Shark Week Gets the “Mermaids” Treatment

So I’m settled in to enjoy this year’s Shark Week, my second favorite shark-related time of the year (AES having taken over at first), and notice with some trepidation that the week is kicking off with a “documentary” on modern day attacks by Carcharocles megalodon.  Megalodon…

Trawling is Not Plowing

This probably should have gone under the annual Southern Fried Science Week of Ocean Pseudoscience, but last week kept me busy enough to effectively prevent me from doing any writing here.  For some reason, I’ve been hearing from multiple fishermen, people who have worked with…

Ocean of Pseudoscience: Flipper is a Fraud!

This little bit of pseudoscience is a perfect example of how popular culture can distort our view of how nature works.  Most people are familiar with Flipper, whether it’s the old TV show from the 60’s, the short-lived 90’s reboot featuring Jessica Alba, or the…

Ocean of Pseudoscience: “Voracious Beyond Belief”

I’ll write my first epic Ocean of Pseudoscience post by touching on a subject near and dear to my small shark-loving heart, and in fact it’s the focus of my thesis research.  Ask any commercial fisherman (and even some scientists) if spiny dogfish are devouring…

There’s an Ocean of Pseudoscience Out There

In honor of a fresh new semester for us grad students (and for those non-grad students reading this, the rest of you whippersnappers too), the Southern Fried Science Network has declared this week to Ocean of Pseudoscience Week, complete with a spiffy logo.  The world…