With Stephen Hawking’s Passing, Today Is A Sad Day For Science. But Amongst All His Praise And Achievements

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Top: The Central Bank of Costa Rica in the capital, San José.

Middle: Fountain in San José.

Bottom: Statue of a worker in San José.

This seems like something everyone should know if they’re in the sciences and/or interested in reading scientific papers.

What’s one of the best places in the world to find white sharks?

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

Located in California north and west of San Francisco, the sanctuary is home to one of the most significant populations of white sharks on the planet. The waters around the Farallon Islands in particular provide critical feeding areas for the sharks’ annual migration.

So how do researchers in the sanctuary study the sharks? One way is to use a decoy shaped like a seal with a GoPro attached. When the shark investigates the decoy, the researchers can get the images they need to identify the shark.

Learn more about white sharks in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on the sanctuary’s website and in our video:

Diatom seen through scanning electron microscope.

Meet MBARI: This team develops innovative new technology to map the seafloor 🤖🗺️

With marine life and ecosystems facing a rising tide of threats, the ocean exploration community needs nimble, cost-effective tools for measuring and monitoring ocean health. MBARI’s Control, Modeling, and Perception of Autonomous Systems Laboratory, known as the CoMPAS Lab is up to the challenge.

MBARI scientists and engineers build and adapt advanced technology that enhances ocean data collection. Led by engineer Giancarlo Troni, the CoMPAS Lab team develops scalable marine technology that can easily be modified for use in a wide variety of vehicles and platforms. 

Working with other teams across MBARI, the CoMPAS Lab leverages vehicles like the MiniROV to deploy and test new tools in Monterey Bay's submarine canyon and then adapt them for other mobile platforms. By sharing open-source design specifications and advanced algorithms with the wider ocean exploration community, we hope to expand access to MBARI’s engineering innovations.

MBARI technology is transforming what we know about the ocean and its inhabitants. Our scientists, engineers, and marine operations staff work together to create innovative tools for a more sustainable future where autonomous robots and artificial intelligence can track ocean health in real time and help us visualize ocean animals and environments. Studying our blue backyard is revealing our connection to the ocean—how it sustains us and how our actions on land may be threatening its future.

We’re spotlighting various teams at MBARI to showcase the different ways we’re studying the largest environment on Earth. We hope this series inspires a new generation of ocean explorers. Dive in.

Meet Bruce McCandless. He was a bit of a bad-ass. In 1984, Bruce was aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle and became the first human to walk in space without a safety line. By utilising a nitrogen propelled Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), he stepped free from Challenger into the blackness of space for a 90-minute space walk and wandered as far as 97 meters from the ship. The result is this amazing image which captures ingenuity, innovation and most certainly bravery.

Bruce McCandless died yesterday at the age of 80.

-Jean Image Credit: NASA

Phytoplankton

The word phytoplanton comes from the greek words phyto (plant) plankton (made to wander) And what they do for the world is amazing! They are a great example of doing SO much even though they are small. Without them we wouldn’t have enough oxygen. The fish and sea life would all most definately die, which would effect food for humans and land animals. It would effect cultures and peace in general, because without sea life many beliefs and practices would be effected as well. Without them the sea animals wouldn’t be able to “breathe”.  A good way humans can make sure to keep the phytoplankton around is by making sure we don’t litter, or pour harmful chemicals into the ocean that could kill them. A great place to learn more about this is here:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Phytoplankton/

http://save-as.org/GreenNews/News/phytoplankton-the-oceans-vital-force-is-dying-out_1675

http://www.savethesea.org/plankton.html