Posts

May 07, 2013

9:25 PM | Readers Write In: Are My Children Safe From This Snake?

"Can you please tell me what kind of snake this is? We have small dogs and children running around and my grandfather wants to make sure they're safe. Amberly K. Winder, Georgia" I assured Amberly that it seems as though it's the snakes that need to be worried, not Grandpa. But surely we can all understand the concern one might feel when an unidentified snake makes an appearance in the yard (

7:51 PM | Genie Scott on Denial

There's a new video lecture from Genie Scott: Denialism of Climate Change and Evolution.

6:03 PM | Texas Drought Continues – Water Legislation Fails

Texas Climate News reports that the Texas state House of Representatives failed to pass new water management legislation despite support from the governor and other powerful officials at a time when 98.55 percent of the state’s area was in one or another category of dryness ranging from “abnormally dry” to the driest of all, “exceptional drought.”

4:37 PM | A Tale of Two Elephants: celebrating the lives and mourning the deaths of Cirrocumulus and Ngampit

On March 21st, the organization Save the Elephants posted on their Facebook page that two African elephants had been poached inside a nearby reserve: "Sad news from the north of Kenya. Usually the national reserves are safe havens for elephants, and they know it. But in the last two weeks two of our study animals have been shot inside the Buffalo Springs reserve. First an 18 year-old bull called Ngampit and then, yesterday, 23 year-old female called Cirrocumulus (from the Clouds family)."

5:20 AM | deepseafauna: Alvinocaris chelys is concerned for your...

deepseafauna: Alvinocaris chelys is concerned for your safety. Photo by Tin-Yam Chan, WoRDSS.

4:37 AM | A Realpolitik Defense of Cap and Trade

J B Rosser argues that, with prominent US economists pushing the idea of a carbon tax, the attitude in Europe is highly negative, along the lines of "Why should we try to do what you want us to do yet again when you shafted us the last time we did so?" The answer, of course, is that American voters don't care what Europe thinks, while the reverse is not true. The world just isn't fair sometimes.

4:25 AM | Arctic Ocean Acidifying Rapidly

The Arctic Ocean is less effective at chemically neutralizing carbon dioxide’s acidifying effects, and being cold, favors the transfer of carbon dioxide from the air into the ocean. Newly open water opens the door for an ocean acidification crisis in the Arctic, which will alter ecosystems and commercial fisheries.

May 06, 2013

9:15 PM | Ant Diversity & The Uni Project

On Saturday I joined The Uni Project at the Ideas City Festival in downtown Manhattan to present my research on urban ants and science education. The Uni is a project [...]

8:52 PM | Join us tonight at 8:30 for Blue Pints Episode 7: Big Fish Stories

Blue Pints, a casual conversation about marine science and conservation, returns tonight! Join us at 8:30 P.M. EST. The Southern Fried Science team will be telling our favorite “Big Fish” stories–a collection of our most ridiculous adventures doing field work. We’ll share the link to watch shortly before the hangout starts here in this post [...]

7:50 PM | Citizens’ Climate Lobby

The Citizens' Climate Lobby is active in the US and Canada. It's expressed purpose is "To create the political will for a stable climate. To empower individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising their personal and political power." They are pushing for the revenue neutral carbon tax idea in the US, and hope to break through the wall of stubborn foolishness that characterizes the federal Republican party these days.

7:13 PM | Readers Write In: A Snake in my Garage I Cannot Identify

"Sir, I happened upon a snake in my garage that I cannot identify… it was a large snake in the 10’ to 12’ range, gold and brown on the back with a diamond pattern and it had a black head that looked like a king snake or rat snake? I live just north of Montgomery Alabama and I cannot find it anywhere online. (Tommy attached several photographs he found online but I am not posting them

3:34 PM | Goliath Groupers Under Review

This year, the critically endangered Goliath grouper is once again under review by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). On the table, the possibility of opening killing season for this fragile species. Learn the facts from my recent peer reviewed scientific manuscript published in Oryx, the International Journal of Conservation. Click here for a FREE pdf [...]

1:08 PM | All the world's rarest birds in one book: photo contest enlivens new guide

The World's Rarest Birds is an extraordinary bird book. 590 different bird species are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered, with many species only existing in captivity. A new book, The World's Rarest Birds, catalogs all of these species. Each species is shown with remarkable color-photography and illustrations. Threats to species habitat are described, population estimates per species are given, and each species has a quick response (QR) code that takes the reader to a […]

10:39 AM | biologicalmarginalia: The earliest illustration of Sunfish,...

biologicalmarginalia: The earliest illustration of Sunfish, presumably Mola mola, from A) Rondelet in 1554 and B) Gesner in 1558. Considering this is from the era of terrible walruses, the fact that they’re at all recognizable is pretty amazing.Johnson, G. & Britz, R. (2005) Leis’ Conundrum: Homology of the Clavus of the Ocean Sunfishes. 2. Ontogeny of the Median Fins and Axial Skeleton of Ranzania laevis (Teleostei, Tetraodontiformes, Molidae). Journal of Morphology 266 11–21.

