marineBIOLOGY

I feel bad for the word “biology.”  The only time it gets noticed is for a brief year in high school, which as we all know is not the ideal time to have the spotlight turned on.  Poor, pimple-faced, awkward biology attempting to compete with the “cooler” activities, like football, dance, and Facebook.  Biology doesn’t stand a chance, so instead it’s relegated to our dusty bookshelves, all the while knowing that if we really got to know it, we just might like it. 

            So biology begins to add some labels to itself, hoping that flashy words such as “evolutionary,” “marine,” and “tropical” will help attract more of a following.  And it works, to the point where many people are more interested in its label then the field it is meant to qualify, biology itself.  I’m certainly guilty of this, introducing myself as a marine biology student before any sort of clarification about how I’m more interested in population genetics and invertebrates than what riding a dolphin would feel like.

Source
You two make me sick

            Overlooking the scientific aspect of marine biology can be dangerous, and is certainly detrimental to its future.  It’s why many people believe that our work consists of tagging sharks and swimming with whales, and it’s why they get frustrated when they’re first exposed to the field and realize that’s not the case.  Truthfully, most of us spend 95% of our time in front of a computer, monotonously analyzing samples, reading papers, and submitting proposals so that, five years down the road, we can have the opportunity to monotonously analyze new samples, and hopefully have someone read our papers.

            This disconnect is frustrating, because although the ocean is the greatest source of potential biological discoveries, medical breakthroughs, and answers to our energy crisis, it would be irrelevant if not for the scientific process.  As marine biologists, we take this phenomenal scientific method, the same one used by chemists and physicists, Hollywood movie producers and international marketing teams, and apply it to our respective fields.  And this is what’s responsible for some of the really cool stuff out there.  Without it, we’d have no knowledge of the immortal immortal jellyfish or the oil-eating bacteria, let alone the discovery of ecosystems that think using the sun for energy is too mainstream, and are perfectly productive in total darkness.  The truth is, once you spend enough time around science, you realize it’s the title “biologist” that should turn heads and not just the qualifying “marine biologist.”  All science is fascinating and relevant, whether it’s done in your backyard or 36,000 feet below the ocean.

Source
"In conclusion, when exposed to an unified vocal stimulus, Red Rover did indeed come over"

           
      I’ve wanted to start a marine-themed blog for a while, but until now haven’t been able to give it a purpose.  While touching on a variety of topics, I’d like to provide insight into issues currently facing marine biology, conservation, and policy without watering down the science behind them.  This is where the cool shit is, and hopefully I can sell you on it.

References:

1.     Hazen, T. C., Dubinsky, E. A., DeSantis, T. Z., Andersen, G. L., Piceno, Y. M., Singh, N., ... & Mason, O. U. (2010). Deep-sea oil plume enriches indigenous oil-degrading bacteria. Science 330 (6001): 204-208.

2.     Piraino, S., Boero, F., Aeschbach, B., & Schmid, V. (1996). Reversing the life cycle: medusae transforming into polyps and cell transdifferentiation in Turritopsis nutricula (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa). Biological Bulletin 190 (3): 302-312.

3.     Lonsdale, P. (1977). "Clustering of suspension-feeding macrobenthos near abyssal hydrothermal vents at oceanic spreading centers". Deep Sea Research 24 (9): 857- 858