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What they’re into … with David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter)

July 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is a series I’ve been featuring each Tuesday this summer to get a special sneak peek at the many different personalities behind the scientists, activists, and educators (including bloggers) who play an integral role in the marine science conservation field. It’s essentially an extension of the overwhelmingly popular and well done Tumblr blog, This Is What A Scientist Looks Like, (BCS was featured in April!) which sets out to illustrate that scientists are not just crazy haired nerds in lab coats. I’ve sent a list of 15 random questions and asked that each person share at least their answers to 5 of them. This week features David Shiffman of Southern Fried Science and I am so glad he agreed since I know this crowd loves shark talk.

David with a sandbar shark in Charleston harbor

David is a Ph.D. student at the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. His research focuses on shark behavior, ecology, and conservation, and he has interacted with over 2,500 sharks on three continents. David writes about shark science and conservation topics for the marine biology blog Southern Fried Science, and is active on Twitter @WhySharksMatter. Additionally, David has a B.S. with distinction in Biology from Duke University, and a Masters in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston. If you and your class or community organization are interested in joining David and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program for a shark tagging expedition in the Florida Keys, please let him know! These are the best replica watches.

What is your favorite Sunday breakfast?
When I lived in Charleston, SC, crab cake eggs benedict. They don’t have that here in Miami, but there’s a place around the corner from my apartment that makes peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes.

What’s your favorite midnight snack?
Homemade cookies. My first word was “cookie”.

Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Although field research often involves getting up at 4:00 a.m., I am not a morning person. I enjoy having morning people in the car with me when I have to drive to our research locations before the sun rises, though.

Which sitcom character do you relate to?
I’m not sure if “Glee” counts as a sitcom, but if so, Sue Sylvester. If not, Jack Donaghy from “30 Rock” or Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation”.

What is your favorite scent?
Bacon. Or maybe popcorn. Actually, they make bacon-flavored popcorn now. It’s surprisingly not gross.

What three things would you take with you to an island?
If this is an island I’m vacationing on, I’d bring snorkel gear, beer, and beer. If this is a deserted island I’m going to be stranded on, I’d bring a satellite phone, a GPS, a fly fishing starter kit, and a boat to help getting un-stranded.

Are you a cat person, dog person, or neither?
I am definitely a dog person. My new puppy Magnolia is sitting at my feet in my office as I answer these questions.

Bonus random fact you’d like to share about yourself?
There is a hot dog named after me (the Shiffman) at the hot dog stand on Duke’s campus. It is a hot dog served on a twinkie.

Yum! Thanks for the amazing idea for dinner tonight, David! Also, thanks for sharing your personality with us. For more ‘What they’re into …’ with other ocean folks click here.

Filed Under: Conservation, Inspiration, People, Random Fun!, Sharks Tagged With: , , , , ,

What is the fastest marine mammal?

July 19, 2012 by 4 Comments

The 2012 Summer Olympics are less than 10 days away and with this comes lots of intense swimming competitions (among other events). This got me wondering, if I lined up various species of marine mammals which one would be taking home the gold? Check out the average top speeds of 10 species in the graph below. (Now time to get the image of an orca wearing a Speedo out of my mind.)

Resources:

1. http://www.speedofanimals.com/water
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise
3. http://marinebio.org/oceans/marine-mammals.asp

Running Advice for Overweight Runners

Get active, stay safe, and build your fitness over time

Man and woman running outside

Runners, despite what may be advertised, come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re overweight, running is a great option that can help you improve your health, get in shape, boost your confidence, and achieve a healthy weight.

That said, getting started with running may be a bit more challenging if you are overweight due to the fact that extra body fat can make you get winded more easily than those who are leaner.1

Try not to get discouraged by this and see it as just one hurdle to overcome in a journey toward better health. Here’s some advice on how overweight runners can safely start a healthy running habit and reap all the great benefits of running.

How to Start Running When You’re Overweight

Set yourself up for success by making sure that you are medically cleared to start running and that you have the proper shoes to support your body once you begin.

  • Check with your doctor
  • Get proper footwear
  • Start small
  • Switch to run/walks
  • Add strength training
  • Believe in yourself

Check With Your Doctor

This is an important step for anyone who’s new to running, but especially if you’re overweight. Share your running plan and goals with your doctor, and have him/her assess your plan and any potential health issues. Talk about any pre-existing conditions or previous injuries that might have an impact on being able to start a regular running program. Visit timesunion.com.

