Marine Science
sheril | August 16, 2008Jackson JBC. (2008) Ecological extinction and evolution in the brave new ocean. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105 (Suppl):11458-11465.
No caption necessary:
sheril | August 6, 2008by Philip H.
DISCLAIMER - The opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author alone. They do NOT represent the official opinion, policy, or action of any governmental agency the author may work for or have ever worked for at the county, state or federal level. If you do not like the content or opinions, contact the author, not your Congressmen.
PARENTAL WARNING - This post is about orgasm. That word is psychologically and socially loaded in American culture. If you don't want your kids to read about it, go to the next post. Just don't blame me if they ask you about it…
sheril | July 8, 2008
Well folks, it's that special time once again when we celebrate all things wondrous and marine... Carnival of the Blue 14 is now live over at The Blue Economy.
sheril | June 12, 2008Carnival of the Blue is one year old! Check out the 13th edition over at Mark's place.
And ever ask yourself what's one thing YOU can do for the ocean? The EcoDaredevil himself, Wallace J. Nichols, has a terrific Op-Ed in Mercury News explaining how each of us has the power to make a difference:
If I had one answer to give to those who ask, "What can I do for the ocean?" it would be this: "Live like you love the ocean." Living like we love the ocean means putting less in, taking less out and protecting the ocean's edge where so much life lives.
The full piece here. And if you haven't had…
sheril | June 11, 2008From today's Science Daily:
ScienceDaily (Jun. 9, 2008) -- New evidence that chemical contaminants are finding their way into the deep-sea food web has been found in deep-sea squids and octopods, including the strange-looking "vampire squid".
The troubling findings are about to be published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin. Researchers collected nine species of cephalopods in the western North Atlantic Ocean and lead author Michael Vecchione explains:
"The fact that we detected a variety of pollutants in specimens collected from more than 3,000 feet deep is evidence that human-…
sheril | June 5, 2008From here in DC, it's day three of Capitol Hill Oceans Week 2008. With little time to blog, the highlight from Wednesday's session on coral reefs:
Notable panelists, impressive powerpoints and a clear message: Corals are in serious trouble. Speakers were excellent, but this wasn't new information to many in the room considering coral reefs have been 'in trouble' every year of CHOW. After the discussion, scientists, hill staffers, and environmentalists proposed the typical questions. Ho hum.
Then it happened. A bright young 12-year-old girl approached the microphone. 'I've been diving…
sheril | June 3, 2008..back in the District for Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW) 2008.
It hardly seems that a year has passed since last the marine policy crowd converged upon the nation's capitol. CHOW an annual event where we share stories of success, lessons learned, discuss impending trouble, and figure out what legislation may move. It's a week I've come to look forward to. Not only do I get the opportunity to catch up with old friends on both coasts, but we figure out how we're best able to work together.
Topics this time around include everything from the impacts of climate change to marine debris and…
sheril | May 30, 2008From up in Juneau, Alaska, my pal Nick Bonzey at the US Forest Service thought I'd appreciate a good dose of nudibranchs, claiming 'these guys are MUCH cuter than your average sea cucumber.'
Admittedly, with photos like these from National Geographic's David Doubilet, Nick might just be onto something...
sheril | May 28, 2008
Ocean acidification illustrated by David Fierstein (c) 2007 MBARI
Ocean acidification is intimately connected to our changing climate and as important as global warming. We're just not hearing about it in the news enough because the media has all but ignored the problem. So we must make the case that more scientists ought to be to be exploring the threat, educating the public as to why it matters, and implementing effective policy to mitigate the impact of excess CO2 in our oceans (and everywhere else).
My full post reviewing ocean acidification is now up over at Correlations.
sheril | May 23, 2008It's a rumor that has been percolating about the Hill for months... and now may be moving toward reality rapidly! Yes folks, it's time to get behind the Bush Administration on something.
It seems George W. Bush has plans to leave a 'blue legacy' and to that I say, go for it Mr. President!
No matter where you fall politically, we know our oceans are in serious peril due to overfishing, agricultural runoff, increased carbon sequestration, and a myriad of other threats. Fisheries are in dramatic decline, the pH of the marine environment is changing, and we've got ocean dead zones almost the…
sheril | May 20, 2008Over at Correlations, Cifford predicts I'll 'love' his post on these inhabitants of the Macquarie Ridge near New Zealand, adding:
I really hope the scientists said that* when they found this. Really. It's a mountain, underwater, colonized by millions of starfish. Amazing.
