climate change | Southern Fried Science

We Robot, a horrible hagfish massacre, deep, delicious sandwiches, fish slime harvests, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: September 10, 2018.

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Foghorn (a call to action)

The pending U.S. destruction of Pagan and Tinian islands.

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.

(source)

We Robot 2019: sign up for one of the best conferences I’ve ever participated in!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

‘Slime eel’ massacre caused by Washington man’s boat accident, lawsuit says.

The Levee (news from LUMCON)

Floodwaters are plaguing a lab where scientists study … coastal flooding.

LUMCON’s DeFelice Marine Center, flooded, as seen from a dormitory balcony. (Photo: Courtesy of LUMCON)

Scallops, barnacles, and oysters- oh my! Thursday Afternoon Dredging, September 6th, 2018

Posted on September 6, 2018 by David Shiffman

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, though, it’s not like the UK would ever get involved in a shooting war over fishing… except for that one time. And three other related times.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

A new trick to keep barnacles from sticking to ships. By Veronique Greenwood, for the New York Times.
The World Of An Oyster: Scientists Are Using Microphones To Spy On Reef Life. By James Morrison, for NPR’s the Salt
An Orca in Grief: Tahlequah’s Call to Arms. By Rachel Clark, for the Revelator
From Fish to Humans, A Microplastic Invasion May Be Taking a Toll. By Andrea Thompson, for Scientific American.
Diverse family of algae could help corals survive warming seas. By John Cannon, for MongaBay
Hundreds of seals have died in Maine. By Dan Zukowski, for Hakai

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

The real deep reefs of South Carolina, dolphin chatter, autonomous starfish killing robots, an exciting submarine discovery, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: September 3, 2018

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Robots versus Aliens is my favorite genre of conservation technology. Sea-Star Murdering Robots Are Deployed in the Great Barrier Reef.

Fish Bombardment is my other. Video: Utah Officials Restock Remote Lakes by Plane.

The Gam (conversations from the ocean-podcasting world)

Speak Up for the Blue with two great recent episodes.

Red tide, whale poop, and vanishing puffins: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, August 30th, 2018

Posted on August 30, 2018 by David Shiffman

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 been asking me for weeks.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

How Whale Poop Could Counter Calls to Resume Commercial Hunting. By Mike Shanahan, for Scientific American.
Why Are Puffins Vanishing? The Hunt for Clues Goes Deep (Into Their Burrows). By John Schwartz, for the New York Times. Be sure to check out Andrew’s twitter thread about puffins, the origin for “The Last Jedi’s” porgs.
A controversial comeback for a highly prized tuna. By Patrick Whittle, for the Associated Press.
Taking it slow can reduce Arctic shipping’s impact on whales. By Matt Pine, for MongaBay.
Invasive species are riding on plastic across the ocean. By Whitney Pipkin, for National Geographic. Yet another problem with ocean trash- it serves as mobile habitat for invasive species.
Fish populations could rise in warming climate with better management. By Fiona Harvey, for the Guardian.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Lost shipwrecks, weaponized hagfish, plastivorous worms, deep-sea mining, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: August 20, 2018.

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Foghorn (A Call to Action!)

Did you know that oceanbites also published in Spanish? Go check it out!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Marine Worms Are Eating Plastic Now. I’m sure this will be fine [Ed: I’m not sure. It won’t be fine.]
Are you following Diva Amon’s latest expedition: My Deep Sea, My Backyard in Trinidad and Tobago? Join the adventure!

Dr. Amon shows off a deep-sea dropcam. Courtesy OpenExplorer.

Researchers just found a WWII shipwreck that was lost for over 75 years off the coast of an Alaskan island.

Members of the expedition take time to examine a Japanese mini submarine that remains in the historic sub pens on Kiska Island. Image courtesy of Kiska: Alaska’s Underwater Battlefield expedition.

Eat hagfish, work at LUMCON, clone Vaquita, question floating trash collectors, and more! Monday Morning Mega-Salvage: August 13, 2018

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Foghorn (A Call to Action!)

It’s time for Africosh! The annual Africa Open Science and Hardware Summit Heads is in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania this year!
LUMCON is hiring! They’re looking for two exceptional coastal and marine science faculty hires in any discipline. And they have the best “come work for us” video!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Hakai Magazine is my jam this month.
- How an Epidemic Exposed the Ecological Importance of Sea Stars: The near eradication of British Columbia’s sea stars demonstrated the dynamic role they play in regulating kelp forests.
- How to Dismantle a Blue Whale: In Chile, a team of volunteers confronts stench and gore to ensure a new life for a dead whale. [Warning: Link contains graphic pictures of whale evisceration]
I’ve been following this project for almost 2 years. Awesome to see how far they’ve come. NinjaPCR is a WiFi enabled, Opensource DNA Amplifier and Thermocycler for Polymerase Chain Reaction developed by 2 hackers in Tokyo.
Plastic wrap made from shellfish and plants is completely compostable.

