Unlike many other environmental concerns, threats to the Great Barrier Reef are widely acknowledged beyond the scientific community. The average person may not be able to articulate exactly why the reef is at risk, but he has an idea that survival of the colorful, otherworldly seascape he remembers from so many documentaries is far from … Continue reading
One of the most effective arguments against offshore energy developments (of many types – not just offshore wind) is the negative impact to the local viewshed. In North Carolina in particular, the Outer Banks are dominated by land designated as ‘National Seashore,’ and therefore under much greater effective protection from any sort of development than … Continue reading
By now you have probably heard of the proposal to build solar roads. It has been making the rounds for a week or so and has reached viral status online. Some very enthused and ambitious engineers out in Idaho are attempting to fund a project to build roadways that also act as solar panels. If … Continue reading
With the release of the most recent IPCC report, comes science-backed news that we have all been expecting. Climate change is occurring at an alarming rate and lifestyle changes must be made to avoid catastrophe. If you need confirmation of this, read the report, or this great story from the New York Times instead. The … Continue reading
Despite the human race perceiving the seas as the ‘first frontier’ since the establishment of our species, NOAA estimates that 95% of the world’s oceans remain unexplored. From what you know of satellite capabilities and many of the resources you’ve seen on this very blog, this statement might be confusing and even unbelievable. But I … Continue reading
The new Game of Thrones season is right around the corner, and I know one UndertheC blogger who is really excited! It’s me. I’m really excited. One of the driving plot points through the entire series is the season differential that George Martin’s world has to deal with. Unlike the annual cycle that our Earth … Continue reading
[audio http://cpa.ds.npr.org/pre/audio/2014/03/BUOYWINDENERGY-FINAL.mp3] Our department’s chair and my adviser, Harvey Seim, talks to NPR’s Jared Brumbaugh about our research into the offshore wind energy potential in North Carolina. In the next few days, we will be able to launch two buoys that have been down for repairs for almost a year or so. Harvey describes some of … Continue reading
On Monday night a group of U.S. Senators took to the chamber floor to give short speeches about climate change. The event, dubbed #up4climate, lasted all night. Who was in attendance? 30 Democratic senators and 2 Independent senators showed up to participate. Of the 45 Republican senators, a total of zero joined this movement. However, … Continue reading
The following is a guest post from an undergraduate student in the Marine Ecology class that I was a TA for last semester. See the entire student blog at http://marineecologyblog.web.unc.edu/ A discussion of Marko et al’s “Fisheries: Mislabelling of a depleted reef fish”, 2004 By Michael Auriemma So men, picture you are on a date with a … Continue reading
By now I’m sure you’ve heard that the government of Western Australia has decided to pursue a shark cull. The government supported program allows for the killing of sharks in Western Australian waters, including threatened Great Whites. There have been reports of people shooting sharks, but most of the culling will be done be baiting … Continue reading
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