Take a deep Breath!

From the personal website of a sharktivist.

And I cite.

Global Warming will be nothing compared to what happens if we lose the oceans.
Because, when that happens, the Phytoplankton production will be reduced to a dangerously low level and the production of 50 to 70% of the world's oxygen supply will be interrupted or completely lost.

Wowza!
Well if we lose the oceans, we better find them again!
Just the incoherent ramblings of just another ordinary dimwit? Far from it - absolutely nothing is ordinary in this person! The most extraordinary attribute: Jupp is none other than the current prez of the SRI (yes the R stands for Research!) and in this function, he jet sets the globe representing Shark conservation, and that would be us (!) at the various international conferences. Is it fair to assume that he may be spouting that same nonsense there and if so, does the Jersey Girl concur and approve of that?

And I cite again.

Sharks are "apex predators" and keep our oceans in healthy balance.
They play an important role in the marine ecosystem, controlling populations of small fish and crustaceans that eat phytoplankton and algae, organisms that produce a large volume of oxygen. Some 70% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean and sharks have been helping to maintain this natural equilibrium for 420 million years or so. Without them, oxygen production would surely be disrupted.

Just another stupidity on some irrelevant website?
Far from it! This is the scientific foundation of the latest, greatest angelic initiative aimed at saving humanity from extinction, or whatever - which incidentally totally confirms my opinion that this is a total bullshit machine and will certainly prevent me from ever signing that petition, lest I become a dimwit and bullshitter by association!

Yes that irritating oygen myth just aint going away!
On the contrary, the meme is evolving and is now morphing into the assertion that on top of leaving us gasping for air, the current demise of Shark stocks will ultimately accelerate global warming, as per Katrien's article cited in this brilliant post by Rick.
Please do read it - and explore the links!

Incidentally, I respect Katrien.
She's done great work with Shark Savers when establishing the Raja Ampat MPA and regularly works with the Shark Alliance - but this is bunk science and having it published in Scribd, apparently the world's largest social reading and publishing site is worrisome.
NOTE - as per her comment below, she has retracted the erroneous statements - kudos!

But I'm digressing as usual.
The myth, as I understand it, goes as follows.

• Sharks are apex predators and as such, they regulate all life in the oceans
• Their demise will ripple down through the food chain all the way to its base, i.e. the Phytoplankton that will be obliterated as a consequence.
• Phytoplankton produces 50-70% of the world's supply of oxygen and its disappearance will lead to the asphyxiation of all life on Earth, including us.
• Moreover, the oceans absorb 80% of the CO2 and once the Phytoplankton is gone, Global Warming will accelerate, methane gas will be released into the atmosphere, the ozone layer will be stripped and we shall all be toast! And Jupp totally agrees!

Right?
No all of this is utter unadulterated moronic bullshit!

1. But how to prove that something is not?

Disprove this!
God is a yellow pig with pink polka dots that resides in the 7th dimension of a parallel universe from where He resonates with our reality.

Utter unadulterated moronic bullshit - and blasphemy & sacrilege to boot?
Yes, maybe - but that's just your opinion. Would you rather believe me if I took up opulent residence in a southern European capital, sported a pointy hat and presided over a cabal of geriatric pedophiles whilst taking from the poor and declaring myself infallible? Would it help my cause if I had the power to declare you an unbeliever and expel you from the community?
Or, how about if I were some old rabid half-dead geezer with a turban and could have you killed for not being faithful, i.e. for being an infidel - would you believe me then?
Yes I may be digressing - but maybe not so much?

But I was not asking you to believe.
I was asking you to prove that I am wrong, as per the frankly dismaying first comment on this post on the Shark Defenders blog. Anonymous, now outed as one Jessica Perry-Targaryen sure got a long, looooong ways to go in her education in the science field, starting from comprehending the difference between a moronic untested hypothesis and verified scientific theory - which incidentally is completely open to falsification!

So let's define the rules of the game here.
In science, law and incidentally, in any rational discourse, he who asserts carries the burden of proof and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence!

Not so?
Then, we are in the realm of religion, myth and superstition all the way to quackery, pseudoscience and new age including those conspiracy theories where dissent is forbidden and any proof to the contrary is being dismissed as untrustworthy and fabricated.

Example?
Dozens of eye witnesses seeing a commercial passenger plane slam into the Pentagon are obviously part of the conspiracy - but one single drunken dude stumbling out of a pub in Yorkshire and seeing some light in the sky is proof that we're being visited by extra-terrestrials!

It's really a matter of choice.
You may want to believe the charlatan who appears to have originated this stupidity, or one of his devote disciples and continue asserting that the overfishing of Sharks will lead to the depletion of the planet's oxygen etc - and if so, hasta la vista and have a great life!
The bad news: it may be a short one! The good news: time is infinite - granite into which to chisel calendars is not!