Your doctor may also recommend that you do an exercise stress test on a treadmill to rule out any cardiovascular issues. If he or she deems it’s not quite safe for you to start now, talk about what milestones you need to reach before you can.

 How to Start Running

Get the Right Shoes

Wearing the wrong running shoes for your feet and running style can lead to injuries and general discomfort while running. If you’re overweight, the extra weight and pressure on your joints can make you even more vulnerable to injuries, so it’s crucial that you get the right running shoes for you.

Go to a running specialty store, where trained salespeople can do a running gait analysis and recommend the best choices for your running gait, foot, and body type. You may need shoes with extra cushioning, good arch support, or some other special feature.

You should replace your shoes every 300 to 500 miles, although this can vary depending on how you run, your weight, and the type of terrain you cover. Heavier runners typically need to replace their shoes more often.

 Where to Buy Cheap Running Gear

How to Build Up to Running

Even if you have no plans of eventually running a marathon, remember that your fitness journey is a proverbial one nevertheless.

Start Small

Trying to do too much too soon may lead to injury and burnout. If you’ve been inactive for at least a few months or longer, you should start by walking.

You can begin walking on a treadmill, outside, or even in a pool. Start with just 5 or 10 minutes if that’s all you can manage. Consistency is key, so try to walk a little bit each day. Just get your body used to the activity and work up to a continuous forward motion for 30 minutes before you start to add some running.

Switch to a Run/Walk Strategy

Once you’ve built up your fitness through walking, you can get started with run/walk, which is an excellent strategy to safely and comfortably build your running endurance.

  1. Start your run/walk session by warming up with a 10-minute brisk walk to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to the working muscles.
  2. Next, run easy for 1 minute and then walk for 2 minutes. The walk should be an active rest, not a complete break. Don’t walk casually—do it with a purpose, like a power walk, to make sure you’re getting a good cardio workout.
  3. Repeat this cycle for 15 to 20 minutes, and then finish with a 5-minute walk as a cool down.

As your 1-minute run intervals become easier, you can increase the number of your run intervals and decrease the length of your walk intervals.

While some people try to get to the point where they can run continuously without walk breaks, others decide to stick with run/walk as a long-term strategy, using intervals such as run 3 minutes/walk 1 minute or run 2 minutes/walk 30 seconds.

 Building Stamina to Make Running Easier

Taking It to the Next Level

Once you’ve built up your endurance with run/walks, you should continue to challenge yourself by increasing your effort or distance during your runs. This will help boost your calorie-burning efforts, improve your fitness even more, and help prevent you from getting bored with your routine.

You can start adding speed by warming up for a mile and then running at a faster pace (breathing heavy, but still in control) for a minute and then recovering at an easy pace for a minute. Continue with this pattern for two miles, then cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.

When that gets too easy, you could always increase the time of your speed intervals or do hill repeats instead.

Add Some Strength Training

If you’re not already doing some strength training, try to incorporate at least one or two sessions in your weekly routine. Not only will you burn more calories while you’re doing these exercises, but your increased lean muscle mass will improve your running performance.2 You’ll be able to run faster and longer, and pump up your calorie burn when running.

Strength training also helps prevent running injuries, so you’ll be able to maintain your commitment to exercise by staying injury-free. You don’t need to belong to a gym or have special equipment to strength train.

 No-Equipment, At-Home Strength Training

Ways to Stay Motivated

Sticking with your running plan and achieving your goals may, at times, feel difficult. Do what works best for you when it comes to keeping your motivation up.

That might include strategies such as:

  • Rewarding yourself
  • Running with a buddy
  • Setting specific goals3
  • Tracking your progress3
 16 Ways to Stay Motivated to Run

Ignore the Naysayers

Unfortunately, there are people everywhere who can take issue with just about anything, which may make you feel self-conscious.

While you may not have the speed or distance of other runners (yet), those who enjoy the sport tend to appreciate anyone else who does too. And if you’re worried about what non-runners think, just remind yourself of how hard you’re working and that they’re missing out on all the benefits of running that you’re reaping.