[*Pop quiz: Without Google-cheating - Anyone know what the title is a quote from?]
The answer is of course, it's from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which makes two reasons Clifford is absolutely right about my reaction! After all, Intersection readers know echinoderms are the coolest marine invertebrate around…
sheril | May 9, 2008Over at Island of Doubt, you'll find Carnival of the Blue 12, 'A celebration of all things wet and wonderful'. This month features contributions from both The Intersection and Correlations.
I especially enjoyed reading Jame's take on my April 28th post that explained NOAA's never been authorized by Congress:
WTF? No wonder we're running out of fish. And whales. And coral...
sheril | April 29, 2008Paging Kevin, Craig, Peter, PZ, Jennifer, Josh, Mark, Andrew, Benny, Ed, Miriam, Rick, J., and Hugh...
COLOSSAL SQUID!
'On Wednesday, a 30 foot long, 900-pound colossal squid hauled up from the Antarctic last January will be studied by a team of scientists... but the catch is, they'll only have FOUR hours!'
[Note, the awesomeness of the colassal squid has no bearing on where I stand in the Great Marine Invertebrate Wars. Echinoderms Rule!]
Read my full post over at Correlations...
sheril | April 28, 2008According to NOAA.gov, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.
As it happens, many of my good friends and colleagues--natural and social scientists--reside within this federal agency to protect oceans, coasts, human health, biodiversity, commerce, natural resources, and so on. Their work supports education and stewardship, enhances economic security and safety, studies…
sheril | April 17, 2008Biologists in northern Vietnam have identified a soft-shell giant turtle believed to be extinct in the wild! Swinhoe's turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) was found and photographed in a lake west of the capital, Hanoi. It's one of the most critically endangered species of turtle in the world. And get this: These legendary animals grow up to 1m long and can live to be 100 years old!
According to Reuters:
The reptile in the Hanoi city lake has a special place in Vietnamese folklore and whose appearance some believe to be a portent of an extraordinary event.
The legend tells how the 15th century…
sheril | April 11, 2008
This month, The Brothers Bleiman host Carnival of the Blue 11 and Zooillogix features categories spanning the benthos from 'Hot Mollusk Action' to 'Darling It's Better, Down Where It's Wetter.' Rumored to be the 'best ever', it's a post to behold, and we've got our own contribution in the mix, so go check it out!
sheril | April 1, 2008Last night I had dinner with Geerat Vermeij--a man who can examine a shell and understand its history whether hundreds of millions of years old or newly collected on the seashore. He's one of the world's most famous paleoecologists and has published on subjects ranging from leaf morphology to bird evolution. I've been interested to chat with the Distinguished Professor from UC Davis ever since reading about his research to understand evolution.
It also happens that Geerat Vermeij is blind. And yet, he sees what others do not...
My post is now up over at Correlations on this inspiring…
sheril | March 27, 2008It seems nearly universal that we are drawn to oceans. Children and adults alike marvel at whales, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins and on. Our imagination runs wild wondering about all the biodiversity and mystery lurking just below the surface of the great blue.
Check out my post over at Correlations for a Top Ten List on why oceans are so important to all of us...
sheril | March 26, 2008Well it seems Nature has taken sides in The Great Marine Invertebrate Wars, which began here at The Intersection last week:A bizarre geek-fight has erupted in the blogosphere over which types of invertebrates are coolest, Echinoderms or Molluscs.
And I'm sad to report, the otherwise brilliant journal fails to recognize the awe-inspiring, ever-charismatic, comic-book-superhero marvel that is holothuria. sigh...
Having spent the weekend playing with octopus in the Med, the Great Beyond is committing the full weight of Nature's reputation behind the mollusca cause.
The lines are drawn,…
sheril | March 23, 2008In the epic unfolding that began last week here at The Intersection--which has come to be known throughout the interwebs as The Great Marine Invertebrate Wars--it's a proud day for echinoderm enthusiasts everywhere...
Yes friends, the ever-charismatic sea cucumber has become a comic book hero!
When we last left Pucker, we were missing the other star on the marquee of my nascent Web comic. But given the recent kerfuffle over on the Science Blogs over the merits of molluscs versus echinoderms, it seemed natural to settle on a sea cucumber as the best choice to play the sparring role. So there…