Or, you may want to ask whether there is any proof that the above is true.

So far,
there is not one single shred of evidence, let alone any serious, i.e. peer reviewed scientific paper corroborating the correlation between sharks, oxygen and global warming!
Zilch, Zero, Nada de Nada! At best, this is a completely unverified hypothesis - and as long as that's the case, there's also nothing for me to falsify!

But is the hypothesis at least plausible? Read this!
I think it's total bollocks, and this is why.


2. Sharks and Phytoplankton?

Let's assume that all Sharks are apex predators and keystone species.
"They" are obviously not (do I need to elaborate?) - but for the time being, let's just assume that.

And how about those trophic cascades.
Some of them are well documented, especially for terrestrial habitats. Some of them, especially those that have been postulated for Sharks, are however highly controversial.

But let's assume that "Sharks" sit at the top of "food chains" and that they regulate all life below them. "They" obviously don't and "food chains" are equally mostly a fallacy - but for the time being, let's just assume that to be the case.
Then, such a Shark-controlled food chain could be as follows.

Sardine Run.
Sharks (Duskies, Blacktips etc) eat Sardines (Southern African Pilchard) that eat (principally) small Zooplankton that feeds on Phytoplankton.
And here comes the assumed cascade: Sharks get killed - Sardine population explodes - Zooplankton gets wiped out - Phytoplankton thrives 

= if we want to preserve the oxygen we need to kill all the Sharks!


Oops...

But is that really so?
Seen any Fish population explode as of late?
Yes we have: Lionfish in the Caribbean! But those are invasive introduced species that so far lack any predators - betcha that in 10 years, the picture will be vastly different!

Not so with those Sardines!
The fact is that those Sardines are not part of a food chain, but of a food web.
They are not only the prey of Sharks, they are also the prey of Cetaceans, Birds and many teleost Fishes, meaning that their demise is all but assured. And then there is us, hundreds upon hundreds of artisanal fishermen that scoop them up by the bucket-loads!
So, in the end, there will be just enough Sardines left to spawn and trigger a new run etc - as it should be because as archetypical forage Fish, Sardines undergo boom and bust cycles!!

In brief.
Not all Sharks are apex predators; there are really next to no food chains but instead, the reality consists in complex food webs where there are wide-spread prey- and predator substitution and feedback loops, as in what happens to the exploded Sardines once they have annihilated the Zooplankton, and which population is likely to recover faster; but above all, we have taken on the role of marine apex predator and principal regulator, and this down through the entirety of the trophic levels!
Chances for those postulated cascades to ever eventuate in reality are very low indeed!

And the Phytoplankton?
It could not care less but will continue to boom and bust like it has always done, the former principally depending on the availability of nutrients and light!
Check out the map.


Click for detail - see?
The highest concentrations of Phytoplankton are in cold, nutrient-rich upwellings, in those cold currents that sweep along the continents from the poles and at nutrient-rich river mouths.
Want to get more Phytoplankton? Throw in nutrients - although that, too, is far from being unproblematic!

And here's another map for you.


This is the monthly Chlorophyll map of the Med in 1999.
Chlorophyll is obviously an indicator for Phytoplankton abundance and as you can see, it varies wildly over the year based on environmental factors, like temperature, light, currents and stratification of the water.
Phytoplankton is in no way comparable to, say, a tropical jungle that is meant to last for centuries: in its majority, it is composed of extremely small organisms (e.g. the Cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus that makes up the bulk of it) whose life cycles are extremely short, meaning that they die and then regenerate themselves all the time! That bacterial growth is exponential and will only cease once, say, the Benguela peters out, the nutrients are exhausted or sink back to where there is no more sufficient light for photosynthesis - only to start again in the South and eventually trigger yet another Sardine run!

Nothing whatsoever to do with Sharks!

Example?
The population of the large Sharks and of the large Fishes in the Med which could qualify as apex predators has all but been wiped out . Has there been any according crash in the Med's primary production?
Take a wild guess - see any reference to trophic cascades?

So if it is not Shark fishing, what is actually threatening the production of Phytoplankton?
Probably Global Warming, by stratifying the water layers and impeding those cold, nutrient-rich upwellings!

Example?
The effects of the El Niño along the South American coast: warm water displacing the Humboldt Current, drastic decline in Phytoplankton production, crash of Anchovies and Sardines, starving sea Birds!

Shark-based trophic cascades do of course exist.
But they are not simple and linear and whilst sound in theory, empirical evidence for them is scarce. Predictions like the Shark=Phytoplankton correlation are in no way supported by evidence and actually, just simply stupid in their simplistic and completely implausible assumptions!