Filed Under: Marine Mammals, Random Fun! Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

No balloons at the celebration for the Beach Chair Scientist …

July 13, 2012 by 3 Comments

Today is the fourth birthday of the Beach Chair Scientist blog. Despite the fact that some companies label latex balloons as ‘biodegradable’ and therefore, ‘safe’ for the environment, I will not be decorating any birthday celebration with balloons. Balloons blow! What has been widely spread is that latex balloons breakdown at ‘the same rate as an oak leaf from a tree‘. First, let me explain ‘latex’. Latex is a white tree sap of rubber particles from the plant, Hevae brasiliensis. After it is processed it becomes rubber. Rubber, as we know, is used in a variety of products because of its strong resilience and tear resistance. Balloons are made from latex (essentially, liquid rubber) once colors are added.

It just would not feel like a celebration for Beach Chair Scientist because I have been to countless beach clean-ups and see those latex and mylar balloons, as well as the strings that are tied to them, along the shoreline. Balloons are just not following the path that balloon manufacturers want us to believe. It may be true that research done in a controlled setting proves that when latex balloons rises to almost 30,000 feet they will freeze and bust into tiny slivers that fall back to earth. However, there are just too many natural factors (e.g., trees, wind) that impede balloons from rising to that height prior to losing their helium and flaying to the earth whole. Not to mention that even if latex balloons do break apart into tiny shards the tiny shard are still detrimental to the ocean. According to Sea Turtle Foundation, “Most balloons are made from ‘biodegradable’ latex, which degrades on exposure to air. However degradation can take up to six months and balloons floating in seawater can take up to twelve months to degrade”. In many areas it is illegal for mass balloon releases. Please check out your area for the local laws on balloons.

Here are ten examples of balloons affecting the ocean ecosystem:  

  1. On a New Jersey beach a sperm whale was found dying because it had a balloon in its stomach halting the passage of food.
  2. At a clean-up was on an island 5 miles out to sea – the distance cleaned at the 4 sites we targeted was about 1/2 mile of shoreline – in southern Maine this past June over 550 pounds of marine debris were found, including 232 pieces of debris (9 of which were balloons and one was found right next to a gull’s nest).
  3. Birds will collect plastic debris for their nests, and unknowingly construct death traps for their young.
  4. Balloons, plastic straws, plastic bottles, plastic bags, and metal beverage cans were found to be the most abundant type of marine debris litter as a 10-year national survey completed in 2008.
  5. Most of the trash found along the California coast during a 2003-2010 survey was 82% land-based plastics, including plastic bags, plastic bottles, balloons and straws.
  6. Fishing gear fragments, packaging materials, balloons, bottle caps, and straws were found to be the most common items found during a Cape Cod survey that collected 5,829 items along one-kilometer.
  7. A leatherback turtle starved to death because a latex balloon was stuck in its stomach. After the turtle necropsy, the only thing found in its intestines was three feet of nylon string attached to a balloon.
  8. Animals can become entangled in balloon ribbons and string, restricting their movement and their ability to feed.
  9. Bottlenose dolphins in California, loggerhead turtles in Texas, and a green turtle in Florida were all found dead after ingesting latex balloons.
  10. In the UK, Risso’s dolphins in French waters and fulmars in the North Sea are known to ingest balloons.

If you’re still keen on celebrating with balloons try to do activities where you can control them and not have them released into the atmosphere. You can put prizes inside them or decorate them or play games. Below are are alternatives for decorating and commemorating without balloons. Check out the background image from Orlando Sentinel with the juvenile loggerhead turtle swimming close to the floating balloons.

One last thing, if you’re in the DC area Saturday, July 21st and would like to join me during a stream clean-up with United By Blue please feel free to come along! It’s a great event co-sponsored by Subaru and fun for the whole family. Read this article about my first experience volunteering with them. Please feel free to drop me a line at info@beachchairscientist.com or leave a comment below if you have anything else you like to add to this post or just a question in general.

Filed Under: Animal Homes, Beach, Birds, Conservation, Marine Mammals, People, Sea Turtles Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A naturalist’s must-see destination: Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

July 7, 2012 by 2 Comments

I have it on my bucket list to explore at least ten more National Parks in the next decade, but I am going to have to rely on family and friends to share their adventures since I just spent some time in Maine visiting Acadia National Park. My brother, wife, and their sons (8 and 6 years old) just spent a week at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and have kindly taken the time to share their adventures from the boys perspective. Take a look at this 60-second  movie on what sort of wildlife awaits you at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Also, here are 5 little known facts about Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to hopefully entice you to visit. (The interminable forests should become graceful parks, for use and delight. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844)

  1. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was purchased with Duck Stamp revenues.
  2. Most historians believe that the famous Chincoteague ponies are remnants from that settlers who used the island for grazing livestock in the 1600’s in an effort to avoid difficult fencing regulation. Descendants of those ponies are still living there today.
  3. In a CNN Special from June 2012, Assateague Island National Seashore was named as one of the 7 prime spots to view wildlife. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is at the Virginia end of the National Seashore.
  4. The endangered sea beach amaranth is well adapted to survive the harsh seashore conditions of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
  5. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has 14 ‘pools’ that total over 2,600 acres that are carefully manipulated to control moisture levels.

