The Oceans: A Physical Geography

A wonderful video prepared by a student in GEOG 3315

2008-11-28T10:42:00.001-08:00

From: Nicole Ashley Aube for the GEOG 3315 "show what you know by what you do" assignment.

As if you don't hear me talk enough....

2008-11-25T17:34:00.001-08:00

Just in case you're interested...

Environmental stewardship in Nova Scotia:
A review of community-based monitoring
by

Cathy Conrad, PhD
Associate Professor Geography Department Saint Mary's University

Friday, November 28 at 4:00 pm
Room 1014, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Bldg
6100 University Avenue

This presentation will draw upon experiences from the Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Network, housed within the Department of Geography at Saint Mary's University. Over 50 organized environmental stewardship organizations across Nova Scotia are actively engaged in environmental monitoring and stewardship. It has been well documented that the integration of meaningful public participation into environmental management is not only important but also critical for sustainable development and perhaps even one of the most significant developments in resource management since the beginning of the environmental movement. Based on experiences with watershed organizations in the Nova Scotia over the past four years, common benefits, challenges and recommendations for successful citizen science were compiled.

Sunken Barge off the Coast of NS

2008-11-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

Let's hope that the barge that sunk off Yarmouth this past weekend does not lead to an environmental disaster. The coming days will tell more in terms of whether more diesel and oil are leaking into the ocean. Read about what the state of knowledge as of Nov. 24 is at the CBC online. Perhaps of even more interest, read the comments that people are leaving related to this story!

A word (or two) about Washington

2008-11-17T16:41:00.000-08:00

So I think it is fair to say that everyone had an amazing trip to Washington. I want to

thank Emma Hicks for randomly posting about the Sant Ocean Hall. I guess what she might

not have known at the time is that I like to take good ideas and literally run with them.

You only live once, right?

This was my first time in Washington and I was thoroughly impressed. One of the best experiences (well, a close second to Obama anyway), was experiencing this with a group of amazing people. I am starting to compile many of your photos and plan to prepare a proper video (accompanied by a proper soundtrack) but in the meantime, I put together a montage of some of my photos. The music gets redundant and it ends abruptly: stay tuned for something far better that will be a part of a reunion "Pictures and Pitchers" event in January. Thank you all for being great students, and for being so engaged in the learning experiences that this trip provided for us all.

-Cathy

Something to think about....

2008-10-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a financial motivation to do a good job on your research papers!

The Nova Scotian Institute of Science (NSIS) invites university students to send submissions to the annual NSIS Student Science Writing Awards Competition. Prizes are awarded in three categories:

Undergraduate Science: $250
Graduate Science: $500
Science Writing: $250

Notification of intent required by: Nov. 28, 2008.
Article submission deadline: Feb. 20, 2009.

For more information:
NSIS Student Science Writing Awards

Bedford Institute of Oceanography

2008-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that we are going to B.I.O this Thursday: meet in the Burke Building foyer at 11:25. If you want to read a bit about B.I.O before we go, you can learn about it here.

Great: all I need is another web site addiction!

2008-10-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

Google has launched its marine protected areas application. Read about it here. Take a look at Google Earth and start scanning the world's seas for impacted and protected areas.

New marine CO2 monitoring project initiated

2008-10-01T19:28:00.001-07:00

Read about it here.

National Geographic: Origins of the Ocean

2008-10-01T17:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Isaac for bringing this video to my attention through his blog.

Meeting this Friday

2008-09-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

There will be a meeting to discuss the logistics and potential for a bus trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Institute from November 7-11. The meeting will be held in Burke 205 from 1-2 pm.

Field Trip to the Smithsonian?

2008-09-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's kind of last-minute, but you never know....
One of you posted about this. I would be game to go.

Links with Good Sounds and Information on Underwater Acoustics

2008-09-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Centro Interdisciplinaire de Bioacustica e Richerche Ambientali (Interdisciplinary Center for Bioacoustics and Environmental Research: CIBRA), at the University of Pavia, Italy. Their Laboratory of Marine Bioacustics conducts research on the acoustic communication in animals.

