Conservation – Southern Fried Science

My Journey Into Researching Historical Erasure on Public Lands

July 31, 2026 Angelo Villagomez No Comments

Conservation, Education, Featured, Policy

Most people know me for my work on ocean conservation, Indigenous-led stewardship, and marine protected areas. Over the past year, however, I have found myself increasingly drawn into a different but deeply connected area of research: how public lands tell America’s story, and what happens when that story is deliberately altered or erased. This work … Read More “My Journey Into Researching Historical Erasure on Public Lands” »

The “Conservation Paywall”: why saving the planet has become a luxury sport

July 23, 2026 Chris Parsons No Comments

Academic life, Conservation

Let’s be honest. Most of us got into conservation science because we wanted to save something. We envisioned conducting science that would be serving as a shield, protecting a fragile ecosystem or an endangered species from the relentless march of human expansion. We expected long hours, muddy boots, and a few mosquito bites. What we … Read More “The “Conservation Paywall”: why saving the planet has become a luxury sport” »

Save the seals. Congress is trying to shoot its way to salmon recovery

July 22, 2026 Southern Fried Science No Comments

Conservation, News, Policy, Science

Let’s not mince words: current federal ocean conservation policy is a cocktail of chaos and disaster, with a generous sprinkle of incompetence. Following a brutal stretch of legislative and regulatory rollbacks (including the completely indefensible bureaucratic magic trick of removing habitat destruction from the Endangered Species Act’s definition of “harm”) Capitol Hill decided to double … Read More “Save the seals. Congress is trying to shoot its way to salmon recovery” »

First, do no harm.

July 17, 2026 Southern Fried Science

Conservation, Policy, Science

How the Trump Administration has yet again hobbled the Endangered Species Act. The Trump administration has officially finalized a rule stripping habitat destruction from the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In a joint announcement by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce, officials rolled back a 40-year conservation … Read More “First, do no harm. “ »

For when the madness ends: a 5-point plan for getting conservation back on track in the US

July 9, 2026July 7, 2026 Southern Fried Science

Conservation

Let’s not mince words: the last eighteen months have been an absolute nightmare for federal ocean and conservation policy. Landmark environmental protections have been rolled back or severely hobbled, while agency budgets were slashed more than Janet Leigh when Norman Bates was in a particularly stabby mood. But looking towards the 2026 midterm elections, the … Read More “For when the madness ends: a 5-point plan for getting conservation back on track in the US” »

The evolution of the International Whaling Commission – from whaling quotas to whale conservation

June 10, 2026June 10, 2026 Chris Parsons

Conservation, Featured, Science

For decades, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was defined by a single, highly polarized debate: the battle between pro-whaling and anti-whaling nations over commercial catch quotas. Today, however, the landscape of the IWC has radically evolved. For the current IWC Commissioners, conservation-related topics (such as sustainable whalewatching, marine pollution, and protected areas) hold an equal, … Read More “The evolution of the International Whaling Commission – from whaling quotas to whale conservation” »