Filed Under: Animal Homes, Beach, Birds, Conservation, Fish, Inspiration, Ocean, People, Places Tagged With: , , , ,

Jim Gaffigan on whales

July 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

For a little humor over the weekend. I hope you enjoy the list of their top predators!

Filed Under: Algae (Seaweeds), Animal Homes, Marine Mammals, Random Fun! Tagged With: , ,

31 facts about Arctic whales

June 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

This past week offshore drilling in the Arctic was approved to get underway (it’s been 20 years since this previously happened). This is going to severely affect the quiet and serene home for whales and other marine animals in the area. Here are 31 facts about the beluga, narwal, and bowheads whales – species that exclusively call this area home.

Resources

Filed Under: Animal Homes, Marine Mammals Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

3 Quarks Daily science prizes awarded

June 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Since 2009, during the  solstice and equinox of each year a prize for either science, philosophy, politics, and arts & literature is awarded by the esteemed judge brought in by the editors of the blog 3 Quarks Daily.  This filter blog, created by founding editor S. Abbas Raza, is a “one-stop intellectual surfing experience by culling good stuff from all over and putting it in one place” and at the head of a Richard Dawkin’s list of bookmarks. Today the awards for the top 3 science pieces were announced. This year Judge Sean M. Carroll reviewed the over 100 nominees and found these thought-provoking and attractive blog posts to be top quarks.

1.  The crayola-fication of the world: How we gave colors names, and it messed with our brains
2.  In Soviet Union, Optimization Problem Solves You
3.  Forget bipedalism. What about babyism?

Dr. Carroll focuses on theoretical physics and cosmology and blogs at Cosmic Variance. You may have also seem him on The Colbert Report and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.

The Beach Chair Scientist was nominated for the post An important call for more forage fish to remain in the sea.

Filed Under: Fish Tagged With: , , , ,

What’s your favorite marine mascot?

June 12, 2012 by 2 Comments

We took our daughter to her first major league baseball game this weekend. I will never forget her cheery face when she’d point at the bright orange and black cartoon Orioles on fan’s shirts and say, “buuurrd?” The Phillies lost so it wasn’t the best experience we could have hoped for at Camden Yards, but overall my little family had an enjoyable time (also, impressive despite the 90 degree weather).

Needless to say, the day got me thinking about marine-themed mascots for major league sports in the U.S. This is a list of 9 marine mascots that might inspire your little marine biologists to follow baseball, hockey, or football or conversely that could get your little sports fan into science. I suppose if you’re a teacher, these mascots are also useful teaching tools to introduce different biological units (Ok, I am not certain what lesson you’d ever need Raymond the Seadog to introduce).

  1. T.D. the Dolphin (Miami Dolphins – NFL)
  2. Blitz the Seahawk (Seattle Seahawks – NFL)
  3. Lou Seal (San Francisco Giants – MLB)
  4. Iceburgh the Penguin (Pittsburgh Penguins – NHL)
  5. Fin the Whale (Vancouver Canucks – NHL)
  6. Raymond the Seadog (Tampa Bay Rays – MLB)
  7. Billy the Marlin (Miami Marlins – MLB)
  8. S.J. Sharkie (San Jose Sharks – NHL)
  9. Al the Octopus (Detroit Redwings – NHL)

From what I uncovered, the national basketball association is void of ocean animals as mascots. Please feel free to comment if you can think of another or just let me know if you have a favorite. Lastly, does anyone know where the Phillie Phanatic is originally from?

Filed Under: Cephalopods, Inspiration, Marine Mammals, Penguins, People, Random Fun!, Sharks

Marine reserves produce benefits to generations of fish and fishers

May 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

A study funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF), the Australian Research Council, and the Packard Foundation illustrates that baby coral trout and stripey snappers eventually settled up to 6 miles from the marine reserve off the Keppel island group (Central Queensland, Australia) where they spawned. It’s often been speculated on what happens to the offspring of protected fish (once an area is declared ‘protected’, as in a marine protected area or reserve), but Team leader Professor Geoff Jones notes that “Now we can clearly show that the benefits of reserves spread beyond reserve boundaries, providing a baby bonus to fisheries.”

