Shark Week!

There's something about sharks that both terrifies and fascinates us at the same time. That's why I love Shark Week. One whole week devoted to watching creatures we may hardly see in the wild, but they form such an integral part of the marine ecosystem that we can never imagine life without them. According to IUCN, almost a third of pelagic sharks are threatened with extinction, primarily the result of overfishing. Fortunately, increased conservation efforts have been made in the past few decades in addition to greater public awareness about the vital roles that sharks serve. I would hope that with generations to come, these ocean predators will no longer be feared by us and given the respect they deserve.

http://www.iucn.org/?3362/Third-of-open-ocean-sharks-threatened-with-extinction

http://www.pewenvironment.org/campaigns/global-shark-conservation/id/8589941059

Taken at the Newport Aquarium

Review of Last Chance to See

For those of you out there who are intrigued by stories of endangered species or are a fan of Douglas Adams, then Last Chance to See should be your next book to read.

Back in the late 1980s, Adams traveled with zoologist Mark Carwardine to document, for BBC Radio, their excursions to find several of the rarest and most endangered animals in the world. Of these trips included were traveling to Indonesia to find the cold-blooded Komodo Dragon, tracking down the elusive Kakapo in New Zealand, and searching for the mysterious Baiji or River Dolphin in China.

Sadly, since this book was published, some of the sub-species and species listed in the book are down to their last few or have become extinct in the past decade. On the other hand, many others seen by Adams and Carwardine have recovering populations thanks to the efforts of dedicated individuals, who have devoted their lives towards saving threatened fauna. Overall, I would highly recommend reading this book. Despite having been written over two decades ago, it's still relevant to today's global issues.

Last Chance to See Program on BBC Radio
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/

Last Chance to See Book on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345371984

Conservation News - July 25

Deforestation in Africa's Congo Basin rainforest slows
 

Deforestation in the Congo Basin has been reduced by a third in the past decade as a result of less of an interest in agricultural expansion in central Africa as well as protection of a number of areas from logging.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23382526 

Cashmere trade threat to snow leopards

Because of an increasing global demand of cashmere, snow leopards are at risk from habitat loss in addition to losing access to their natural prey, which are competing for the same resources as the cashmere goats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23417631  

Do you think I'm sexy? Why peacock tails are attractive

Researcher Jessica Yorzinksi attached tiny cameras to the heads of peahens in order to observe what they were seeing (and what attracted them) during a male’s display. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23423074  

Photo © Jessica Yorzinski

Introductions

As a graduate student of environmental studies who has always had a passion for nature, I decided to create this blog in order to express my opinions on everything to do with ecology and conservation. During the course of updating this blog, I will forward news articles, review books and documentaries, and write about my experiences in the outdoors, especially birding and photography. I've never blogged before, so I hope that this blog (and followers) will grow more and more as I offer my views and outlooks in hopes for a greater respect for our natural surroundings.