Extreme Breath Holding: Marine Mammal Diving

by Emily Nelson, RJD Intern Sperm whales have been recorded diving to depths well over 2,000 meters. Elephant seals have recorded dives lasting over 2 hours. Humans, on average, can hold their breath underwater for less than 30 seconds. How is it that marine mammals spend such long periods of time underwater, diving to incredible […]

Communicating Science Through Film

by Fiona Graham, RJD Graduate Student and Intern Utilizing film as a media to communicate science can be a powerful way to quickly reach large numbers of the general public in a user friendly way. Whether it’s newly published scientific research, or you’re trying to promote scientific awareness for conservation purposes, choosing to create a […]

Featured Artist: Chris Fallows

by Frank Gibson, SRC media intern When most people think of shark week, the first image that comes to their head is one of a Great White Shark soaring into the air in pursuit of seals. What most people may not know is that the man responsible for these incredible images is Chris Fallows. Chris […]

Impact of Costa Rican Longline Fishery on its Bycatch Species

by Fiona Graham, RJD Graduate Student and Intern Bycatch, the incidental catch of non-target species, tends to be high when using non-discriminatory fishing methods, such as longlining. Longline fisheries, such as that of Costa Rica, generally target mahi mahi and silky sharks, however data collected by an observer program shows that a large percentage of […]

Current and Future Conservation Efforts for the Critically Endangered Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata)

by Laurel Zaima, RJD Intern The endangerment and extinction of many plant and animal species is often due to a direct anthropogenic impact on the environment. If humans cause the endangerment of a species, humans should be held responsible for recovery of that species. Unfortunately, this is the case for the incredibly unique elasmobranch, the […]

Global Fishmeal and Fish-oil Supply

by Beau Marsh, RJD Intern Fishmeal and fish-oil are global commodities produced for both animal and human consumption.  These products are manufactured from whole fish catches, as well as the by-products of fish processed for human consumption.  Fishmeal and fish-oil are utilized for livestock and aquaculture feeds, and fish-oil is being increasingly sought after by […]