The researchers, who used DNA fingerprinting technology to track the pathways of baby coral trout and stripey snapper, concluded “The fact that local fishing communities can directly benefit from a source of recruitment from their local reserves is the strongest support yet that reserve networks can be an effective tool for sustaining future generations of both fish and fishers.”

Learn more about marine protected areas in California, Hawai’i, and Florida here.

Filed Under: Fish Tagged With: , , , ,

Comparing seabirds, shorebirds, and wading birds

May 23, 2012 by 6 Comments

Here is a general overview of 10 characteristics of seabirds (birds that spend most of their life out at sea), shorebirds (migratory birds that scurry along the shore looking for food), and wading birds (taller birds that wade in wetlands for their food).

10 characteristics of seabirds (Examples include albatross, auk, booby, frigatebird, fulmar, gannet, murre, penguin, petrel, puffin, shearwater, and tropicbirds)

1. Seabirds are pelagic, spending most of their lives far out at sea.
2. Seabirds move toward to coastal areas to breed or raise young for a minimal amount of time.
3. Seabirds are light on their undersides and dark on top (an adaptation known as countershading).
4. Seabirds have more feathers than other types of birds for more insulation and waterproofing.
5. Seabirds have flexible webbed feet to help gain traction as they take off for flight from the sea.
6. Some seabirds have unusually sharp claws used to help grasp fish under the water.
7. Some larger seabirds (e.g., albatross) have long, slim wings allowing them to soar for long distances without getting tired.
8. Some smaller seabirds have short wings for maneuvering at the surface of the water.
9. Seabirds have specialized glands to be able to drink the saltwater and excrete salts.
10. Some seabirds (e.g., gannets) have head shape is usually tapered more efficiency in plunge diving.

10 characteristics of shorebirds (Examples include avocets, black skimmer, oystercatchers, plover, sandpiper, and stilt)

1. Shorebirds have long legs, pointed beaks, and long pointed wings.
2. Most shorebirds are migratory (Impressively some shorebirds fly non-stop for 3-4 days, equivalent to a human running continuous 4-minute miles for 60 hours).
3. Shorebirds wade close to the shore and poke their bills into the ground in search of food.
4. Shorebirds are small to medium size wading birds.
5. Shorebirds tend to frequent wetlands and marshes and are biological indicators of these environmentally sensitive lands.
6. Shore birds are of the order Charadriiformes.
7. Shorebirds are very well camouflaged for their environment and their appearance may vary from place to place as plumage (feather colors) are gained or lost during breeding.
8. Shorebirds typically range in size from 0.06 to 4.4 pounds.
9. Oystercatchers have a unique triangular bill that is a cross between a knife and a chisel.
10. The black skimmer is the only native bird in North America with its lower mandible larger than the upper mandible, which helps the bird gather fish as it skims the ocean surface.

10 characteristics of wading birds (Examples include crane, egret, flamingo, herons, ibis, rail, spoonbill, and stork)

1. Wading birds are found in freshwater or saltwater on every continent except Antarctica.
2. Wading birds have long, skinny legs and toes which help them keep their balance in wet areas where water currents may be present or muddy ground is unstable. Also, longer legs make it easier for them to search for food (forage) in deeper waters.
3. Wading birds have long bills with pointed or rounded tips (depending on what is more efficient for the types of food the bird consumes).
4. Wading birds have long, flexible necks that can change shape drastically in seconds, an adaptation for proficient hunting.
5. Herons have sophisticated and beautiful plumes during the breeding season, while smaller waders such as rails are much more camouflaged.
6. Wading birds may stand motionless for long periods of time waiting for prey to come within reach.
7. When moving, their steps may be slow and deliberate to not scare prey, and freeze postures are common when these birds feel threatened.
8. Adult wading birds are quiet as an essential tool for hunting. Wading birds may be vocal while nestling or while in flocks together.
9. Many wading birds form communal roosts and breeding rookeries, even mixing flocks of different species of wading birds or waterfowl.
10. Wading birds fully extend their legs to the rear when flying. The neck may be extended or not while in flight, depending on the species.

Filed Under: Birds Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,