So, is there any correlation between Phytoplankton and Sharks?
Yes of course there is! Phytoplankton is the principal driver of the ocean's primary production and as thus, it forms the base of the marine food pyramid - and guess what, in order to fulfill that role, it needs to, gasp: get eaten!
Yes the Phytoplankton will get eaten by herbivores, those will be eaten by carnivores etc - and somewhere near the top of the pyramid, we will start finding the Sharks who could not exist if the whole thing did not start with the Phytoplankton at the bottom!

You heard it here for the first time: if the Phytoplankton does not get eaten, there will be no Sharks!

Like I said.Bottom-up effects are totally unproblematic.
Top-down - not so much!

Long story short?
The Phytoplankton is the basis for most life in the oceans, for which it NEEDS TO GET CONSUMED - and to make exactly that aspect the centerpiece of apocalyptic doomsday scenarios is utter unadulterated moronic bullshit!

Quod erat demonstrandum!

3. Phytoplankton and Oxygen Production?

So plants produce the atmosphere's oxygen, right?

Not so fast!
Plants do indeed produce oxygen and Phytoplankton indeed produces the bulk of the ocean's oxygen that is a bit less than half of the global production. The process is called Photosynthesis and in very!!! abbreviated terms, it consists in taking in CO2, throwing away the O2 and keeping the C for producing plant matter. Thus plants that are growing produce the most oxygen, after which the output of oxygen decreases and is essentially balanced out by the plant's respiration.

BUT!
Once a plant dies, the C it is made of is generally converted back into CO2 by re-combining it with the amount of O2 that was originally thrown away - meaning that in general, plants ARE NOT net producers of oxygen! Read this and yes, it is totally counter-intuitive but true never the less!

Example?
Eutrophication: first there is an algal bloom, then the Algae die, then breathing and thus oxygen-depleting and CO2-producing Bacteria etc consume them - and finally, everything else dies for lack of oxygen!

So where does the oxygen in the atmosphere come from?
Ever since the first Cyanobacteria started producing oxygen a couple of billion years ago, with possibly a big push half a billion years ago, a tiny fraction of the plants that died (or of the animals that ate them) was not re-converted into CO2 but instead, the organic carbon was buried and preserved (e.g. as coal, oil and shale), leaving the excess oxygen in the atmosphere or dissolved in water. This process is called Biosequestration and results in a net reduction of CO2 and in a net production of breathable O2.
Over this very long time span, it is this tiny excess production of Oxygen that has resulted in the actual atmospheric concentration of 21%, a drop from a high of 35%. And yes, it is plausible to assume that up to 70% of that oxygen came (past tense!) from the oceans as a) terrestrial plants only came into being approx half a billion years ago and b) Plankton is particularly prone to sedimentation.

And right now?
Right now, those 21% of atmospheric Oxygen are being circled around via the Oxygen Cycle.
You can see the absolute amounts of what's being done by whom here (note that Photosynthesis (ocean) accounts for less than half of the gain!) and if you do the math, the complete loss of all oceanic photosynthesis would equate to a reduction of atmospheric oxygen levels of one 10,000th or 0.01% per year
But with only 0.5% of all the Planet's Oxygen contained in the Atmosphere, there's plenty of scope for replenishing the shortfall from the other reservoirs! Also, there is some evidence linking an increased level of CO2 to an increase of photosynthesis, meaning that the Oxygen Cycle may be partly self-regulating.

But actually, this discussion is really irrelevant.
In case you have forgotten, Shark fishing will NOT lead to the disappearance of the Phytoplankton anyway!

4. Phytoplankton and Global Warming?

As seen before, the principal threat to the production of Phytoplankton is probably Global Warming - but what about the opposite? Would a decline in Phytoplankton drive Global Warming?

At present, the oceans act as the planet's largest carbon sink.
Check this out.


This is a representation of the Carbon Cycle.
Of interest, most of the carbon is dissolved in the ocean by physio-chemical processes and not due to the photosynthesis by Phytoplankton. Phytoplankton obtains its CO2 from the ocean, not the atmosphere and thus, its effect on the mitigation of atmospheric CO2 concentrations due to Global Warming, if at all, would only be indirect anyway.

But remember the discussion about the Oxygen?
When a plant dies, it is generally re-converted into CO2!
Thus once again, the net effect of the Phytoplankton on the abundance of atmospheric CO2 (and thus Global Warming) is limited to the rate at which its carbon, or that of the animals that eat it gets sequestered!

Want to combat Global Warming?
Stop faffing around about Sharks and Phytoplankton and work on limiting the anthropogenic emissions that cause it!
Reduce your own emissions! Vote for politicians, parties and government that advocate global reductions! Educate others! Do something to enhance carbon sequestration, like we do!
And guess what: you will not only help save Sharks and possibly even the dreaded Phytoplankton, but you will even directly contribute to limiting the depletion of oxygen in the atmosphere!