NOAA's Whale Acoustic Project: a good introduction to the physics of underwater acoustics plus sound clips of many cetaceans, including blue, fin, minke and humpback whales.

Links to Humpback Songs:
PBS: Humpback Whales
DolphinEAR Sound Laboratory
WhaleLink: Song of the Humpback

Killer Whale Links:
WhaleLink: details on killer whale dialects, sound bytes and sonograms
OrcaFM: listen to British Columbia's killer whales live via satellite!

Dr. John Ford: a leading researcher in marine mammal acoustics. Listen to sounds of killer whales, humpbacks, belugas and narwhals!

Fish Acoustics: from the East Carolina University: listen to the sounds of the oyster toadfish, the spotted sea trout and the Red Drum!

Cornell University's Library of Natural Sounds: has over 130,000 wildlife sound bytes to listen to!

Cornell's Bioacoustics Research Program: A whale communication project looking at how to census whale populations using sound and addressing the issue of how human-created sound may affect marine mammals.

Sounding Out the Ocean's Secrets: An underwater acoustics page by the National Academy of Science.

Lecture at SMU on Underwater Acoustics this Friday

2008-09-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY
Environmental Studies Program
Visiting Guest Lecturer

Dr. Yukio Tomita, Hokkaido University of Education,
Hakodate, Japan

“Physical Effect of Bubbles in Cavitation and Underwater Acoustics”

Friday, October 3, 2008 Time: 12:00 Noon Location: Science S310

Revised instructions on setting up a blog....

2008-09-25T16:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the author of the first set of instructions, who posted a comment on that post, we have an updated version that can be found at this site.
Thank you Dr. Krause!

Canary Islands and Turbidity Currents

2008-09-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Get your own - Open publication

Thanks for the question about the Canary Islands in class today, Ben. I came across this slide presentation prepared by two researchers at the Southampton Oceanography Centre. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Setting up blogs next week...

2008-09-18T18:36:00.001-07:00

I came across a really detailed set of instructions for setting up a blog from this site. If you wanted to get a head start on this feel free to go through the instructions and set one up. At least one of you already has (see sidebar). I'll be going over this next week as well.

Using science to delineate the extent of Canada's continental shelf.

2008-09-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to one of you (I love receiving links and interesting information related to the course), I wanted to share this web site with you regarding Canada's efforts to prepare a submission to the United Nations to define the limits of its extended continental shelf. Read about it here and here. Take a look at the extent of the ice cover change in the Arctic here. You may also find it interesting to track the oceanographic research ships that are at sea at present.

Hurricane "Y...Ike"!

2008-09-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

From the US National Weather Service: this is a warning to pay attention to! I am worried for the people who stay behind in Galveston, Texas!

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONSNOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE.VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUT OFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUT OFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.

I'll be posting more about Ike through the day. Stay tuned.

Something to look foward to!

2008-09-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Arctic to be mapped this fall.

2008-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Photo from NASA

Read about it here and here. What do you think?

We'll be watching this Sept. 9

2008-09-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

New shark breeding grounds found off Nova Scotia

2008-07-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

In a recent article in the Chronicle Herald and on CBC, it was reported that a Georges Bank mating area for porbeagle sharks was discovered by scientists at the Canadian Shark Research Laboratory. What is the significance of this discovery?

That's all for now...

2007-04-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

I won't be posting on this blog again until GEOG 2305 is offered again. I am going to continue to post on the Ocean Use and Management site, though. So you can keep on dropping by there periodically to see what I post if you would like!

Great site!

2007-04-06T18:37:00.001-07:00

I just came across this site: maybe some of you had already found it, but it is a great sourse of news and information related to the oceans.

April 6 IPCC Report

2007-04-06T18:22:00.001-07:00

The IPCC is escalating its call for urgent action on global warming with the April 6th release of its Working Group Two report “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.” Warnings for Canada include:

• More forest fires and a decline in northern forest cover
• Lower water levels in the great lakes, affecting navigation and water quality
• Earlier sea ice break up, significant water temperature rise, earlier spring snowmelt
• More heat waves and smog in urban areas