Robbing Museums
Robbing Museums avatar

On May 4th a colleague of mine, Dr. Brian Sidlauskas, curator for the fish collection of Oregon State University, received this email. Respected Prdf. Brian; On most humanitarian ground, would you please be so kind to provide me 25 Preserved MYXINE /EPTATRETUS sps. ;Hag-fish; Size Range 10″-15″ ,7 Petromyzon marinus ,and 15 Sub-Adult of HYDROLAGUS colliei . . . → Read More: Robbing Museums

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Finding Endangered Life on eBay
Finding Endangered Life on eBay avatar

eBay’s history is dotted with carcasses of endangered and vulnerable species.  In 2000, the Sea Turtle Conservancy announced that a large selection of illegal hawksbill turtle shell products were available on the online auction site. “On Jan. 6, about about 50 genuine tortoise shell items were listed for sale through ebay, said Gary Appelson, advocacy . . . → Read More: Finding Endangered Life on eBay

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James Cameron And The Dawn Of DeepTruth?
James Cameron And The Dawn Of DeepTruth? avatar

Image on left: Seafloor Production Tool (SPT) that will be operated at a depth of 1600 meters off the coast of Papua New Guinea by Nautilus Minerals to extract copper and gold from high grade seafloor massive sulphide deposits. Image on Right: Computer generated Bucket-Wheel Excavator used to extract unobtanium from Pandora in James . . . → Read More: James Cameron And The Dawn Of DeepTruth?

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Cool as a sea cucumber: life (and death) at extraordinary deep sea pressures
Cool as a sea cucumber: life (and death) at extraordinary deep sea pressures avatar

Edit – In the original article I said that the sphere of the Deep Challenger was made of titanium.  In fact, it’s made of steel.  My bad! In trying to explain to friends, colleagues and Twitter followers during recent days what James Cameron may have seen out that softball-sized window of the Deep Challenger submersible . . . → Read More: Cool as a sea cucumber: life (and death) at extraordinary deep sea pressures

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James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge: a scientific milestone or rich guy’s junket?
James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge: a scientific milestone or rich guy’s junket? avatar

This post is co-authored by Al Dove and Craig McClain In the 1989 James Cameron sci-fi movie The Abyss, there’s a scene when Ed Harris’ character dons a special environmental suit that allows him to breathe an oxygen-laden liquid.  Thus protected from the risks of crushing deep-sea pressures (no air = no voids to collapse), . . . → Read More: James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge: a scientific milestone or rich guy’s junket?

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Losing Deep-Sea Science in the United States
Losing Deep-Sea Science in the United States avatar

Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation¹s own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches . . . → Read More: Losing Deep-Sea Science in the United States

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A wicked bad idear: National Geographic hunts bluefin tuna for entertainment
A wicked bad idear: National Geographic hunts bluefin tuna for entertainment avatar

Wicked Tuna fishers land their catch. Image from LA Times The contradictions of the reality TV show Wicked Tuna, which follows fishers out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, as they use hook-and-line to catch bluefin tuna, are utterly mind-bending. Normally, I’d be cheering hook-and-line commercial fishers at the top of my lungs – unlike long lines or . . . → Read More: A wicked bad idear: National Geographic hunts bluefin tuna for entertainment

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10 Ocean Species Every Man Should Love: Part 2
10 Ocean Species Every Man Should Love: Part 2 avatar

After your comments on the last post and deliberation by a crack team of judges that included myself and some fellas named Evan, Jack, and Jim here are the top 5 manliest species. Adam Etzion wrote this about the Vampire Squid in the comments of the last post Sit back, swish that bourbon around and . . . → Read More: 10 Ocean Species Every Man Should Love: Part 2

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A whale joke for hump-day
A whale joke for hump-day avatar

Via Reddit: Broadcast Spawn!Tweet#call_to_action h4{padding:0px 5px;}Via Reddit: Broadcast Spawn!Tweet

Awareness Through Scrutiny, Not Negativity: A DSN Core Value
Awareness Through Scrutiny, Not Negativity: A DSN Core Value avatar

Fiat lux Being a total dick on the web is easy.  From the safe (and relatively anonymous) confines of your bedroom, place of work, mother’s basement, or Starbucks, and armed only with Internet access and the 1st Amendment, everyone can be a critic.  Our brave new online world has given anyone with a keyboard a . . . → Read More: Awareness Through Scrutiny, Not Negativity: A DSN Core Value

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