In closing.
Like a broken record and Erik the Mad Hatter, let me quote myself.

The facts and numbers?
Science is in continuous flux and the data do indeed change – but until they do, the latest peer reviewed science remains the best approximation of the truth.
Thankfully, there are now plenty of resources where anybody can consult the latest insights and data, meaning that those who continue to operate with inflated statistics and outlandish assertions lack any excuses and credibility whatsoever. The facts are plenty horrible as it is – so let’s please stick to those and refrain from the usual stupid inflated hyperbole!

Conservation is never happening in a vacuum - it is being used to advocate legislation that in its marine context will deprive fishermen of income and quite possibly, of their livelihoods. With that in mind, we owe it to them, but also, to ourselves not to cheat and to use misleading perceived "marketing", or whatever, but to be truthful and fact based instead.

The situation for many, if not most species of Shark is really, really dire and there's absolutely no need whatsoever to inflate numbers and to come up with ludicrous propositions like the moronic correlation to the ocean's production of oxygen.

And then there's this.
Assume we succeed in having laws enacted based on misleading data - what would prevent the legislators from repealing them once we got caught out?
Think we would ever get a second chance after such a fiasco?

End of rant!

PS: David here and Patric here!
And Richard's take is here. Colorful and blunt huh? So there: in wise man's politically correct lingo, pushes the envelope of rational, science-based discourse beyond the boundaries of common sense = utter unadulterated moronic bullshit! :)

2013: the Bad and the Ugly!

Have you seen this shit?

Yes that would be the very same moronic website, and this is Brush.

Where to begin indeed!
This is the caliber of some of the self-appointed representatives of the global Shark conservation movement!
Compare that to this open letter by Kempster and those Shark researchers where FINALLY, somebody is starting to acknowledge that there is a real problem demanding real solutions that are more than the usual tired pro-Shark clap trap - and you may intuit why I despise that frothy solipsistic fringe of the movement nearly as much as that abomination that is the WA Shark cull!

So have you read those posts?

If not, do - they are here, here, here and here!

And more importantly - has anything really changed?

Not really - right?

And this is ultimately why!

And with that in mind, I'm not really gonna bother.

I've already said what I wanted to say ad nauseam, and will continue to do so whenever I discern a particularly egregious occurrence - but I've come to the conclusion that those yearly rants are pretty much useless.

Here's another excerpt I love.
I'm obviously 100% with Kyle!

And globally it's likely as bad - or even worse!

That's the audience those people play to, and whom they target with their various cons - and not only is there zero improvement in sight but things are continuing to get worse! Case in point: the Dolphinization of the Shark Conservation Movement has already spawned what a pal has dubbed the Unicornization, to wit.

Barf... Source. # mermaidwarriors huh...

Sigh...

So here's how we're gonna play this.
This time, you do the heavy lifting.
Everything, and then some, is already in the blog - so go and read it!

The blog offers two search functions - so if e.g., you wish to inform (!) yourselves about the world's foremost Sharkitarian visionary, or whatever, you can type his name into the search box in the top left-hand corner and then sort by relevance or by date; or, you may sometimes get a slightly different result by searching by label.

Same-same for e.g

• the Jersey girl's fake research institute with its remarkable prez and its complement of charlatans and pompous Sesselfurzers!


• Or Fischer vs the frothy anti-OCEARCH extremists inclusive of the fiery SvS, the bloviating fireman and all the various other dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard!


• Or Andersen with her pathetic retinue of sycophants and media whores - or talking of which, ABC4, Gurney and Shark porn!


• Or the various out-of-cage shenanigans in Lupe, from Amos to the perception-changing (read!)  Shark riding bimbettes all the way to the f@$%ing mermaid. Good that others are noticing, too!


• Or here are some industry thoughts - rants and otherwise!


• Shark-repelling wetsuits anybody?

And-so-on and-so-forth!
Notice the overlaps - and I cite, again.

It stopped actually being "about sharks" a long time ago.
It's about the individual and what the sharks as a vehicle to notoriety can do for them.

And for the masochists among you - I'm slowly WTF-ing my rants!

Surprisingly, they don't amount to more than a paltry 10% of this interminable opus - but they sure generate the overwhelming majority of the page views!
So here they are for your perusal and I discover, delectation - or for rekindling the various grudges!

Enjoy!

2012 - The Bad and the Ugly: Track back!

So there - here comes the juicy part!

WARNING - LAST CHANCE TO STOP READING!

You have been warned!

1. Track back

Last year's list is here!

• Shark Research Institute.
  
  Meh.
  The Jersey Girl, the remarkable prez (Film maker, German TV star and one of the top 26 Shark experts on the planet no less!) and the other featured names, or whatever, continue to shine through... wait for it.... NOTHING!
  Did they once again mooch off other peoples' achievements? Who knows and frankly, who cares! And this? Q.e.d, see above under Shark Con! So don't be a sucker - and should you want to donate to a REAL Shark research institute, choose one that actually DOES engage in research and send your money to Doc's Shark Lab!
  
