The use of albatrosses as a conservation tool

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing poses an imminent threat to biodiversity in our oceans. Notoriously difficult to track, fishing vessels are able to elude traditional tracking measures. Authors H. Weimerskirch et. al. introduce the concept of the “ocean sentinel”, where sea birds that are naturally attracted to fishing vessels are equipped with bio-loggers. Data from these loggers help locate where, when, and how frequently IUU is occuring.

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Is 3D printing the future of conservation ecology?

3D printing is a new tool that is starting to be used in ecology. Researchers from the University of Delaware conducted an experiment to test whether 3D printed corals impact the behavior of a coral reef fish, the blue green chromis, in a laboratory setting. The results of experiments like these can pave the way for innovative techniques for habitat manipulation studies in the future.

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It’s all in the genes: how water pollution keeps silver carp at bay.

Silver carp are a notorious invasive fish that are spreading throughout the Mississippi River Basin. Despite their rapid-fire range expansion, silver carp have yet to make it to the Great Lakes. A recent study explores the possibility that polluted Chicago-area waters may be preventing the spread of silver carp into Lake Michigan and beyond.

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Proper land management can offset greenhouse gas emissions from grass-fed cattle

Greenhouse gas emissions from the cattle industry have proven to be a big problem. As the demand for beef has increased, the amount of cattle farming operations has increased in response, both in the form of grass-fed and feedlot-finished feeding methods. Although many consumers prefer grass-fed beef, studies have shown that grass-fed beef produce more greenhouse gas emissions than feedlot-finished cattle in their lifetime. However, a recent study has shown that by changing the way that cattle graze on grassland, grass-fed beef could ultimately benefit the environment.

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Farmers vs. Fish: The Story of Delta Smelt

Delta smelt, a small free-swimming fish native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California, have been portrayed as the catalyst for failing agriculture in the delta region. As an Endangered Species Act-listed species, delta smelt require increased water allocation to maintain low salinity in an already water-starved area, leaving less water for farmers and their crops. In reality, only a small percentage of freshwater outflow to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is being used for fish protection. Through improper management and general disregard for delta smelt recovery, the species is near extinction.

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The Future of Seafood: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture

Aquaculture has long been revered as a benefit to the seafood industry by increasing food availability for developing nations and taking pressure off of overexploited wild fish stocks. However, aquaculture has also been cited for its negative environmental impacts. Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a solution that combines species of different trophic levels to be grown together in the same aquaculture setting, reducing environmental impacts and increasing overall production.

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Do Red Snapper Call Decommissioned Oil Rigs Home?

As natural reefs are becoming more and more scarce in the muddy bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, scientists have looked towards decommissioned oil rigs as replacements. Because red snapper are an important reef fish in the Gulf, they are used as a focal species to determine if artificial structures are as capable as natural reefs to support the reproductive potential of reef fish.

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Out with the new, in with the old: can removing Asian carp benefit native fish populations?

Asian carp have been plaguing the waters of the Mississippi River Basin for over 40 years. As an invasive species, Asian carp often out-compete native species and decimate food webs. Many control measures have been proposed and implemented to mitigate the presence of Asian carp, and some methods are working. Now, the question is, with the removal of Asian carp, can native fish populations rebound and thrive in their natural environment once again?

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