If you like Lord of the Rings as much as I do (let’s be real, you don’t), then you’re familiar with the film’s scene in which Bilbo and Gandalf take turns blowing smoke rings (I know, I know, Gandalf blows a ship, not a ring). Maybe you’ve even seen one of your old uncles partaking … Continue reading
For a marine scientist, one of the best parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks is access to some incredible habitats. I have been able to experience this first-hand as I’ve started my MS research here at UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) this summer. About half of the students in our Marine Sciences department have … Continue reading
What do you think of when you think about the Galapagos? Darwin, finches, tortoises, blue-footed boobys? What else comes to mind? The word pristine, perhaps? How many people do you think live on the Galapagos (a volcanic archipelago owned by Ecuador, but located well off of the coast)? In 1970 there were around 4,000 … Continue reading
Once again, it’s Shark Week on Discovery Channel. As a marine scientist I can’t condone the unholy union of fact and fiction which has seemed to characterize this year’s programming (see “Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine” and “Megalodon: The Shark That Lives”), but I can’t deny that sharks are pretty awesome. Despite evidence that a … Continue reading
You know that routine when the electricity goes out, but you find yourself flipping the lightswitch every time you walk into a room anyway? That’s how I imagine the people of Toledo felt last week when they went to fill up the tea kettle- take a shower- wash an apple- top off the dog dish- … Continue reading
As a scientist studying issues related to climate change, I have had my share of futile conversation, arguments, and debates with climate deniers. It happens, perhaps too frequently. I recently had one of these conversations with a well-educated, young engineer during a cross-country flight. Said engineer was not so sure that the human impact on … Continue reading
Since lionfish invaded the Caribbean and Atlantic, there have been programs promoting the consumption of lionfish in an effort to control them. There have been lionfish cookouts following lionfish derbies, restaurants serving lionfish, and even fishermen selling and exporting lionfish filets. But in 2012, Florida Sea Grant and the FDA found detectable levels of ciguatera … Continue reading
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