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May 1, 2013

Me and Bobby Twilley

We had a great visit with Dr. Robert Twilley, Louisiana Sea Grant Director and a faculty member at Louisiana State University. Robert gave a wonderful seminar at Horn Point Laboratory, covering the history of coastal Louisiana wetland loss, Mississippi River diversions and provided the context for the 2012 Master Plan. The IAN group collaborated with [...]

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April 22, 2013

What’s the problem? Why should I care? Using Media to Bring Science to the Public

For some environmental researchers, science is about collecting knowledge. However, it is becoming increasingly necessary that scientists step up and share their work to inform policy and effectively manage environmental problems through public awareness. This requires that we learn how to use mass media outlets such as print, radio, television, and social media so that [...]

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April 15, 2013

From the Toxic Algal Blooms of Australia’s Coast to the Oil-soaked Shores of the Gulf of Mexico: The Role of Science in Environmental Crisis

Environmental crises exist on a continuum varying on the size of the affected area, severity and longevity of effects, level mitigation required, and socioeconomic impacts, all influencing the level of public involvement. Despite the need for immediate action, it is the role of the scientist to ensure adherence to the scientific method. The “Brown Tide” [...]

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April 10, 2013

Seagrass Blue Carbon Blues

As one of the outputs of the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis workshop on “Australian seagrass habitats: Condition and threats”, I composed a song which Kieryn Kilminster from Western Australia Department of Water was able to convince her husband, Gary Cox, to set to music and then record. It turned out to be [...]

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April 3, 2013

Global use of IAN symbol libraries

The steady rise in the number of people who have registered and downloaded the IAN symbol and image libraries has continued since they were first posted online in 2003. The number of users is currently in excess of 75,000 people, from all 50 U.S. states and virtually every country in the world. Since we are [...]

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March 27, 2013

Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis workshop: “Australian seagrass habitats: Condition and threats”

I participated in a week long seagrass working group meeting at the Moreton Bay Research Station on North Stradbroke Island. The working group meeting was sponsored by the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) modeled after the U.S.-based National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). ACEAS is run by Associate Professor Alison [...]

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March 22, 2013

Top ten conceptual diagrams: Seagrasses, streams, eco-rhythms

Conceptual diagrams are ‘thought drawings’ that use symbols to convey meaningful ecological information. The IAN symbol library was created in order that more people would be able to produce conceptual diagrams. Between the Marine Botany Group at the University of Queensland and the IAN team, the Science Communicators have produced over a thousand conceptual diagrams [...]

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March 20, 2013

Better ways to look at what we’re doing to Chesapeake Bay?

New ways of looking at data promise to give a clearer picture of the effects of restoration in the ecosystem. People have worked hard to bring the Chesapeake Bay back to health. Yet, why is it so difficult to see the results? The IAN program’s Chesapeake Bay Report Card for 2011 gives the bay a [...]

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March 15, 2013

Top ten human symbols: People, buildings and boats

This is the sixth and final blog post in a series which celebrates the IAN symbol library by highlighting some of the most interesting symbols. Previous blog posts have focused on marine flora and fauna, birds, trees and animals. This blog post focuses on human aspects, with human structures and people themselves. 1. The symbol [...]

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March 8, 2013

Top ten animal symbols: Whales, bison, butterflies and frogs

This is the fifth blog post in a series of blog posts which celebrate the IAN symbol library by highlighting some of the most interesting symbols. Previous blog posts have focused on marine flora and fauna, birds and trees. This blog post focuses on terrestrial animals, from small (e.g., butterflies) to large (e.g., whales). 1. [...]

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