Thanks for joining me as I continue my month-long celebration of Sea Otter Awareness Week. This month I am sharing the wisdom of two marine experts whose science and conservation work helps us appreciate why sea otters are an important endangered species worth saving:
- Dr. Brent Hughes, a marine biologist with the University of California at Santa Cruz-Long Marine Lab who discovered a new trophic cascade involving sea otters, an apex predator in Elkhorn Slough (just off Monterey Bay in Northern California)
- Lilian Carswell, the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Marine Conservation Coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“A thoughtfully organized and attractively presented example of science in the field.” –Kirkus [starred]
Post Two: Brent’s Science Tips for Kids
Patricia Newman: What advice do you have for kids studying science in school?
Brent Hughes: Science can seem like a challenging subject to study, and some think you have to be the smartest kid in school to be a scientist. That’s not true.
There is room in science for people with all types of skill sets. For example, if you are a visual/artsy type, then science can benefit from you because we are always in need of scientific illustrators, film makers, and artistic interpreters.
If you are into history, then science can benefit from you because we need more anthropologists and paleobiologists.
I think what draws most to science is the thrill of discovery. So if you like discovery, then science might be the thing for you. It certainly was the catalyst for my interest in science and still is the force that motivates me to this day.
Did you miss Post One? Check out Saving Sea Otters: One cool job.
On Wednesday: Continuing threats that sea otters face
Lilian Carswell, the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Marine Conservation Coordinator, talks about the future for sea otters.
Can’t Wait?
If you want more before the next post, visit my Sea Otter Heroes webpage to read an interview with me on the Society for Conservation Biology blog about why writing and communication skills are so important for scientists.
[Featured photo courtesy of Brent Hughes]
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