Recently, there have been some big changes being discussed regarding the protection regulations for two of my favorite marine animals: dolphins and grouper. Many of my peers may laugh at this, but I am the quintessential marine biologist that has always loved dolphins and would have chosen to be a dolphin when I grew up if that … Continue reading
There has been a recent debate in the scientific literature about the effect of predators on invasive lionfish. Are Caribbean predators controlling the lionfish invasion? Two studies seem to have conflicting results. Is someone “lyin’” about lionfish? See previous post, The Great Debate: Predators vs Lionfish, for background on the lionfish invasion and more info on the … Continue reading
There has been a recent debate in the scientific literature about the effect of predators on invasive lionfish. Are Caribbean predators controlling the lionfish invasion? Two studies seem to have conflicting results: Also, stay tuned to find out if someone is “lyin’” about lionfish! Background: See previous posts about lionfish featured in Marine Monster Mash and Photography Friday. … Continue reading
Check out our previous related posts this week about Poseidon’s Steed and seahorses as stealth predators! More fun facts about seahorses: Seahorses are monogamous and the males bear the young. They are poor swimmers and can die of exhaustion during storms. They have no teeth or stomach so food passes extremely quickly through their digestive systems. Seahorses … Continue reading
The following is a guest post from a graduate student in the Marine Ecology class that I am a TA for this semester. See the entire student blog at http://marineecologyblog.web.unc.edu/ by Geoffrey Neal Let me speak to a most improbable little book that I am currently reading: Poseidon’s Steed (The Story of Seahorses, from Myth … Continue reading
Lionfish are beautiful fish, but they are invasive in Atlantic and Caribbean waters. They are harming invaded ecosystems by eating too many juvenile fish which leads to smaller adult fish populations, less food for native predators, and changes in important ecosystem processes upon which both marine animals and humans depend. So what can we do about … Continue reading
The following are guest posts from undergraduate students in the Marine Ecology class that I am a TA for this semester. See the entire student blog at http://marineecologyblog.web.unc.edu/ By Courtney Grigsby If you’re a Disney fan, you’ve probably seen the movie Finding Nemo. Besides the memorable catch phrases in the movie such as “Fish are … Continue reading
The following are guest posts from undergraduate students in the Marine Ecology class that I am a TA for this semester. See the entire student blog at http://marineecologyblog.web.unc.edu/ By Tyler Hodges, Abigail Brewer, and Cathy Wood People have always said, “There are other fish in the sea.” What they don’t tell you is that those … Continue reading
The following are guest posts from undergraduate students in the Marine Ecology class that I am a TA for this semester. See the entire student blog at http://marineecologyblog.web.unc.edu/ By Katie Myrick and Olivia Wilson Cue Jaws theme song…but instead of it being an unrealistically huge shark that you have to worry about, it’s jellyfish. Swarms … Continue reading
Debris Free Bonaire has collected over 100 cubic meters of ocean debris! I’d like to give a shout out to Bonaire, a small Dutch Caribbean island there is very close to my heart, where I first learned to snorkel and fell in love with the ocean. Debris Free Bonaire is a volunteer-based program that was … Continue reading
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