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Diving Deeper with Alex Warneke

Warneke, A.

Alex Warneke

San Diego State University

 
Today we dive deeper with researcher and Beneath the Waves Director of Media and Marketing, Alex Warneke. Alex is currently a Masters Student at San Diego State University where she studies how organism communicate utilizing chemical signals. She explains, “The ocean is ruled by these compounds that dictate interactions from how to find mates to defensive compounds that deter predators. You can’t see these chemicals, but they are one of the main factors driving ocean interactions and processes. Often times these are the same chemicals that humans extract from the ocean to cure diseases.” Alex’s primary research examines the concept of “information-disruption” whereby these natural chemical pathways are being disturbed by noxious chemicals that we are putting into our oceans.
 
Q: What draws you “Beneath the Waves”?:
 
Exploration. I love the feeling of standing in awe at the vast expanse of the kelp forest or wondering at the smallest critter I can find on a reef. Each piece plays a role in the overall functioning of the ecosystem and that is truly marvelous. To stand witness to all of this and more is what draws me beneath the waves time and time again.

 

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Doing yoga at work.


 
Q: If you could make one film regarding the oceans, what/who would be the subject?

 

As someone who studies contaminants in the ocean, I see the direct impacts man has had on them. Humanity’s ignorance is astounding. People do not realize just how connected we are to this watery habitat and this disconnect will be our undoing. If I could make a film to move people to just do something and not sit around and wait for the ocean’s problems to fix themselves (which they won’t) I would do it.

 

Q: When not in the lab, on a boat, or doing science, where can we find you?

 

My science is driven by the creativity that stems from other outlets. I love music and yoga. I enjoy blogging, reading, or just hanging out with my puppy.

 

For more about Alex and her research, visit her websites: www.alexwarneke.com & www.deepseanews.com or follow her on Twitter @Alex_Warneke

in Interviews  by 09 Sep 2014 0 comments

Field Notes: Summer 2014

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Summer 2014 has been a wet and wild one for the Beneath the Waves crew! As always, we are hard at work to bring you the best in ocean films and stories. However, with summer coming to a close we wanted to recap what we have accomplished not only at BTW HQ but what some of our team members are contributing to their respective fields.

 

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Beneath the Waves:

This summer Beneath the Waves hosted six festivals all over the United States, including one in Australia. We established our 501©-3 non-profit status! We were also busy bees on social media, starting a quarterly newsletter, this blog, and launching a successful #SharkWeek campaign that engaged thousands of shark lovers the world over. In addition, we are gearing up for next year and will be taking submissions for our main festival shortly. Youth Making Ripples has just received their first submissions and are hungry for more! Check out our pages for more updates on all we have to offer.

 

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Austin:

Austin has published numerous papers including:

“Vulnerability of oceanic sharks to pelagic longline by catch” in Global Ecology and Conservation PDF

“Evolved for Extinction? The price of specialization in apex marine predators” in BioScience PDF

“Social behaviors in open ocean sharks at a Bahamian reef” in Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution PDF

But none of these compare to Austin’s biggest accomplishment this summer, asking BTW co-director Erica to be his lady. Forever. (She said yes!)

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IMG_0755 - 2014-05-22 at 04-57-42Erica:

Erica traveled to Africa (with Austin) on an epic journey to the deserts of Namibia, the sharky waters off of Cape Town, and Kruger National Park.

Erica also published a portion of her PhD research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series entitled Celestial Patterns in Marine Soundscapes. pdf
 
 
 

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Phil:

Phil has continued his on-going research with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration looking at the influence of ocean acidification on stone crab hatchlings. His work was recently covered by Business Insider.

 

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Lauren:

Xmas (35)In June Lauren started as a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow at USGS in St. Petersburg. Over the next two years she will be developing a comprehensive reconstruction of coral-reef development in the Florida Keys over the last 6000 years.

She also published two papers:

“Do no-take reserves benefit Florida’s corals? 14 years of change and stasis in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary” in Coral Reefs. pdf

“A depth refugium from catastrophic coral bleaching prevents regional extinction” in Ecology. pdf

 

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Andy:

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At the beginning of the summer, Andy joined Fabien Cousteau and the Mission 31 crew for his second mission as an aquanaut continuing his ongoing research on coral reefs in the Florida Keys.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Alex:

IMG_5119Alex joined BTWaves friends, PangeaSeed, on the Mexican island of Isla Mujeres to frolic with whale sharks, manta rays, and turtles for their annual feeding convergence. She spent the rest of her summer finishing up the final experiments of her graduate research looking at the influence of copper on chemical communication between marine critters and publishing an upcoming paper in the journal PLoS on how to effectively communicate science. Stay tuned!

 
 
 
 
 

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David:

Along with combating misinformation regarding Shark Week, David and Austin recently published a paper focusing on the impact of Trophy Species.

“Trophy fishing for species threatened with extinction: a way forward building on a history of conservation” in Marine Policy PDF

 

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Evelyn:

Evelyn is currently a part of the B.E.A.R.S. program at the Virginia Zoo assisting with animal enrichment, husbandry, and breeding. She is also on the Board of Old Dominion University’s Marine Biology Student Association and has been working with the Elizabeth River Project doing wetland restoration projects.
 

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10330358_10152199488958263_2876794414221511090_nBetsy:

Betsy has just finished two months in Tanzania where she was working in various schools teaching an alternative teaching method called Literacy Through Photography (LTP) with seven other students. She and the rest of her team taught different subjects while incorporating photography, as well as holding collaborative teacher workshops to brainstorm and discuss how teachers can implement LTP in the classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep up the great work team!!

in Uncategorized  by 26 Aug 2014 0 comments

Fin.

