmental news story has resulted in not only heartbreak, but confusion. This explainer post by Ocean Conservancy experts answers many of the questions that folks have … Read More “Red tide, whale poop, and vanishing puffins: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, August 30th, 2018” »
Foghorn (A Call to Action!)
Out of the Blue Box is a global search for new ideas to strengthen the recovery of our iconic Great Barrier Reef. We are calling for solutions to the challenges facing the Great Barrier Reef, and reefs all over the world, to fast-track projects that will have an immediate and lasting impact.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
Foghorn (A Call to Action!)
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
I recently unveiled a new tier of Patreon rewards: 3D printed shark and ray models!For $17 per month, you will get a monthly 3D printed educational model of different shark or ray parts in the mail, and you’ll be supporting my efforts to provide these models to schools for free.
August’s reward is a row from the tooth plate of a spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari! The original specimen is housed at the University of Tennessee fossil collection, and the 3D scan was shared online as part of the FOSSIL project.
I asked University of Florida/Florida Museum Ph.D. student Jeanette Pirlo about the FOSSIL project:
” The FOSSIL Project is an NSF funded project, based out of the University of Florida and the Florida Museum, devoted to cultivating a networked community of practice in which fossil club members and professional paleontologists collaborate in learning the practice of science and outreach. The myFOSSIL.org website is the platform from which our members can collaborate by sharing their fossil finds, curate their personal collections, and participate in ongoing paleontological research” – Jeanette Pirlo
Learn more about the spotted eagle ray and it’s teeth below!
Read More “5 things to know about spotted eagle ray tooth plates, August’s 3D printed reward!” »
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow underwater engineer Amy Kukulya, as seen on Shark Week, on twitter! (And have you seen my review of Shark Week 2018?) Marine worms are eating plastic now. By Michael Allen, for Hakai Magazine. Predatory coral bring down jellyfish by working together. From MongaBay news updates. Spoils (long reads and deep dives): … Read More “Plastic Eating Worms and Scientists Running for Office: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, August 16th, 2018” »
The 30th anniversary of Shark Week was the biggest ever, with 22 episodes. It was, as usual, a bit of a mixed bag, though nothing was anywhere near as bad as the bad old days of Megalodon, and there was some pretty good stuff. As has become tradition here at Southern Fried Science, here are some overall thoughts on this year’s Shark Week, as well as reviews for each episode (not counting the clip shows, which I didn’t watch- even I have limits).
Overall thoughts:
Rather than organizing episode reviews in chronological order or air date, this year I’m going to organize them by theme.
Read More “Shark Week 2018 overall thoughts and episode reviews” »
