Behavior
Mysterious Wintertime Travels of Black Guillemots Revealed in Canada
The Black Guillemot is a plump little seabird that lives along the Atlantic coast from the Arctic to the Gulf…
Author: R J Parker
Hi! I'm Rebecca Parker. I'm an ecologist and plant lover working in non-profit conservation in Nova Scotia Canada. I trained at Dalhousie and Ryerson University, where I completed a Masters in Environmental Science and Management. I like botany, wetlands, and wetland botany! On the sciencey side, I like to write about current topics in population and community ecology, but I'm also really interested in environmental outreach, how exposure to science and demographics affect environmental values and behaviours, and best practices for building community capacity in environmental stewardship. Check out my instagram for photos of the awesome nature I see through my work.
Behavior
Science Reveals Sperm Whale Bro-Fest
In the mammal world, males tend to not like each other very much. Male-only social groups are rare. The…
Fisheries
“Bake and Shark” – Asking Trinidadians and Tobagonians How They Feel About This Traditional Beach-Side Snack
Sharks are particularly vulnerable to overharvest, due to their slow maturity and reproductive cycles. Shark meat, cartilage, and other products…
Climate Change
Rough, Rocky Shores Acting as Climate Refuges for Kelp Forests
On the coasts of British Columbia, habitat-forming kelp algae are on the decline. Sensitive to increasing temperatures, changing nutrient dynamics,…
Conservation
From Table to Tour Boat: How Our Perception of Large Marine Animals Has Changed Over Time
Whether they elicit feelings of awe, admiration, or fear, there’s just something fascinating about large animals. In the Western world,…
Climate Change
Arctic Viruses Infecting sub-Arctic Seals: How Climate Change is Creating Marine Epidemics
With all the preparations being made to help human populations get through Covid-19, many are wondering about the effect the…
Climate Change Coastal Management
Size Matters in Kelp Forests – Big, Dense Populations Are Better Equipped to Recover from Disturbance
Kelp are habitat-forming species, the “ecosystem engineers” of our coasts. Standing metres tall and sheltering coastal habitats from the full…
Ecology
Sinking Alligator Carcasses into the Deep Ocean to See What Eats Them
The Deep Unknown The deep ocean is an alien world. Life here must contend with crushing pressures, near-freezing temperatures,…
Climate Change Fisheries
Key fisheries move North to Canada, but is Canada ready to adapt to a warmer ocean?
The American Lobster, Homarus americanus (by Bart Braun) Communities Shaped by the Ocean Climate change is expected to affect the…
Climate Change
Adapting marine parks to survive climate change
Protected areas are generally considered to be parcels of land or water where different kinds of human uses are limited…
Climate Change Ecology
Turning Knowledge into Action: How the Town of Truro Adapted to Increasing Flood Risk Under Climate Change
Global sea level is projected to rise at a rate of 3.7mm/year throughout the first half of the next century,…
Coastal Management
Do you have to understand marine science to care about marine conservation? Wetland research says No.
Ware J, Callaway R (2019) Public perception of coastal habitat loss and habitat creation using artificial floating islands in…
Climate Change
Caught in the Storm: Tropical Bird Sightings in Nova Scotia after Hurricane Dorian
Dorian was one of the biggest storms to hit Nova Scotia in recorded history, bringing with it Category 2 force…
Climate Change
Telling the complicated story of Atlantic Salmon with the help of genetic technology
Plamu Salmo salar (or “Atlantic Salmon”, “Black Salmon”, or “Plamu” as it’s known in my neck of the woods)…
Climate Change
What’s Killing Seabirds in the Bering Sea?
Jones T, Divine LM, Renner H, Knowles S, Lefebvre KA, Burgess HK, et al. (2019) Unusual mortality of Tufted puffins…
Plastic Pollution
A boon to ocean conservation? Certain fungi can degrade marine plastics
Brunner I, Fischer M, Ru ̈thi J, Stierli B, Frey B (2018) Ability of fungi isolated from plastic debris floating…
Plastic Pollution
There’s plastic in your tap water, beer, and table salt
Kosuth M, Mason SA, Wattenberg EV (2018) Anthropogenic contamination of tap water, beer, and sea salt. PLoS ONE 13(4): e0194970.…
Book Review Sea Turtles
Turtles of the North – Canadian Fishermen Help Scientists Study the Cryptic Leatherback
For most people, sea turtles evoke visions of white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and boozy fruity drinks, the…
technology
Turtles unbothered by close drone monitoring, while birds and crocodiles flee
Bevan E, Whiting S, Tucker T, Guinea M, Raith A, Douglas R (2018) Measuring behavioral responses of sea turtles, saltwater…
Plastic Pollution
Important oyster-producing region of British Columbia swamped with microplastics
If you grew up in the developed world, chances are you have an intimate relationship with plastic. Your lunch…