The National Geographic website has a new interactive feature on life in the Gulf after the oil spill.  The graphic first allows users to select a layer of life that includes: the coastal ecosystems, bright surface, twilight zone, and dark and teeming.  Once a user selects the layer they prefer, the site opens up a new picture depicting the different forms of life found in this layer.  The user can then select the different plants and animals that live in the chosen layer, causing a description to pop up about its impact on the region and general information on the species. The site allows the user to learn about the different plants and animals that live in the gulf–many of which the average person is not familiar with.

The neat aspect of this interactive map is that it not only gives the user an in depth look at each layer of life, but it also shows how different specifies continue to be affected by the oil spill.  The site states that the golf oil spill has, “tested nature's resilience at every layer.”

While the disaster occurred many months ago, the impact on the biodiversity of the region continues to be seriously harmed.  It was the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and plants and life forms are still recovering even almost a year later.  Many people in the region rely on the productive biodiversity for economic reasons, as thousands of fisheries going out of business.  The Gulf Oil spill was something we should never forget, and this interactive map reminds us of how diverse the region is, hopefully leading us to find other places for deep water drilling.

Enjoy the link below to explore life in the Gulf!

Gulf life Interactive Graphic

After watching the Masters Tournament held at the Augusta National Golf Club and being an avid golfer myself, I wanted to research to what extent golf courses around the world require vast amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, and how badly they are harming our environment.  I quickly came across an article from National Geographic titled “Golf Masters Green–Ten Environmental Courses” that does not so much address the negative effects of this, but focuses on a shift in practices.  While golf courses have been detrimental to the well-being of our environment, there are efforts being made to help golf earn a greener reputation, as the article says.  Consumer consciousness about sustainability, an economic recession, and new technologies in turfgrass, sprinkler systems, and carbon-neutral engineering are all helping the cause.  The amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides that the featured golf courses consume have undoubtedly been ridiculous, but it is interesting to read about the measures being taken to curb the negative impacts this consumption has had.

Definitely check out the website, whether you’re a golf fan or not.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/pictures/110408-golf-masters-green-environment-courses/#/golf-environment-augusta_34373_600x450.jpg

Featured in the New York Times is a seventeen page slide show titled Cloud Forests, Birds, and the Origins of Island Life.  Chris Filardi, a biologist at the American Museum of Natural history, traveled to the Solomon Islands in order to study evolution and conservation of the island’s species.  Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papau New Guinea, that consists of nearly one thousand islands.  The slide show features bits and pieces of his photographs and field notes from the expedition.

Chris Fildardi writes,

“For biologists, islands have always been illuminating places. In part, this reflects both the relative simplicity of island ecosystems and also the richly unique, and sometimes bizarre, turns that life takes on islands – think parrots behaving like big rodents, massive dragonlike lizards and miniature hippos, giant flightless dodo birds and tiny ground-foraging bats.”

So, why not take a break from studying and take yourself on a trip to the Solomon Islands?

Created in 1980 through funding provided by the National Science Foundation, Long Term Ecological Research Sites are essential locations for ecological learning across the country. Growing up in Florida, I’ve always been extremely interested in the ecosystems of the Everglades. When I therefore found out about Florida Coastal Everglades long term ecological research in a place close to home, I immediately wanted to learn more- not only about what the scientists were studying and learning, but as well the impact of this knowledge on the greater geographic community. Research in the Everglades is focusing primarily on the interaction of saltwater and freshwater and the resulting ecosystems. Not only, though, do scientists study the impact of water type of Everglade ecosystems, they focus as well on the impact of changing climates and human interactions. Since it’s establishment in 2000, the LTER in the Everglades has finished its first stage of research, completed in 2006. Though phase I was primarily aimed at generating a basic understanding of the various Everglades ecosystems, phase II will focus primarily on the impact of changing freshwater chemistry on brackish water ecosystems. With an anticipated completion date of 2012, phase II of the Everglades research will provide essential information helping not only the area ecosystem, but similar ecosystems on a national scale as well. The website for this research project includes basic research information in addition to an interactive map depicting the spatial scale of research.