  But THIS is scary!
  Remember the Doha fiasco?
  Has there been a moment of accountability and reflection, and have the lessons be learned?
  
  The question then and now is
  Have the Shark conservationists met, are they coordinating their efforts and pooling their resources, and are they going to be sending their best, most seasoned negotiators to represent the whole Shark conservation movement - or are we going to see yet again the same convention tourism by yet again the same motley uncoordinated naïve and clueless group of amateurs who will pay themselves a trip to Bangkok in order to protest, pontificate and vociferate?
  And in the case of the SRI, I hear: hobnob, small talk and sippy champagny?
  
  Take a wild guess!
  I've talked to a lot of people who have attended Doha and their assessment of the SRI delegation has been nothing short of DEVASTATING - and now those folks want to do it again!
  I mean, seriously, just go and check out Jupp's Facebook page that is all about the SSCS and zero about the SRI (= because there's NOTHING to report - q.e.d. again!), and look at the righteous platitudes, populist hogwash and Watson-esque poetry he chooses to propagate - from the PRESIDENT of a Shark RESEARCH Institute?!? Seriously!!!
  
  And THOSE are the people that are asking for your money to go and represent YOU?

• Shark Angels.
  
  Turns out that I was wrong in lumping them all together!
  There are valiant members who shine through brilliant advocacy at the grassroots level, and the Franco-Belgian chapter is actually quite impressive - so kudos to them.
  South Africa? Meh - it's one year later and STILL zero results!
  
  And then there's the Californian outlayer consisting of Andersen and her claque of sycophantic half-sized bimbos sporting black-dyed chicken feathers (seriously!) and rabid vegan sea shepherdettes that are frankly a bloody disgrace - see Part Four under Operation Requiem!
  
  The question being: is that even Shark Angels - and do the other legit members want to be associated with that whacky shit?
  And if not: maybe one should get rid of the narcissism and the KRAZY and boot her out, just like Shark Savers have done a long time ago, only to emerge much improved and way more credible in the process?

• United Conservationists
  
  What if conservation became easier than rallies, protests, radical groups and letter writing? What if the ability to save ecosystems, species and ultimately humanity was put into your hands and was as easy as the click of the mouse? What if the power returned to the people? What if we united and started a revolution to save the planet, and ultimately ourselves?
  
  Yeah, right - WHAT IF!
  Long story short: NOBODY GIVES A SHIT - thankfully!
  There's now, I hear, a movie nobody apart from daddy's paid journalists has watched; a book nobody apart from daddy's paid journalists has read; a campaign that is unraveling (and here); a REVOLUTION that ain't happening; a non-for-profit (maybe!) without a board now that mummy and daddy have stepped away; and a guru-esque salesman who has fallen victim to his own marketing - which also covers what I've written under Personality Cults one year ago!
  Hell, it is so bad that even Andersen has fled the sinking ship!
  Time to shut this down and go get an honest job, how about that!

• The California Shark Fin Ban is holding.
  
  For now!
  The way I read it, an injunction has been rejected pending the case proper - or was this the final judgement? If so, phewww; if not, good luck - and I mean it!
  
  And this being CALIFORNIA, the Sharktivists have already embarked on the next flawed Shark conservation initiative - see the next section!

• Erik the Mad Hatter of Sharkitarianism.
  
  My research into sharks lead me to a ground breaking and shocking scientific discovery and I spent years of research with scientists and experts around the world to get all of the data down for my book, "The Sixth Extinction". What I have written is by far the most powerful conservation book and in fact the most important book that anyone will ever read.
  
  Excerpt below!

• ABC4
  
  I must say, he really IS a great shooter - watch this.
  
  
  
  I will never like the riding and am really disappointed that GoPro promotes that shit to their thousands upon thousands of customers.
  
  But overall, excellent stuff!
  And, people tell me that this year, he has not partaken in any outright Shark porn!
  
  And still, I just don't like or trust the man - which I'm sure causes him countless sleepless nights :)
  E.g., does one really have to pander to the loons and trolls in order to belong, or whatever?

• Discovery Channel
  
  I once signed the boycott petition and don't watch that shit unless somebody tells me I have to - and nobody has. I hear that things are slowly improving, which is good news indeed.

• Erich Ritter
  
  He's still at it!
  After more than a decade of spouting pseudoscience, we're STILL waiting for the GROSSE WURF, the rolling out of his seminal peer-reviewed paper on his visionary THEORY OF EVERYTHING on Shark-human interaction!
  
