Category Archives: research blogging

Predation

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Chuck

A quick look around this blog will tell you that I’m very interested in fish eating other fish.  My Master’s research was on the feeding habits of spiny dogfish, and I’ve tried to keep up with the literature on shark-related … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, ecology, research blogging, sharks | 1 Comment

Heartbreaking and Heartwarming Tales of Social Sharks

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Chuck

One of the cooler trends in marine science has been the revelation that advanced social and learning behavior are pretty widespread among marine animals, and not just the domain of marine mammals.  Stereotypically, whales and dolphins are considered the big-brained … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, research blogging, sharks | Leave a comment

Declining Predators eat Mediterranean Jellies

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Chuck

It wasn’t my intention to keep picking on the Mediterranean, but this paper was just too damn interesting.  In the Mediterranean, like many other marine environments worldwide, numbers of jellyfish and ctenophores (those really colorful comb jellies, actually not related … Continue reading →

Posted in conservation, ecology, gut contents, methods, research blogging | Leave a comment

How Italy Ate Up All Its Sharks

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Chuck

As dramatically imperfect as U.S. fisheries management can be, I still stand by my stance that we have the best-managed fisheries in the world.  Fishermen gripe about it being too restrictive and quick to change, conservationists complain about it being … Continue reading →

Posted in conservation, fisheries management, NOAA, research blogging, sharks | Leave a comment

Great White Sharks Attack Whales. Seriously.

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Chuck

During a literature search for some dissertation-related stuff I stumbled upon quite possibly the most awesome paper ever for a shark fan.  It’s well-known that sharks, especially large, migratory species, supplement their diet of fish and sea mammals by scavenging … Continue reading →

Posted in new england great whites, research blogging, sharks, whales | 3 Comments

The Most Badass Fish in the Sea

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Chuck

You might think that the title of this post refers to the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), the main species of interest for this blog.  You’d be wrong.  You’d also be wrong to guess the great white, as badass a shark … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, cephalopods, ecology, research blogging, sharks | 7 Comments

Dogfish and Seals Taking a Bite out of Fisheries?

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Chuck

It should be no secret to readers of this blog or anyone familiar with fisheries at all that spiny dogfish have a pretty rotten reputation among commercial fishermen.  Quickly approaching the notoriety of dogfish are those damn dirty sea mammals, … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, fisheries, gill nets, research blogging, spiny dogfish | 2 Comments

The Social Shark Network

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Chuck

Recently Jason Goldman at the great blog The Thoughtful Animal (if you have any interest in animal behavior at all, you should be following it) put up a post titled “Sharks With Friends.”  In that post, he summarizes a recent … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, ecology, research blogging, sharks | 1 Comment

Ageing Spiny Dogfish: Are We Doing it Wrong?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Chuck

Welcome to the first post in 2012.  It’s probably good to start the new year off with a doozy, and in keeping with the theme of this blog, it involves that scrappy little shark everyone loves to hate.  Spiny dogfish … Continue reading →

Posted in conservation, fisheries management, research blogging, spiny dogfish | 3 Comments

Who’s Eating Atlantic Salmon?

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Chuck

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) just can’t catch a break.  Like their Pacific counterparts, Atlantic salmon are anadromous, meaning they live in the ocean as adults, but swim upriver to spawn.  Despite having the evolutionary advantage of being able to spawn … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, conservation, fisheries management, research blogging, skates, spiny dogfish, striped bass | 1 Comment