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We here at Beneath the Waves wanted to extend a special thanks to our sponsors, the scientists who took the time to talk with us, and you, our wonderful followers, for making Shark Week 2014 a huge success! We hope that everyone enjoyed our #sharktrivia on Facebook, our ” Science Spotlights” and that you were all able to learn something new about these inspiring creatures.

 

Sharks need our understanding now more than ever.

 
If you have a shark story consider submitting it to this year’s festival. Submissions for 2014-2015 open this September.
 
If you would like to support ocean conservation and increase awareness for the global plight of sharks, consider donating to our organization. Beneath the Waves Film Festivals screen hundreds of films a year, education thousands around the globe.
 
We hope that you can join us. See you Beneath the Waves.

in Ocean Conservation / Shark Week  by 19 Aug 2014 0 comments

Shark Week Science Spotlight: Dr. Simon Pierce

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Here at Beneath the Waves we wanted to bring you the insider scoop on the superstars of Shark Week. Thus, we elicited the help of five of our most favorite sharky scientists. Today we caught up with Dr. Simon Pierce, Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Science Coordinator for Wildbook for Whale Sharks, to tell us a bit about the shark science he is involved in, how he got where he is today, and what he thinks we can do to move shark conservation forward.

 

Simon Pierce

 
Briefly can you describe the focus of your research and the species you work on?
 

I’m a conservation biologist and population ecologist. My research focuses on gathering the information necessary for making effective conservation decisions. We look at shark population size and abundance trends, movement patterns, and identify threats. Then, by talking to the people most likely to interact with the sharks, we can come up with practical solutions.
 

Most of my work is on whale sharks, the largest of all sharks - and fish. They’re gentle giants, feeding solely on plankton and small fish. Sadly, human pressures such as fishing have dramatically reduced their numbers, so I’m trying to help them bounce back.
 
In your opinion, how can people help save sharks?
 
Directly, there are many ways that anyone can help save sharks. If you get a chance, participate in sustainable wild shark tourism, or volunteer with a credible program. Make a donation to a good not-for-profit or university. If you follow shark scientists on social media, they’ll often post opportunities to make public comments to government on fisheries legislation, potential law changes and the like. While these may seem like dry topics, making a contribution - often there’s a template to simply copy and paste - will genuinely have a positive impact. You live in a democracy, use it.
 
Indirectly, what’s good for the marine environment is good for sharks. Choose sustainably caught fish. Avoid shrimp, unless you’re 100% sure it’s from a sustainable source. Clean up a beach. Avoid using plastic bags or micro-plastics. Tuna purse-seine fleets catch whale sharks - buy pole-caught tuna instead.
 
How did you get involved in shark research and what advice would you give those interested in studying them?
 
I was fascinated with animals, including sharks, from an early age. I learnt to dive while I was in my final undergraduate year, and I was hooked. I emailed my future PhD supervisor, Professor Mike Bennett at The University of Queensland, until he gave in and took me on as a student.
 
If you’d like to study sharks, you have work to do. Solid university results is a necessary start - intelligence and motivation are assumed. If you want to be a field biologist, you’ll need experience. I’d start by looking for people conducting marine research in your local area - even if it isn’t on sharks - and making yourself known to them. If you can volunteer, perfect. The shark research community is small, and a good reference will go a long way. If at all possible, choose a university where there is an active shark research program, and make friends with the people involved!
 
To find out more about Dr. Pierce and his research initiatives, check out his website!
 

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HAPPY SHARK WEEK!

in Ocean Conservation / Shark Week / Uncategorized  by 14 Aug 2014 0 comments

Shark Week Science Spotlight: Alison Towner

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Here at Beneath the Waves we wanted to bring you the insider scoop on the superstars of Shark Week. Thus, we elicited the help of five of our most favorite sharky scientists. Today we caught up with Marine Biologist Alison Towner of University of Cape Town, SA, to tell us a bit about the shark science she is involved in, how she got where she is today, and what she thinks we can do to move shark conservation forward.
 
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Briefly can you describe the focus of your research and the species you work on?
 
My research focuses on the movement and ecology of white sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa. The work investigates the potential driving factors behind white shark presence in the region such as food and environmental parameters through telemetry and long-term boat based data collection.
 
In your opinion, how can people help save sharks?
 
Education and outreach are powerful tools for shark conservation, particularly with children who are ultimately the next generation to handle our sharks future. Supporting ethical shark eco tourism, particularly in poorer countries, can directly facilitate keeping shark species worth more alive than dead and enforce government protection. Knowledge is power, many shark stocks suffer major declines, simply because there is limited research or data available on their key life history traits. Shark research (like most marine research) is very expensive and funding limited. By supporting active NGO’s with research projects the public can help make a huge difference to the research to aid management decisions for sharks.
 

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How did you get involved in shark research and what advice would you give those interested in studying them?
 
I began working for the Dyer Island Conservation Trust as their marine biologist and guide 8 years ago. For the first 5 years I worked daily on their shark diving vessel where I spent literally thousands of hours at sea collecting data and observing the sharks! I began acoustic tagging and tracking the predator from a dedicated research vessel in 2010 and from this work I am conducting my PhD. I am very lucky to have had such support from the Dyer Island Conservation trust and Marine Dynamics shark Tours although I did work hard for it! My advice would be study hard and never let anyone tell you that you cannot study sharks. If it’s truly the career for you there will be a way. Internships offer invaluable field experience and many shark orientated NGOs offer programs these days, I would highly recommend trying these!

 

HAPPY SHARK WEEK!

in Ocean Conservation / Shark Week  by 13 Aug 2014 0 comments