Hagfish (just Hagfish)

Yes, people do eat hagfish. Yum! Snake-like creature writhes, squirms on grill.

Hagfish are the emissaries of love, not war. Stop it. Synthetic ‘Slime’ To Help US Navy Trap Enemy Ships.

Gently jelly-nabbing bots, deep-coral under threat, albino stingrays, #JacquesWeek, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 23, 2018

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Foghorn (A Call to Action!)

All Hands on Deck! You’re got one week left to apply to join the MIT Media Lab and NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research for this year’s National Ocean Exploration Forum as an Ocean Discovery Fellow!
Jacques Week 2018 is here!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

What just happened? Everyone is going wild for the deep-sea fish attack video.

A gentle jellyfish-grabbing claw for collecting squishies without squishing them!

The Levee (A featured project that emerged from Oceandotcomm)

Stitching Hope for the Coast – communicating coastal optimism for Louisiana. Deadline for submissions has been extended to October!

#JacquesWeek returns! Falling glaciers, fish that don’t eat plastic, sharks and the women who study them, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 16, 2018

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Andrew Thaler

Foghorn (A Call to Action!)

Jacques Week is coming! Have no fear. Our annual answer to Shark Week’s ocean madness will be back for a forth season!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Saving the Vaquita was always about understanding human cultures and how social structures intersect with the ecosystem. Investigation reveals illegal trade cartels decimating vaquita porpoises.

Fishermen with an illegal haul of totoaba. Image courtesy of Elephant Action League.

Keep beating this drum until it sinks in: Plastic Straw Bans Leave Out People With Disabilities.
Climate change may be a boon for archaeology: Scorching Heat Wave Reveals Signs of Ancient Civilization in the UK.

Photo: Toby Driver (RCAHMW)

Ice-free Arctic and salmon symphonies: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, July 12 2018

Posted on July 12, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow environmental social scientist Angela Dean on twitter!
Ice free passage for ships could cause problems for marine mammals. From MongaBay
Bone scraps hint at whale harvest by ancient Romans. From Nature News.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and and Transportation is holding a hearing entitled “SHARKS!” “We don’t see many in South Dakota” says chair John Thune.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

Symphony of the salmon: How scientists are learning by putting fish migration to music. By Kevin Davenport, for the Idaho Statesman.
Island of Coral Resilience Shows Hope – and Limits – for Reefs’ Future. By Jessica Leber, for OceansDeeply
Krill fishing firms back Antarctic sanctuary. By Matthew Taylor, for the Guardian.
Fish Fried: What Rio Grande Drought Means for Endangered Silvery Minnows. By Maggie Grimason, for Revelator.
New Surveys Give a Clearer Picture of Recreational Fishing. By Meredith Moore, for the Ocean Conservancy blog.
Rats are wreaking havoc on our coral reefs and reducing fish numbers. By Nick Kilvert, for ABC news.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!

Obama’s ocean monuments, deep diving seals, and sustainable US fisheries: Thursday Afternoon Dredging, May 24th, 2018

Posted on May 24, 2018 by David Shiffman

Cuttings (short and sweet):

Follow Canadian ocean science communicator Kayla Glynn on twitter.
NOAA’s status of stocks. By Steve Midway, for the Fisheries Blog.
Antarctic seals recruited to measure the effects of climate change. By Alex Fox, for Nature News.
15,000 lionfish removed from Florida waters. By Ed Killer, for the Treasure Coast Palm.
Plastic bag swallowing sperm whales are victims of our progress. By Phillip Hoare, for the Guardian.
Ban on sunscreen chemicals proposed to protect coral reefs. By David Fleshler, for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Spoils (long reads and deep dives):

The high-stakes battle over President Obama’s ocean monuments. By Alastair Bland, for OceansDeeply.
A seachange in fisheries is needed to protect marine mammals. From WWF Environmental News.
Porpoises flee from noise pollution. By Amorina Kingdon, for Hakai.
For Army divers, excavating underwater tombs is a solemn, honorable duty. By Sean Kimmons, for the US Army news service.

Please add your own cuttings and spoils in the comments!

If you appreciate my shark research and conservation outreach, please consider supporting me on Patreon! Any amount is appreciated, and supporters get exclusive rewards!