Mad as a Marine Biologist

faunafacts: Crinoid, New Caledonia by Rodolphe Holler

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:58:00 +0800

Crinoid, New Caledonia by Rodolphe Holler

livinginchaosbeauty: My final project in scientific...

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:50 +0800

My final project in scientific illustration! I wanted to draw some of the forms of the mimic octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, one of the coolest organisms I know of.

[Much better scans to come in the far-off future]

marine-science:

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:20:11 +0800

marine-science:

scinerds: Colorful phytoplankton blooms off the coast of...

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:40:28 +0800

scinerds:

Colorful phytoplankton blooms off the coast of France. Nasa writes:

Blooms can be a blessing to other marine species, as these tiny floating plants often feed everything from zooplankton to fish to whales. But some algae and plankton blooms can turn dangerous, either through the production of chemical toxins or by severely depleting the oxygen supply in the ocean and creating “dead zones” that suffocate marine creatures.

scientificillustration: Die Kreidefauna des Peterwardeiner...

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:53:03 +0800

scientificillustration:

Die Kreidefauna des Peterwardeiner Gebirges

Palaeontographica 52 (1905-6)

colchrishadfield: Dr. Seuss-inspired swirls in the Black Sea.

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:20:10 +0800

colchrishadfield:

Dr. Seuss-inspired swirls in the Black Sea.

astronomy-to-zoology: A Flame Scallop (Lima scabra) showcasing...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:40:56 +0800

astronomy-to-zoology:

A Flame Scallop (Lima scabra) showcasing its ‘electric’ bioluminescence.

Video Source

heythereuniverse: Ascidian embryos | wellcome images

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:20:12 +0800

heythereuniverse:

Ascidian embryos | wellcome images

jtotheizzoe: 400. For the first time in human history, carbon...

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:02:34 +0800

jtotheizzoe:

400.

For the first time in human history, carbon dioxide levels reached an average daily level of 400 parts per million, as reported this week. The last time the atmosphere contained this much carbon dioxide was 3 million years ago.

This new data comes from the Mauna Loa observatory and a set of data continuously collected since 1958: The Keeling curve. This represents almost a 50% increase since the beginning of the industrial age. Although there is some seasonal variability (that little jagged edge) due to seasonal vegetation sucking up a bit of the CO2 every year, the trend is clear … and it’s not good.

So what does that mean? The effects are not something to look forward to. The last time the CO2 level was this high, way back when, here’s what the world was like:

Back then, it was a different world. Global average temperatures during the period were between 5.4 and 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 4 degrees Celsius) higher than today, and sea level was as much as 131 feet (40 meters) higher in some places.

While the average (which is calculated from levels over the past several days) has since dropped back to 399 (as of today), the saddest part is that both of those numbers are unacceptable. 400 is just a little more catchy. With 401 and beyond right around the corner, what now? We must cut emissions as fast as humanly possible.

Because we are mighty humans, and it is possible.

We need to take care, because we all share this air. Read about the science of our CO2 contribution here. Watch this episode of It’s Okay To Be Smart to gain some hope maybe.

What do you think is the #1 thing we can do to change? What are YOU willing to do?

I've always been fascinated by shows involving life under the sea but then that's the closest I got to understanding it and exploring the deep blue sea.. I guess I've always wanted to be just like you. a marine biologist , but then again if you ask me anything about it I don't know anything cause I was never given a chance to dele into that fascination... so is it possible to explore the sea and be part of expeditions just by being curious and volunteering? or do I have to be a marine biologist

Sun, 12 May 2013 11:01:16 +0800

Great question! No you don’t havebe a marine biologist, there are plenty of volunteering...

What are your thoughts about aquaculture? Though maybe not quite sustainable, it provides an alternate source for ornamentals other than from reefs.

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:51:14 +0800

I don’t know enough about it to make a judgement, but I would imagine that for ornamental fish...

Surprise! A ‘cheer you up about your dead dog’...

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:26:11 +0800

Surprise!

A ‘cheer you up about your dead dog’ gesture by Dave Bretherton.

Also a reminder to go and dive Lembeh Straits.

Rest in peace my darling puppy dog/ best friend/ little sister/...