2:40 AM | underthevastblueseas: Cookie Cutter Shark Teeth- by JKG II

underthevastblueseas: Cookie Cutter Shark Teeth- by JKG II

12:34 AM | Precious Point Lobos

Although not considered part of Monterey Bay (unless you’re a geologist), Point Lobos is a short drive to the south and on most days too gorgeous to ignore. I met my friend Deborah at the park and on this slightly … Continue reading →

May 05, 2013

11:54 PM | mucholderthen: Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli Lower Cretaceous...

mucholderthen: Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli Lower Cretaceous hermit crab in an Ammonite shellby =avancna Based on In situ fossil hermit crabs (Paguroidea) from northwest Europe and Russia [PDF] The Hauterivian (Lower Cretaceous) hermit crab, Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli, in a simberskitine ammonite shell. From the Speeton Clay Beds of Speeton, Yorkshire England.

10:43 PM | The Task of Our Generation

“I don’t know what instrument you hold, but you need to play it as best as you can. … This is our task now. … The environmental crisis is the great moral crisis of our age.”

9:58 PM | The Haircut

The generation that refused to cut its hair is due for a financial haircut.

3:30 PM | The Boar Truth

The first wild boar I saw were not wild per se, but were held in a captive programme near Białowieża Forest, Poland. The park contains many other large wild mammals native to the central European area including wolves, lynx and … Continue reading →

Frantz, A., Massei, G. & Burke, T. (2012). Genetic evidence for past hybridisation between domestic pigs and English wild boars, Conservation Genetics, 13 (5) 1355-1364. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0379-1

McDevitt, A., Carden, R., Coscia, I. & Frantz, A. (2013). Are wild boars roaming Ireland once more?, European Journal of Wildlife Research, DOI: 10.1007/s10344-013-0721-z

Citation

8:02 AM | Scientists map global routes of ship-bourne invasive...

Scientists map global routes of ship-bourne invasive species byMatt McGrath | BBC News Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species. The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive. Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction. The research is published in the […]

7:11 AM | Hi, I am becoming a senior next year at high school and I want to become a marine biologist. I've been sort of slacking in high school with my science and math because I didn't know what I wanted to be therefore I didn't take my education seriously. Now that I'm going to become a senior, would my best option be to go to community college and take my basic classes, then go to a Florida university (I live in Kentucky so it'll be expensive)? By slacking I mean at least a C in some classes. Not many

Hi, Thanks for your question! I’m not really familiar with the US school system…but any effort to...

7:05 AM | What are your thoughts on aquaria anyway? On both sustainability wise/actually maintaining one.

It depends on your supply. Many aquaria fish are brought in from SE Asia, and many suppliers get...

6:53 AM | Hi! I absolutely love reading your blog and was hoping you could maybe give me some advice. I'm graduating with a BS in Marine Bio in two weeks and was just offered a paid summer internship as an environmental educator. My problem is I'm planning on going to school for another year (which is going to cost me $20000 + living expenses) and the internship isnt well paid. I have a better paying summer job lined up as a lifeguard, but I know the internship give me experience in the field. thoughts?

This isn’t an easy decision! I mean, internships are invaluable and a paid one is rare enough!...

6:48 AM | Myself, Zoox’s Training director JJ and Zoox Experience...

Myself, Zoox’s Training director JJ and Zoox Experience Programme participants off for a snorkel to learn some marine monitoring techniques. I’m in love with my office.

6:32 AM | Hi Ms Sam! What field in Marine Biology is the most important or beneficial aspect to act upon in terms of conservation and importance?

That would have to be ecosystem ecology I think. Conservation has shifted over the years from...

6:30 AM | i am a avid fish keeper and have many different fresh water species but am coming across a problem with the rivalatus and the green terror im told that they are in fact two different species and i was wondering if there are anyway of telling these two apart

Sorry, don’t know much about freshwater nor aquaria!

3:29 AM | I have spent 10.78 days of my life diving.

I have spent 10.78 days of my life diving.

2:40 AM | I am a Marine Science major. Is there any way you could guide me through what I could possibly apply for an internship or job? I would like to work with marine environment/life policies and marine biology as well.

Well… I guess the first step would be to look into what jobs or what organization you think...

2:33 AM | Would you ever get a phD? Do you think it is useful and worth it or would just a masters degree suffice? Is there a way to specialize in creatures that I want to research? I want to research specific sponges and that requires specific grants right?

I’m not planning on it… but I’d never say never. The way to specialize in the...