As I sit here writing this, I’m simultaneously observing the two fish swimming on my computer monitor. It is a Saturday, and like most graduate students, I have tried to master the art of multi-tasking. This weekend, however, I’m having a particularly hard time concentrating on my research. This is not because I am jaded…
Category: Science and Culture
How to make friends at conferences: a crash course in academic networking
It would not be a very bold statement for me to say that “networking is important.” This is something most graduate students have likely heard from lots of different sources like their parents, their supervisors, or any formal professional development course they’ve taken. The reason this advice is so common is because it’s true. However, it can…
Navigating the zoo debate: what we thought was black and white is actually gray all over
When approached to write an article highlighting zoos and aquariums, I did not hesitate to say yes, as zoos and aquariums have defined my career interests. However, brainstorming has been an overwhelming process, as there are so many directions this article could take. Should it highlight the history of zoos, and how they are evolving…
Animal movement and community engagement: a toolkit for marine conservation
According to a United Nations report produced in 2019, the world is at risk of losing up to 1 million of the estimated 8 million plant and animal species on earth [1]. Extinction is a natural phenomenon; however, this number is significantly higher than expected if extinction were due to forces of nature alone. Instead,…
Animal Myths: WATER
In this last installment of our Animal Myths series, we’ll be diving in to tackle misconceptions about the wet and wild critters that live underwater! If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the first two parts of this series which examine myths pertaining to creatures of the Air and Land. 1. Sharks are man-eaters This first,…
Animal Myths: LAND
Welcome back to our Animal Myth series, where we strive to debunk common animal misconceptions. In this post, we focus on animals that share our most familiar habitat: land. Note: If you haven’t already, check out the other Animal Myths posts on creatures of the sky and sea! 1. Camels use their humps to store water While this “fact” isn’t entirely true,…
Animal Myths: AIR
Everyone loves a fun animal fact (check out our Fun Facts here for some examples), but sometimes these “facts” contain more fiction than truth. As scientists, part of our objective is to bring truth to the forefront, so we are tackling some of the most common animal myths and misconceptions. We solicited some help from…
Sharks and Social Media: Managing Human-Wildlife Interactions in the Digital Age
A shark researcher’s opinion on the fine line between wildlife advocacy and harassment
Fowl Play: When handling birds gets auk-ward
It’s owl in a day’s work When it comes to researching avian species, it is common practice among ornithologists to capture, handle, and band birds [4]. This is standard for monitoring populations, identifying individuals, and obtaining physiological and behavioral data. Nobody really questions this; it’s all an important part of getting the information necessary to…
Transgenerational Plasticity: Lamarck’s Redemption
Dust off any high school biology textbook, flip to the evolution section, and you’ll see the stoic, world-weary face of Charles Darwin, father of evolutionary theory. His book On the Origin of Species laid the foundation for concepts, such as natural selection, that shape how we understand evolution and species diversity today. Pair his work…
