Shark Conservation in the Galapagos Islands

By Daniela Escontrela, RJD Intern The Galapagos Islands are a popular tourist destination for many people around the world. The pristine environment combined with the vast amounts of life and different species make many people come to the Galapagos every year. However, one of the most important species people come to watch are the scalloped […]

Bioactive Compounds Derived from Marine Algal Species

By Kyra Hartog, RJD Intern 1. Introduction Marine algal species produce a variety of compounds that are ultimately beneficial to human health. These compounds are often produced as secondary metabolites [1], meaning they are not essential to the algal species’ survival but benefit the organism in some way. These compounds include, but are not limited […]

Shark Tagging with the University of Miami Alumni Association

By James Keegan, RJD Intern Saturday’s trip looked like it would be a gloomy one with overcast and rain. I was excited for the catered trip, but I left for Crandon Marina with a sense of dread. The prospect of tagging sharks in choppy waters and cold rain did not thrill me. However, once the […]

Shark Tagging Trip – Oak Ridge High – May 2, 2014

By Lindsay Jennings, RJD Intern On Friday, May 2nd, RJD once again set out for a day of shark tagging, this time with the school group, Oak Ridge High. We headed out from the Miami Seaquarium and motored out to our first site, north of Soldier Key, in Biscayne National Park. Once all of the […]

A True Environmental Success Story

By Patrick Goebel, RJD Intern The amount of derelict fishing gear lost by commercial and recreational fishing is astonishing. Derelict fishing gear includes nets, lines, crab/lobster and shrimp traps/pots, and other recreational or commercial harvest equipment that has been accidentally lost or intentionally discarded in the marine environment. In the report, A Rising Tide of Ocean […]

Five Keys to Effective Marine Protected Areas

By Lindsay Jennings, RJD Intern Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, are areas of the ocean which have a degree of restricted human use for the purpose of protecting its natural resources as well as its ecosystem. Over the past years, the number of MPAs has grown rapidly as conservation efforts push the need for these […]