My last post presented a pretty bleak view of current shark populations and the challenges they face, so this week I want to focus on the ways that researchers are trying to understand the most important aspects of shark conservation- sometimes the strategies they propose aren’t effective, but still lead to improved shark knowledge and […]
Archive for the ‘aquatic systems’ Tag
Where the wild sharks are
Peril in the high seas
When I sat down to read about shark declines around the world, I had thought I was prepared for the numbers I was about to encounter: it’s very bad, we know this now, time to reserve the trend. But as I became more and more depressed about the current situation of shark species, I realized […]
Fins on patrol
Maybe I was inspired by the Discovery Channel last month, or maybe it’s due to how many I see when I’m on the Louisiana coast doing field work, but this month I’ve decided to look more closely at the plight of sharks in the world’s oceans (and maybe this is just an attempt to face […]
Repelling the invaders
During the past few weeks, I’ve been looking into invasive aquatic plants- it’s clear that there are many species and that we are doing a good job of helping them find new habitats to exploit. It’s also clear that there are big differences between species in terms of impact and the locations where they pose […]
Going with the flow
As I mentioned in my last post, invasive aquatic plants are a big concern- although we are still learning about how they impact invaded ecosystems (and it’s not necessarily bad), we do know that plants such as water hyacinth, Spartina spp., and milfoil can clog waterways, change habitat, and alter faunal communities. And, as we […]
A wave of invasives
Over the past week, I started looking into invasive aquatic plants, focusing largely on which species seem most worrisome, how they are being moved around, and how they may impact the ecosystems they invade. After a little searching, I started to see patterns with regard to names and means of transport, but I also started […]
A green invasion
I’ve spent a good chunk of my time over the past few months on the coast of Louisiana, mainly on the barrier islands, but I also get to see a lot of marsh on the boat ride out. I also survey a lot of swamp on the drive to and from our launch point, so […]