  Instead, he has written a BOOK - ANOTHER one! Yay!
  No I'm not posting titles and links lest I be accused of aiding and abetting - just this: would you buy a book purporting to teach you about Bird-human, or Mammal-human interaction - get the gist? Not to mention the fact that he really hasn't got a leg to stand on - those very same lunatic hypotheses have already been falsified by a hungry Bull Shark nearly a decade ago, camera running!
  Anyway, see below!
  
  WARNING!
  A friend who has watched it writes, That's 6 minutes and 42 seconds of my life I will never get back!.
  Indeed - you have been warned!
  
  
  
  6:38
  In the presence of Bull Sharks in shallow water: Recommendation: STAND STILL!
  WOW - pass the coochie to the left hand side!

To be continued!

PS: Check out Part One, Part Two and Part Four!

Paper - barf!

Would you hand your money to this man?

Maaaan...

Did you see the headlines - as in here?

And I thought those were only Accidents, as per this pseudoscientific snake oil I've found on the SharkSkool webpage?

Anyway.

Stupid me, I went and got myself the paper.

A friendly researcher writes.

This incredibly poorly-written paper is definitely purely meant to serve as another "tick-mark" under Ritter's name. 

There seems to be so much wrong with this "experiment" that "getting published again" is the only reason that I can see behind this paper. 

My favorite line is "To better understand the relationship between sharks and humans, additional studies, like the one presented here, are a priority." 

I would really love to hear Ritter's ideas on just how exactly this can help us understand our interactions with sharks, and WHY studies like this one should ever be a priority! 

Sharks like to approach from behind, great, on to the next obvious statement.

Indeed!

This is merely the latest in a whole series of amateurish fluff (shark attack rates huh - my-oh-my...) originating from the cooperation of the world's only and thus most important sharkxpert and self professed guru of pseudoscience human-Shark interactions, or whatever, with this dude and with the Jersey girl who was likely conned into squandering (even more) donor money in exchange for some perceived and urgently needed academic legitimacy - not!

So what can I say about this stupidity.

I was going to review it in detail but quite frankly, it's so bad that it's really not worth the effort - and incidentally, talk about a simply epic failure of peer review!

Only this.

Let's assume for the sake of the argument that this was a credible and rigorous experiment (it was not!), and let's focus on the conclusions that in brief consist in the observation that those tested Caribbean Reefies would preferably approach divers from behind, with older animals being more wary and/or wily.

• Dooh.
  Every single Shark I've ever encountered knew exactly when I was looking at it, and has always established eye contact - and so did every single Fish! Ask any spearo how wily those Fishes are, and how they instantly perceive being at the center of attention  - and ask any Shark diver how easily one can stare away Sharks, and how Sharks trying to sneak in from behind will instantly veer away when one looks at them!
  That's what terrestrial and marine predators and prey do.
  They keep an eye on each other, with the predators trying to catch their prey unawares, and the prey trying not to get surprised - and to depict this trivial observation as a great discovery is quite frankly pathetic!

• And the great unexplained mystery, and I cite?
  

  The way predators stalk their prey or sneak up on them is often linked with the avoidance of visual contact with the quarry.
  Such a theory demands that a predator is capable of locating the prey’s eyes or at least recognizing its viewing direction. Neither can be assumed for sharks—as the stalkers—in the vicinity of humans, especially in our design, since the chosen human position did not resemble any known prey for any shark species. Although it cannot be excluded that sharks might still be able to make a comparison to a prey species and act on it, our results do not offer explanations as to what that clue might be. Ritter and Amin (2012) showed that human presence does affect the swim behavior of sharks and that larger animals seem to be more cautious in the vicinity of humans than smaller animals. Our results are consistent with this interpretation, showing a significant preference of the larger animals to approach test-subjects via their blind areas.
  
  Since sharks are evolutionarily more distant from mammals than birds, can it be concluded that human gaze might not be detectable at all and that something entirely different is used by sharks to comprehend a person’s viewing direction?
  A satisfactory answer cannot be given since the shark’s perception and capability of sensory organs are much different from both birds and mammals. Similarly, the different medium could also be of importance. Characteristics of water as a solvent could facilitate a so far unknown human emission that might not carry as well in air.
  
  Could face masks have an effect in choosing the approach direction?
  As with bubbles, such would not be detectable should the shark be too far away. Likewise, a shark would need to understand where the eyes of a person are located, hence not just to know the body proportions be known but also how to read these proportions when presented in a kneeling object.

  Right.
  A so far unknown human emission.
  Sez the great Shark shaman!
  
  How about this for an explanation.
  These are not naive Sharks that have never seen divers - the location of the experiment is in the Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas = the famous Walker's Cay where literally thousands upon thousands of divers have interacted with Caribbean Reefies!
  For the newbies among you: this was that dive - much copied but never equaled!

