Pacific – Southern Fried Science

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How to Value Cultural Heritage on the High Seas?

March 21, 2024March 22, 2024 Andrew Thaler

Featured, Policy

Cultural Heritage is a bit of a tough concept when working in areas beyond national jurisdiction. By definition, the places being considered for deep-sea mining by the International Seabed Authority exist at least 200 nautical miles from land and human habitation. Even most submerged archeological sites lie on continental shelves within nations’ exclusive economic zones. … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How to Value Cultural Heritage on the High Seas?” »

The fate of the deep sea is being decided behind closed doors, plastic in the deepest trench, memories of whales, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: March 4, 2019

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 Andrew Thaler

Weekly Salvage

Foghorn (A Call to Action!)

Last week was a huge week for deep-sea mining and there’s still more coming. Catch up on the latest!

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Legendary submarine pilot Erika Bergman, a couple dudes, and a group of scientists make exciting discovery inside Great Blue Hole and What Erika Bergman, Richard Branson, Fabien Cousteau, and Aquatica Submarines Found In Belize’s Great Blue Hole.

The voyage meant scientists could construct a 3D map of the hole. Picture: Thomas Bodhi Wade/Aquatica Submarines

#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

July 16, 2018July 15, 2018 Andrew Thaler

Weekly Salvage

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.

Southern Fried Science year-in-review, Palau’s Giant, a new challenge for deep-sea mining, Porgs are Puffins, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: December 25, 2017.

December 25, 2017December 25, 2017 Andrew Thaler

Weekly Salvage

Happy Holidays from the Southern Fried Science Team!

Fog Horn (A Call to Action)

The Saipan Blog’s Angelo Villagomez put together a list of extraordinary Indigenous Pacific Conservationists to Follow on Twitter in 2018. Go. Follow them. Learn what’s really happening in Pacific Conservation.

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Do-it-yourself science is taking off. A growing movement seeks to make the tools of science available to everyone (including you). I love that The Economist now has a “Punk Science” heading.
Palau now requires all tourists to sign an environmental pledge when they enter the country. All flights in now feature this delightful short film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhuY8eNLzBM

Arlo Guthrie was right! Cool short video of bipedal “walking” in gastropods. Clamzo boys, Clamzo!

Everything about hagfish is the best thing about hagfish, the battle for the deep-sea heats up, parasitic butt snails, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: December 17, 2017

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 Andrew Thaler

Weekly Salvage

Fog Horn (A Call to Action)

The CDC was given a list of seven banned words for their upcoming budgets. Among the censored words are “science-based” and “evidence-based”, which, of course, are concepts central to the CDC’s mission. I have some thoughts about why this list has appeared at this time. If you think the CDC shouldn’t be censored in their mission to safeguard public health, call your representatives.

Flotsam (what we’re obsessed with right now)

Bird and Moon author Rosemary Mosco is this week’s Hagfish Lover of note: Feeling Sick and Snotty?

Underwater robots reveal the all-you-can-eat-buffet of the deep sea.

The Pacific Divided

October 7, 2011October 5, 2011 Bluegrass Blue Crab 2 Comments

Science

Challenge: find a map of the Pacific Ocean that includes both Japan and California. Or that focuses on any of the island nations in between.

One of the casualties of mapping a three-dimensional planet on two-dimensional paper is the part of the world that is split between the edges of the paper. Usually, this is the Pacific. As Sarah Palin made famous in the 2008 presidential campaign, as an Alaskan, she can see Russia from her house. While I admit that for Palin, this is an exaggeration, but for the residents of St. Lawrence Island, this view is a reality. In fact, they are as likely (if not more) to speak Russian than English and have the capability of kayaking to Russia if so desired. But your average world map makes that distance look infinite.