by Mark_Costello | Jun 23, 2021 | For students, Marine Reserves, Useful Stuff
I sometimes wonder why we invent acronyms. Take ABNJ (areas beyond national jurisdiction) and BBNJ (biodiversity in ABNJ) for example. These terms are increasingly used by marine scientists instead of “High Seas”. Yet the term High Seas has longer use and...
by Mark_Costello | Feb 1, 2021 | Useful Stuff
A code of conduct for scientists developed by the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network* We welcome its application and development in other communities of practice Excellent, effective science and good citizenship require that scientists hold themselves to a high...
by Mark_Costello | Dec 21, 2020 | News, Publication, Useful Stuff
The first world map of the laminarian kelp biome has been published (Jayathilake and Costello (2020). It estimates the kelp biome to occupy 1,469,900 km2 and be present on 22 % of the world’s coastline. It is thus the second most widely distributed marine biome,...
by Mark_Costello | Oct 15, 2020 | Useful Stuff
The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of meetings via video, including conferences and webinars. We first thought to change the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB) to ‘hybrid’, that is both in-person (for national delegates who are...
by Mark_Costello | Sep 20, 2020 | Climate change, For students, Useful Stuff
What is the problem with climate change? It is causing more frequent and worse heat-waves, wildfires, floods, and storms. These impact human health, farming, fisheries, forestry, food security, infrastructure, drinking water supplies, and biodiversity. They cause...
by Mark_Costello | Jun 22, 2020 | News, Useful Stuff
Artificial Intelligence (AI, using machine learning and neural networks) has made amazing strides, notably in recognising human faces. It is also being used to identify patterns on photographs of individual patterns on whale fins and flukes, and whale shark markings....