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November 6, 2009
Award-winning writer Darlene Crist and deep-sea diver Richard Morris will share the excitement of the global Census of Marine Life through stories, images and film. Join us on Thursday, November 19th at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, Maine (5:30 reception, 7 pm lecture). Event details.
RSVP by November 15: sryan@usm.maine.edu or call (207) 228-1680. Sponsored by Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association (GOMMEA) and the Gulf of Maine Census of Marine Life.
Image of bookcover by Firefly Books
REGIONAL NEWS: Making history in Saint Andrews
In early October in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, history was quietly being made. Two hundred researchers and managers from Canada and the US came together to discuss the future of the Gulf of Maine, the shared marine ecosystem that extends from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia. The Gulf of Maine Symposium
drew experts from many fields: anthropologists, fishermen and historians shared their insights along with biologists, fisheries managers and oceanographers from around the region. The work begun there will lead the region toward a more holistic approach to managing the Gulf of Maine, or ecosystem-based management. Proceedings from the Symposium will be issued in the next few months, and a volume of key papers will be published in the coming year.
Image courtesy of Lara Cooper, Fisheries & Oceans
PROGRAM UPDATE: Biodiversity studies
Conserving marine biodiversity is one of the central strategies to maintain a healthy ecosystem, yet the majority of biodiversity is still unknown. As part of the Symposium, the Gulf of Maine Census sponsored a one-day session on biodiversity, which featured presentations by leaders of our six expert groups. Each group is evaluating the current understanding of diversity within specific ecosystem “compartments” of the Gulf of Maine − from nearshore to deepwater, and microbes to mammals. For a summary, contact Sara Ellis, Program Manager.
Image courtesy of Strong/Buzeta
A recent Science article, Rebuilding Global Fisheries by Census researcher, Boris Worm, Ray Hilborn and other leading scientists examines global efforts to restore fisheries. This collaborative work offers hope for the future of our fisheries, but cautions that we must make some tough decisions now. The authors conclude:
We envision a seascape where the rebuilding, conservation, and sustainable use of marine resources become unifying themes for science, management, and society. We caution that the road to recovery is not always simple and not without short-term costs. Yet, it remains our only option for insuring fisheries and marine ecosystems against further depletion and collapse (Science, July 31, 2009).
The fisheries of the North Atlantic and Georges Bank, which defines the southern border of the Gulf of Maine, were part of the study.
Image of Kettle Cove, S. Ryan
As part of the 2009 Darwin Celebration, a student essay contest is underway called Discovering our Modern Day “Darwins” in the Census of Marine Life. The goal of the contest is to inspire high school students to pursue careers in science by exploring the fascinating work of the 2,000 men and women involved in the global Census of Marine Life
. The contest is co-sponsored by Gulf of Maine Census, GOMMEA, and the University of Southern Maine. The deadline is December 11, 2009. Find details here.
Image of Darwin, Public Domain
2010 VIDEO CONTEST: Living on the Ocean Planet
Last year, the Gulf of Maine Census initiated a pilot contest with the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) designed to get more students involved with ocean science by using a medium they all know and love well - the 2-minute video clip. The pilot project was a success and is now open to all high schools. Visit NOSB for more information.
We congratulate last year's regional winners: Lexington High School in Massachusetts, Narragansett HS in Rhode Island and Sanford HS in Maine. Their videos can viewed here.
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In this issue
Long before Darwin published his famous book in 1859, he sketched out his thoughts and theory in a brief manuscript that was not discovered until decades later. The original manuscript was later edited and published as The Foundations of the Origin of Species. In this guest essay, Dr. Sara Ellis shares a personal story of a family heirloom...read more
If you would like to contribute your thoughts on Darwin for our next blog, contact Susan Ryan, Editor.
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