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:09:00 +0800

Rest in peace my darling puppy dog/ best friend/ little sister/ fluffy pillow.

Love, Always.

[EDIT]: You guys rock. Thank you all so much for your kind words.

headlikeanorange: Gold Coast, Australia (onepalmMEDIA)

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:39 +0800

headlikeanorange:

Gold Coast, Australia (onepalmMEDIA)

deepseafauna: Alvinocaris chelys is concerned for your...

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:20:29 +0800

deepseafauna:

Alvinocaris chelys is concerned for your safety.

Photo by Tin-Yam Chan, WoRDSS.

biologicalmarginalia: The earliest illustration of Sunfish,...

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:39:59 +0800

biologicalmarginalia:

The earliest illustration of Sunfish, presumably Mola mola, from A) Rondelet in 1554 and B) Gesner in 1558. Considering this is from the era of terrible walruses, the fact that they’re at all recognizable is pretty amazing.

Johnson, G. & Britz, R. (2005) Leis’ Conundrum: Homology of the Clavus of the Ocean Sunfishes. 2. Ontogeny of the Median Fins and Axial Skeleton of Ranzania laevis (Teleostei, Tetraodontiformes, Molidae). Journal of Morphology 266 11–21.

underthevastblueseas: Cookie Cutter Shark Teeth- by JKG II

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:40:27 +0800

underthevastblueseas:

Cookie Cutter Shark Teeth- by JKG II

mucholderthen: Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli Lower Cretaceous...

Mon, 06 May 2013 07:54:45 +0800

mucholderthen:

Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli
Lower Cretaceous hermit crab in an Ammonite shell
by =avancna

Based on In situ fossil hermit crabs (Paguroidea) from northwest Europe and Russia [PDF]

The Hauterivian (Lower Cretaceous) hermit crab, Palaeopagurus vandelenengeli, in a simberskitine ammonite shell.

From the Speeton Clay Beds of Speeton, Yorkshire England.

Scientists map global routes of ship-bourne invasive...

Sun, 05 May 2013 16:02:00 +0800

Scientists map global routes of ship-bourne invasive species

byMatt McGrath | BBC News

Scientists have developed the first global model that analyses the routes taken by marine invasive species.

The researchers examined the movements of cargo ships around the world to identify the hot spots where these aquatic aliens might thrive.

Marine species are taken in with ballast water on freighters and wreak havoc in new locations, driving natives to extinction.

The research is published in the Journal Ecology Letters.

There has been a well-documented boom in global shipping over the past 20 years and this has led to growing numbers of species moving via ballast tanks, or by clinging to hulls.

Some ports such as San Francisco and Chesapeake Bay have reportedseveral exotic new species arriving every year. Economic estimates indicate that marine invaders can have huge impacts that last for decades.

Now, scientists from the UK and Germany have developed a model that might help curb these unwanted visitors. They obtained detailed logs from nearly three million voyages that took place in 2007 and 2008.

“Our model combines information such as shipping routes, ship sizes, temperatures and biogeography to come up with local forecasts of invasion probabilities,” said Prof Bernd Blasius from the University of Oldenburg.

While this is a mathematical model, the researchers were able to adjust it by carrying out field observations. They were able to estimate the probability that a species can survive a journey and establish a population in a subsequent port of call.

“It is called ecological roulette,” said Dr Michael Gastner from the University of Bristol.

“The probability of winning from the perspective of the invader is really tiny - but because the number of attempts are now growing with more and bigger ships, you play this roulette so often that you become a likely winner sooner or later,” he added.

The team says that the key hotspots for invasion are Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Panama and Suez canals. Cooler climates like the North Sea are less likely to be troubled, unless ships come from similar waters such as the east coast of the US. They conclude that very long trips are less likely to be a cause for concern.

Hi, I am becoming a senior next year at high school and I want to become a marine biologist. I've been sort of slacking in high school with my science and math because I didn't know what I wanted to be therefore I didn't take my education seriously. Now that I'm going to become a senior, would my best option be to go to community college and take my basic classes, then go to a Florida university (I live in Kentucky so it'll be expensive)? By slacking I mean at least a C in some classes. Not many

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:11:00 +0800

Hi, Thanks for your question! I’m not really familiar with the US school system…but any effort to...