By Patrick Goebel, SRC Intern A decline in shark and ray landings could be thought of as a success for in improved management strategies. However, in the case of Davidson et al (2015), that is too good to be true. Sadly, the decline in global shark and ray landings has been attributed to overfishing and […]
By Dana Tricarico, SRC Intern Blue whales are thought to be the largest animals to have ever lived, and despite this, maintain their energy and weight through the foraging small crustaceans known as krill. Researchers at NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, as well as Oregon State University and Stanford University looked further into their foraging behavior […]
By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern Acanthaster planci, commonly known as the crown-of-thorns sea star (COTS), are a species of sea star that can reach up to half a meter in diameter, have up to 15 arms, and therefore are one of the largest species of starfish in the world (Lucas 2013). The “crown of thorns” […]
It’s been a great year for our team! Here are some of our accomplishments from 2015: We published a paper using evolutionary theory to predict extinction risk, and it was featured on the cover of Trends in Ecology in Evolution! 2. We took 1,321 guests from the community out on the shark research boat with […]
By Kevin Reagan, SRC Intern In recent years, as the effects of global warming and carbon emissions become more and more apparent, the need for renewable energy sources has become more critical than ever. Solar and wind power are popular sources and major investments have been increasing, especially in Europe. But both sources pale in comparison […]
By Grace Roskar, SRC Intern On the overcast morning of November 15th, the SRC team, the Diver’s Paradise captain and crew, and students of MAST Academy gathered at Crandon Marina to brave wind, clouds, and light rain to embark on a day of shark tagging. MAST Academy is one of our oldest participating school groups […]
By Dana Tricarico, RJD Intern The waters of the Caribbean, Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico have become a hub for the invasive species called Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, more commonly known as species of Indo-Pacific lionfish. This predatory species is now an increased problem, creating negative ecological consequences to its non-native regions since […]
By Christopher Brown, RJD Intern Two traditional techniques utilized by scientists to study animal behavior include observing wildlife species held in captivity and observing wildlife species in their natural habitats. However, there are limitations to both techniques. Animals that are held in captivity may not exhibit the same behaviors of individuals from the same species […]
By Shannon Moorhead, RJD Intern At first glance, members of the animal phylum Ctenophora don’t look like much. Commonly known as the comb jellies, ctenophores vaguely resemble true jellies of the phylum Cnidaria: marine organisms with translucent, gelatinous bodies that spend the majority of their time suspended in the water column. Like cnidarians, comb jellies […]
By Christopher Brown, RJD Intern Species around the world have experienced significant declines below fixed thresholds that indicate the risk of extinction. Evidence has suggested that the risk of extinction runs high in terrestrial species that maintain large body sizes, feed high in the food chain, and demonstrate slow population growth rates. However, within marine […]