Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow Katelyn Heman, a marine conservation biologist working at the Georgia Aquarium, on twitter! What this walking fish can teach us about evolution. By Sarah Gibbens, for National Geographic Fish forego sleep thanks to this molecule in their brain. From Nature’s Animal Behavior news. Microplastics pollute even the most remote parts of … Read More “Walking fish and microbe warfare: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, February 15, 2018” »
Welcome to Dear Shark Man, an advice column inspired by a ridiculous e-mail I received. You can send your questions to me via twitter (@WhySharksMatter) or e-mail (WhySharksMatter at gmail).
Dear Shark Man,
I know that sharks that live close to the coast sometimes use “nursery areas” when they are young. Do open ocean sharks also use nursery areas?
Sincerely,
Nosey in North Carolina
Read More “Dear Shark Man, do open ocean sharks use nursery areas?” »
A train screams down the tracks. Dead ahead, a pile of of giant pandas frolic, inexplicably, through a bamboo stand growing through the rails. But wait! There’s a switch. Pulling it will divert the train onto another track, where a tank containing one of the last 30 vaquita will surely be crushed. Do you pull the lever, dooming the vaquita, or hold the line, flattening the frolicking pandas? Do you stammer indecisively, wondering how you ended up in this situation as you careen, inexorably, into into an increasingly unavoidable outcome?
What if, rather than the conductor’s seat, you’re at the helm of a conservation organization? What if the train wasn’t a hundred tons of steel and steam, but the relentless press of public will, funding, and focus upon which it is your duty to shape and direct into action?
What if conservation has a Trolley Problem?
Ah the Trolley Problem, the thought experiment turned pop-philosophy darling whose use and misuse is, at best, an annoyance to every ethicist I know. Regrettably, I do them no favors here.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow wildlife illustrator Marc Dando on twitter! The rise of fishing apps. By the Fisheries Blog. Misled penguins swim to fishing grounds that no longer have food. By Katie Peek, for Scientific American Spoils (long reads and deep dives): A pet crayfish is cloning itself and spreading around the world. By Sarah … Read More “Insect-eating salmon and cloned crayfish: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, February 8th, 2018” »
Yesterday, the government of Canada announced some proposed amendments to the national Fisheries Act. The full text of the proposal can be viewed here. So far, it’s gone through the First Reading in the House of Commons (for my non-Canadian readers, here is what that means). I reached out to fisheries and conservation policy experts across Canada to ask what they think of these proposed changes.
Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)
Cuttings (short and sweet): Follow Skye Augustine, a marine biologist studying traditional indigenous fisheries management practices, on twitter! A plate of lies: seafood mislabeling. By Meghan Fox, for the Fisheries Blog. 2017 was the hottest year yet for the world’s oceans. By Sarah Gibbens, for National Geographic. Helping sound out of water: new materials could help … Read More “Texting about ichthyology and climate change’s effects on indigenous culture: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, February 1st, 2018” »
US President Donald Trump said “I believe in clean air. I believe in crystal clear beautiful water.”
Image via gify.com
However, in last night’s State of the Union Address he declared his support for promoting coal-based energy* and he gave public notice of his intentions to curtail the environmental impact assessment process and environmental regulation for construction and road-building. This would be the latest in a series of executive actions that are removing or hindering environmental protection including, amongst others:
Welcome to Dear Shark Man, an advice column inspired by a ridiculous e-mail I received. You can send your questions to me via twitter (@WhySharksMatter) or e-mail (WhySharksMatter at gmail).
Dear Shark Man,
What are your thoughts on elasmobranchs in the pet and aquarium trade? Is this a serious conservation issue?
Sincerely,
Nonchalant in New Zealand
Read More “Dear Shark Man, is the aquarium trade a major shark conservation issue?” »
