This might possibly be the most awesome paper about tagging fish ever. One of the handiest advances in telemetry, especially of large, highly-migratory oceanic species, has been the advent of PSAT tags. These tags do it all: movement, depth, temperature, shoe size, blood type… all…
Ah, the majestic striped bass. It’s been called the “perfect fish” by enthusiastic anglers, and represents one of the greatest successes of fisheries management in North America. It fights like a demon when hooked and is delicious when baked. Anglers are so enthusiastic about them…
I’ve reached a point in the analysis and writing of my thesis where I can start exploring the ecological concepts behind my results, which inspired me to put up this little post here. In the marine environment, there is often a high degree of overlap…
A while back I posted on the possibility of spiny dogfish in the North Pacific (think California up to Alaska, across to Kamchatka and the upper parts of Japan) being a different species, based on differences in both life history and genetics. Well, now it’s…
I’m fashionably late to this party due to the holidays, but let’s see what I can do. The shark blogs have been abuzz with the news that the Senate has passed the Shark Conservation Act, which is a big win for almost all sharks species…
In the greater spectrum of shark/human interactions, the majority of encounters undoubtedly take place between sharks and fishermen, even if encounters between sharks and swimmers get all the press. However, that aquaculture is becoming more widespread as a use of the water is an understatement. …
I’ve found myself with some breathing room between grading my students and studying for my own exams, so it’s time to write up a post I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ve been wanting to do a quick summary of the role of the…
As a lifelong shark lover whose thesis research happens to be on the subject of predation, I’m a little obsessed with the ecology of predation. Earlier I posted on trophic cascades and debate over whether they are a strong enough interaction to affect fisheries. What…
A recent post over at Chronicles of Zostera referenced a paper that has become a monster in the world of marine ecology and shark conservation. That paper: Myers et al. (2007). It’s actually a relatively unassuming paper kind of tucked into an issue of Science,…
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…