How can we bolster ocean health and biodiversity in the face of a changing climate?
In the case of the sunflower star, losing one key species can change the entire ecosystem. By Drew Harvell and Joseph K. Gaydos Special to The Seattle Times, see original OpEd posting on their website here Starfish don’t have big eyes and long… Read moreAs sunflower stars go, so goes the health of our seas
Just published in Science Advances: new data showing catastrophic crash in the once common sunflower starfish due to a continental scale disease outbreak. Check it out here. Also see commentary in The Atlantic.
Enjoy an excerpt from a podcast’s interview about Drew’s newest book Ocean Outbreak below.
Becalmed in the North Atlantic on a dark May evening in 1853, Leopold Blaschka witnessed an other-worldly event. Beneath the glassy surface of the sea, a small green light appeared. Then a second. And a third. “A hundred of these… Read moreDiving into Glass: Reflections on the Blaschka’s 150-year-old Glass Menagerie
From the entrance of the historic Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, one can see across the Bay of Naples to the island of Capri. All that separates me from this timeless view and entry into the Stazione is an ancient gate… Read moreNew Clues in the Search for the Blaschka Animals
Over 150 years ago, the father-son glassmaking team of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka created a glass menagerie of over 800 marine invertebrate models, documenting life in oceans untouched by climate change and human impacts. They were captivated by sea slugs,… Read moreCoral Reefs in the Age of Climate Change: Fragile as Glass
Monday—We are keeping up the bruising pace of working group meetings all morning, site surveys in the afternoon and reconvening for working group meetings in the evening. We have successfully sketched out a plan for ANCHoR (Action Network for Coral Health… Read moreDay 5,6 Pelagics and Trouble in Paradise
Sunday– Getting tough to keep up with the Blog. Joanne Wilson and Eric Conklin are really cracking the whip, keeping us working long into the night, drafting a plan. But, we did get to the North Beach Forereef and as… Read moreDay 4 SHARKS and Snails!
Friday— Another day, another adventure. Having survived the night with the forest and cabin full of cane spiders, we had a pretty uneventful day. A rather packed morning of fantastic talks about coral disease in the Pacific, highlighting the phenomenal progress… Read moreEnds of the Earth, Palmyra Atoll, Day 2 and 3
Where do you need to go to find pristine coral reefs, intact apex predators, including sharks? One answer is Palmyra Atoll, about 2.5 hours Southwest of Hawaii by charter jet. I’ve heard for years how wonderful Palmyra Atoll is and particularly, the… Read moreEnds of the Earth, Palmyra Atoll