Sound samples were played from the audio gallery of a site run by the University of Rhode Island, “Discovery of Sound in the Sea” www.dosits.org

International conference and festival celebrating the Whale Shark, largest fish in the world

Talks will be given from 4:30pm to 8:00pm in Sala de cabildos of H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres.

Entrance is free.

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World Listening Day will be celebrated on the island of Isla Mujeres with a workshop for kids about the science of sound, bioacoustics, and the role of sound in the environment.  Students will learn about sound and how it travels through air and water, and listen to and compare recorded sounds of marine mammals, invertebrates, fish and boats. This workshop is being run through the Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (National Commission of Protected Areas).

It was not a light discussion. One of his points was about trends in ecosystems due to human impact – loss of big predators, loss of three dimensional structure (e.g. coral, complex habitats) and rise of slime. If you are slime, maybe this is what you want. But if you are humans – is this what you want?

(No.)

What to do?

I think we need to remember that humans are part of the ecosystems, not separate. We constantly make changes to the ecosystems, intentionally or unintentionally. We breathe, we construct things, we decompose – it’s all part of uncountable, interconnected cycles.

So if you are asking how we can get humans to not impact ecosystems – that is impossible. What we should be asking is HOW do we want to impact ecosystems, and find ways to move towards a vision of the future we can live with.

Whales are endangered due to many factors, and whaling is one of them. With the populations in such a delicate balance (due to low numbers and environmental pressures, among other things), even small-scale whaling could lead to extinction. One of the issues is that we do not understand the balance and how resilient the populations can be.

What effect does a reduced whale population have on their ecosystem?

When a population – whale or otherwise – becomes very small, there is less diversity which can lead to less adaptability to changes in their environment. Whales are top predators, and so changes in their populations affects their usual prey. Also, they interact with the environment in other ways – making sounds, migrating, serving as hosts for other organisms – and these interactions will also change and consequently the rest of the ecosystem. Again – we do not know the extent of the role that whales play in the ecosystem, and have no way of predicting short or long term changes, except that there are many.

Do you think Wailing is cruel and what can be done to stop it?

Whaling does not necessarily have to be considered cruel in order for it to be a good idea to stop it. Whaling is bringing whales closer to extinction and disrupts ecosystem balances – that is enough. That is also a kind of cruelty. While we shouldn’t have to put it this way, also, humans will be negatively affected by it.

Scientists are generally against the measures being considered by the International Whaling Commission – this includes the IWC’s own scientific advisers. Science magazine recently published an article about this, including interviews with scientists who discuss how the new proposal to allow commercial whaling is not based on scientific information and is a bad idea. So what can be done? Science is a great tool, and can help in finding win-win solutions. Scientific outreach, education and research are very important. As Sylvia Earle says, you can’t care about what you don’t know. Scientific perspectives should be taken into consideration in addressing whaling policy. Scientists should continue to speak up and contribute. Non-scientists should inform themselves, and speak out. Concerned, knowledgeable voices, even or especially from young people, can actually make a real difference.

In one word, curiosity. The history of marine biology is linked with the history of science in general, and with ocean exploration and observation. Aristotle is sometimes cited as the father of marine biology. I particularly like this quote of his – “The investigation of truth is in one way hard and in another way easy. An indication of this is found in the fact that no one is able to attain the truth entirely, while on the other hand no one fails entirely, but everyone says something true about the nature of things, and by the union of all a considerable amount is amassed.”
For a brief historical description check out: http://marinebio.org/Oceans/history-of-marine-biology.asp .

2) Since I live in Iowa and I can’t go out of state for college, what kind of college would be the best choice for me?

If you want to be a marine biologist, I would recommend an undergraduate school strong in the sciences, and particularly with a good foundation in general biology. This is what I did – I went to George Washington University for my BS in Biology, and I minored in Physics. GWU is landlocked, but I got a good foundation in Biology, science in general, and a well-rounded education. Most of my classes were with pre-med students, and I got interesting scientific perspectives I might not have had if I had specialized sooner. I did my senior thesis on a marine topic and had a marine biologist for my biology adviser. I specialized further in my Masters degree, in Marine Biology.

3) How long does it take to become a marine biologist? How much training would someone need?

It depends a bit on what you want to do. Four year undergraduate degree in Biology or related is pretty much a must. A masters degree (2-3 yrs typically) will get you pretty far, if you are interested in government jobs, or non-profits. If you want to design and direct your own research, you are going to want a PhD (3-7 yrs). You do not have to get a masters before getting a PhD, though many do. Additionally, you will need experience working on research – sometimes you can get this through school, sometimes you may need to organize this yourself and find internship and research assistant opportunities. And, keeping a full and varied life outside of science is important as well.

4) If I was a marine biologist, where would be the best place to live?

You do not have to live near the coast in order to be a marine biologist, though it doesn’t hurt You could live and teach in one place, and travel to a field location for research a month or more out of the year. Living and working near the ocean does help though, even if you are doing only lab work. It also depends on your research interests.

5) Lastly, do you like your job as a marine biologist?

Definitely! Probably the most common response I get when I tell people what I do is “oh, I was going to study marine biology, but…” and they are wistful. However I’ve never heard anyone say, gee, I wish I hadn’t become a marine biologist!

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Watch her video here:

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Also -STAY TUNED for more Eco – Videos from Cancun students!

The April 29th meeting is a School Board Meeting, located at 1426 N. Quincy St. Arlington, VA 22207 @ 7:30 p.m. During this meeting, the School Board will vote on the fate of the David M. Brown Planetarium.

“Friends of the Planetarium” would love for you to join us in support of the planetarium during this meeting.

If you lend your voice, “Friends of the Planetarium” will make sure it is heard! Please E-mail schoolbd@arlington.k12.va.us | Call (703) 228-6015 | Sign http://bit.ly/save-the-planetarium

Washington Post “Help Children Reach For The Stars”

Washington Post article “Song sparrows adjust their songs to fit in with urban noise”

ABC Science show “Birds raise their voice over noisy traffic”

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From Washington Post April 20 2010:

Location: Lagos del Sol, Cancun Mexico

Time: 11 am to 5 pm

Benefits Red Cross