Credit: Allie Wilkinson

Happy New Year!  I’ve settled into my new job and I have a few weeks until I have to start thinking about school again.  With Science Online ‘10 quickly approaching, it seems like the right time to pick up the blog, dust it off and begin writing again.

Starting things off slow and easy, I wanted to share this photograph of an arctic fox I took at the Denver Zoo (during my trip for the Defenders of Wildlife Carnivore Conservation Conference).  These little guys are much better adapted to stand the cold than I can–they can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as -58℉ (-50℃)!  I can’t even stand it when it gets cold here in New York….these winter months have me daydreaming of laying on a beach surrounded by palm trees.

Yesterday started off with a group trip to the Denver Zoo, which was a winter wonderland after the snow we had overnight.  I will definitely blog more about the zoo after returning home.  [Unfortunately I left my camera cable in New York and want to wait to write about it until I can do the day justice with photos.]

This morning officially kicked off the 7th annual carnivore conservation conference.  The theme of this year’s conference addresses the conservation challenge of climate change, and the implications that is has for the conservation of ALL carnivore species, not just those in the polar regions.

The day began with a representative from HawkQuest showcasing one of their captive-bred Harris hawk, which flew directly over my head.  HawkQuest is an organization that educates the public about carnivores, especially raptors.  ”Educating our youth, is paramount to this process,” said an employee of Defenders of Wildlife, whose name I failed to catch.

Next up was a representative from Wolf Park, a non-profit organization located in Indiana, to award the second annual Erich Klinghammer Award, named after  Dr. Erich Klinghammer, the behaviorist who founded Wolf Park in 1972.  This year’s recipient was Nina Fascione, the Vice President of Field Conservation for Defenders of Wildlife.

Eventually we got to our plenary session, “Ecological Consequences of Large Predator Removal: A Comparison of Five U.S. National Parks”, led by Robert Beschta and William Ripple, both of Oregon State University.  After reading about both of these men and their research in “Where the Wild Things Were” by William Stolzenburg on my way to Denver, it was a delight to hear them speak in person about their research on trophic cascades in Yellowstone National Park.  [More on this later!!]

However, it is now time for me to go back to my sessions….

No Back Bone

• Wanderin’ Weeta features some wonderful macro photography, as always.  Life in a tank is always full of surprises, and a new find in a salt-water aquarium was the inspiration for the lesson on zooids, accompanied by the COOLEST photos!  Tanks are a great way to observe nature’s little wonders, like how Hermit Rex goes shopping for a new home.  What a wonderful thing to see in photo-essay form!
• Eric over at The Other 95% presents the results of a poll on which card to feature from the  Ocean Bloggers Oceans in the Classroom Initiative.  And the winner is……the Iceland Scallop!  Learn a little bit about their biology, range or fisheries, or simply learn how to cook their relatives. YUM.
• Cephalopodcast participated in the 3rd Annual International Cephalopod Awareness Days, October 8-10th, which includes Octopus Day, Nautilus Night and Squid Day/Cuttlefish Day (also known as Squidturday).  Learn about cephalopods, the history of Cephalopod Awareness Day and why you should celebrate.

Feathery Friends

• As part of the Marine Life Series at Daily Kos you can learn about one of my favorite shorebirds, the Red Knot, and how the fate of the horseshoe crab population in Delaware Bay is intricately linked to the fate of these tiny birds.
• 10,000 Birds features another type of sandpiper, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, in part one of a six part series.  Great conservation post!

Salty Science

• Kevin Zelnio of Deep Sea News breaks the news to us….size matters.  Well, sieve size at least.  Is it better to follow the crowd or bust out on your own when choosing the proper sieve size for your study?  Size matters when estimating biomass!  Dr. M, the other half of Deep Sea News, presents us with a lesson in biogeography in The Origins of Deep-Sea Fauna.
• Christie, normally of Observations of a Nerd, wrote a small novel post over at scientificblogging.com entitled Busting Marine Myths: Sharks DO Get Cancer! Take the time to read this longer piece, as it is a MUST-read, especially for those interested in shark conservation.  I remember when the “sharks don’t get cancer” craze came out in the 90s when my grandmother had cancer, and this fallacy has led to the demise of millions of sharks.

Crazy for Conservation

• Known for their frequent criticism of Sea Shepherd, Southern Fried Science takes a look at what makes a good conservation organization.  Enter the Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP), a 20-years-in-the-making conservation organization that started with one specific goal in Mexico and has now affected change across the globe.  It boils down to methodology and it’s true what they say– you do catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
• Outreach really is vital to conservation and the dissemination of science.  Scientists need to thing broader in terms of broader impacts.  As of late, severeal expeditions have been getting the “Yet Another Scientist Getting Broader Impacts Right” award from Rick of Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice and Sunsets, and the New England Aquarium-Woods Hole-Conservation International 3-week research expedition to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is no exception.  Check out the Phoenix Islands Expedition: Q&A!
• Happy Birthday to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!  The aquarium’s blog, Sea Notes, commemorates 25 years of conservation.  Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

This is a wonderful opportunity and tickets are only $17, so go in my place and tell me all about it!