Think that those Sharks don't know divers?
Think that they've not observed us like we've observed them, that they're not able to detect our orientation and what we are doing even from a distance, and that they cannot approach us from behind if they wish to do so - with the older and more experienced ones being more wily whilst the younger ones are still learning the ropes?
Hell, the researchers tell us that their cognitive and above all, their learning faculties are impressive, and the Shark diving operators who interact with them on a daily basis will confirm that they even recognize individual people!
This is so trivial to be painful!

Anyway.

All I really wanted to say was, caveat emptor - whilst global Shark populations are going to shit, Ritter and the SRI continue to squander donor money on amateurish and utterly useless experiments.

And if you're not careful, that money may well be yours!

To be continued no doubt!

2013: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Part One!

Are you ready? :)

First things first.

BAD has once again done really well.

Nothing spectacular mind you: but things are ticking along very nicely indeed.

The research has once again yielded one great paper, see below, with three more (!!!) due in the immediate future - and when it comes to the field work, we've successfully completed a massive and (so far) secret  project that will complement the hugely popular GFSC, and are about to embark into a rather monumental research endeavor with Projects Abroad that will undoubtedly result in more useful insights allowing us to ever refine our conservation strategies.

Other than that, business is good, the staff are healthy and happy and the SRMR is thriving - and we will turn 10 in April which is nothing short of a miracle!

And the blog - well, it is! :)

The Good

I've decided that I'm gonna spare myself the lengthy intro.

More and more, I find myself repeating what I've already stated ages ago, so why bother. Should you really not know where I'm generally coming from, feel free to peruse the last recaps here and here, and maybe read the post about Shark diving, that old post about Shark conservation and finally, the post about the need for a change of paradigms - the latter with many links that you should equally peruse!

Granted, some of the data (e.g. the extent of the Shark fishing mortality) are now obsolete owing to new insights - but in general terms, that's what I believe.

Too far out there? No worries, I'll continue carrying the moniker of Judas Conservationist with the greatest pride and satisfaction - and let's then talk again next year! :)

So without further ado.

Remember these are opinions - not the truth!

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Org: The Pew Environment Group
  
  This time, I'm not only nominating the Shark Campaign because there is their Global Ocean Legacy Campaign that is increasingly overlapping and complementing the Shark-centric sanctuaries effort, see e.g. Bermuda and Pitcairn. Talking of which, I also hear that we may be witnessing the reappearance of Matt which would be a great blessing indeed!
  
  Be it as it may, they just simply stand heads and shoulders, and then some, above everybody else - and the unofficial list of their achievements in 2013, foremost of which the CITES win, is once again unparalleled and deserves our admiration and gratitude.
  
  With caveats mind you.
  The principal one being that rightly or wrongly, they continuously stand accused of walking away once they achieve legislative change and leaving the long term implementation = heavy lifting to others, namely to the RFMOs and local governments that often lack adequate resources, and to the local NGOs.
  Of course that's partly pernicious sniping by less successful competitors and partly factually misleading, as the implementation of legislation is obviously a prerogative of governments - but there's certainly also a kernel of truth and more importantly, it's bad publicity that Pew would be well advised to vigorously address, both in words and in deeds!

• Best Shark Conservation Advocacy Group: Shark Savers
  
  Once again, in their own category, they are simply without peer - especially when compared to the con artists in California, NYC and Jersey!
  Yes they don't only engage in advocacy but also pursue research and hands-on conservation at the legislative level - but especially now that their merger with WildAid is about to be sanctioned, I expect an even bigger focus on curbing the demand side in Asia, a strategy that is clearly showing positive results.
  
  But that's the future - for now, huge kudos to DaMary, Shawn, Michael, Sam, Jonn and Jennah for an extremely impressive job, see below!

• Best Shark Conservation Campaign at the Grassroots Level: Pelagic Life
  
  Now this is obviously highly subjective as I'm sure that there are many other groups doing stellar stuff on the ground - but these gals and guys happen to have caught my eye both with their México Pelágico project but above all, with their work in Baja that will result in a stellar ecotourism venture.
  So keep watching this space and by the same token, keep an eye out for Saving Our Sharks, equally from Mexico - it's gonna be challenging but by no means impossible!

• Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate: DaMary
  
  Well what can I say.
  It's her second nomination and she deserves every bit of it, and then some!
  Red her laudatio here, and here is a newer version highlighting the simply brilliant and in many ways pivotal role she has played in getting the Mantas listed at CITES.
  Bravo!

• Best Marine Conservation Videos: Shawn Heinrichs
  
  Well, Shawn is of course much more than just a video producer - foremost of which an eco-terrorist! :)
  The correct technical term is probably, indefatigable - and I must confess that I'm simply incapable of enumerating all of his activities that see him hopping around from one remote corner of the globe to the other like a maritime Energizer Bunny!
  And whereas others (not Shawn!) may sometimes get a tad tired of all that unbridled energy, one thing's for sure: the heart is very much in the right place and whether you like those mermaids or not, the outreach is simply phenomenal!
  Kudos!

