Tag: biodiversity
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Bali-wood turns to the ocean
[Sorry, I couldn’t resist.] May I say that this video is awesome! This is the sort of thing that reminds me why I got into the marine biology business in the first place. Plus, hard on the heels of shark week, it provides lots of great material for my planned grand opening of (wait for…
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Resurrection of a collapsed ecosystem: Cod rebound in North Atlantic
The catastrophic collapse of the mighty cod in the early 1990s was an iconic disaster in the history of humankind’s relationship with the ocean. New research now shows that, after decades of near extinction, cod is rebounding and dragging the collapsed ocean ecosystem back with it — bringing a rare and welcome ray of hope…
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Government scientist who reported dead polar bears is suspended
Remember all the hoopla about polar bears facing a grim future as Arctic warming eliminates the pack ice that the bears live on? Polar bears went viral and became the poster children for the impending loss of biodiversity in the face of climate change. It all started when biologist Charles Monnett, employee of what was…
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Breaking News: Marine reserves don’t work (well enough)
Marine reserves won’t save the oceans. Not now. Maybe never. So say Camilo Mora and Peter F. Sale in their paper published today. If they’re right, and if people listen, it’s going to stir things up big-time in the conservation world. Nature reserves, parks, protected…
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Decapitated ecosystems come back to haunt us
What happens when you cut off something’s head? In the case of an ecosystem, it doesn’t die, but transforms into something very different — and sometimes scary. A zombie, if you like. Decapitation is essentially what humans are doing to food webs throughout the world’s islands, continents, and oceans. Meaning that we’re cutting off the…
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Treasures of the White Sea
I’ve just discovered this fabulous gallery of exquisite images by Russian underwater photographer Alexander Semenov. Alexander works in a place that most of us have never heard of, and few would dream of as hosting some of the beautiful animals that he’s virtually captured — the White Sea, an embayment of the Arctic Ocean…
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Forum on the Future of the Oceans
What do we really know about the current state of the world ocean, where it’s headed, and what can be done to keep it healthy in the long term? SeaMonster asked for answers from a diverse group of >60 distinguished experts at the frontlines of marine science, conservation, law, and policy at local to international…
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Love. Not loss.
The drumbeat of bad news about the state of Nature, including the oceans, is constant nowadays. But is anybody listening? What will save the world in the end? Love? Watch this: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvIdwOEzreM[/youtube] Hat tip to Helen for the photo.
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Mangroves and shrimp farms in Ecuador
Dr John Bruno (UNC Chapel Hill, Dept of Biology) talks about the ecological role of mangroves, their loss due to shrimp farming and mangrove restoration in Ecuador. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/25581949[/vimeo] Filmed by Juan de Dios Morales Nunez.
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Giant squid: Panda bear of the ocean?
Some people think so. Not in the sense of being cute and cuddly, of course. But in superstar potential. Think World Wildlife Fund’s iconic panda logo — who doesn’t recognize that image? A team of researchers has published a new paper in Biological Conservation arguing that ocean conservationists should take a page from WWF’s book…