• Best Shark Defender: Angelo Taotaotasi aka the Saipan Blogger
  
  He is of course long transcended being a mere person but is instead a brand - and as such, he very much eludes definition! :)
  Pointers for why I like him include smart, innovative, extremely well informed, analytical, pragmatic - and above all: very very witty!
  Pointers for why he is actually an asshole controversial: all of the above!
  
  And the performance?
  Look no further than the rather epic rolling out of the Shark Stanley campaign for CITES, and the continued progress of Pew in closing down the Pacific to Shark fishing! Those are very much his babies - and whereas I have sometimes questioned his strategy and methods, the successes clearly speak for themselves!
  Here's to clever sheepherders! :)

• Ocean Hero: RickMac
  
  And it's not even my own accolade - unsung no more!
  One of my very favorite  people, Rick had a traumatic first half of the year that culminated in his resignation from CORAL. The end of the year finds him greatly diminished physically but greatly enhanced both privately and professionally - and generally speaking simply happy, which is simply great!
  Buddy, can't wait for you to come diving again - this time with bated breath! :)

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Achievement: CITES 2013
  
  This has been simply epic.
  Even I got caught up in the frenzy and partook vicariously with a barrage of posts. Once again, huge congratulations to everybody involved, foremost of which Pew and the Manta Ray of Hope project - and, and I cite, just a hint of a slow hand clap for those who will always believe that they know better, foremost of which the bickering Mobula lovers!

• Best Citizen Science Project: Great Fiji Shark Count.
  
  This is the only such nation-wide citizen science project and my hope is that it will be only the first of a whole array of similar endeavors. Huge thanks to the team, partners and donors who have successfully cooperated during the past four counts, with many more to come!
  And a special tip o' hat to the irreducible Sam and Shark Savers for the great cooperation during the Adopt-a-Bull-Shark project - it has been loads of fun, and the funds are highly welcome!
  Thank you! :)

• Best Kids Education Project: Sharks4Kids
  
  I missed the launch due to absence and have since failed to mention it: but this is the baby of Jillian the one, only and very much original Shark Girl - and it is great!
  Godspeed - and c'ya in Fiji sooner rather than later!

• Best Shark Diving Paper: Bull Shark Provisioning in Fiji
  
  What else! :)
  But seriously, this is really great stuff, and based on a huge amount of data that we have collected over many, many years. Please read it, understand the implications and then share your knowledge wide and far!

• Best Shark Papers, ex aequo: Domeier about GWS, Johann about Lemons, Yannis about Tiger Migrations, Mark about Trophic Cascades, Feldheim about Natal Philopatry, Catlin about Shark Tourism Valuations (toothy debate here!), Heithaus about Tigers, Oliver about hunting Threshers, and then of course the incredibly important Shark Fishing Mortality Paper
  Read them! :)
  
  Yes obviously there has been more (but Guttridge et al is from 2012...) - so apologies for any involuntary (and voluntary) omissions!

• Best Shark Movie: Of Shark and Man
  
  Yes I know, it's not quite yet completed.
  But the teasers are simply stellar, and having seen what I've seen and knowing what I know,  I for one look forward to David delivering something absolutely fantastic and unique.
  No pressure!

• Best Resource for Shark Divers: Shark Angels
  
  Yeah I know I know - but one gotta give credit where it is due.
  Excellent job!

• Best Debunkers of Pseudoscience: Southern Fried Science
  
  That's really where they excel, and in the propagation of important research.
  Alas, I cannot really say the same about some of David's opinion pieces. Yes many of views expressed by the movement are shameful in their ignorance and frustrating to the max - but not everything in Shark conservation pertains to fisheries management in the US, and Sharks are much more than simple objects of research and management!
  Come Shark diving buddy! :)

• Most inspiring Visitors: Kerstin, Taryn and Jaap, Martin, Jero and Ana, Mary and Lupo, Bruno et Antonia, Warren, Ozzie Sam, Ingrid, Mike, Kris and Helen
  
  You know who you are!
  And Mike: thank you so much mate - that was really, really nice of you! :)

• Special Thanks: Gary and Brenda, Juerg, Drew, Nani, Tuma and Rusi
  
  Ten years of friendship and adventure, and counting! :)
  You are the glue that holds it all together - thank you!

• Special Mention: Scamsters, Vampires and Poo Pads, see at top!
  
  I could elaborate but I shall not - for now! :)

And here endeth the ominous list!
The juicy part will follow in due course - keep watching this space! :)

PS - dang I forgot to mention Sharknado!!!
You choose the category!
Humblest apologies.