Hello hello.

I thought I’d introduce myself as one of the newest members of the DSN crew. I’m an assistant professor at UMass Boston studying kelp forests, salt marshes, and changes in ocean biodiversity and ecosystem function. So, I’m more on the shallow sea news side of things – -5 to ~40m in depth. But somehow Craig et al. decided to bring me on anyway. So stand by for some photic zone phun.

I’m also delighted to be here as I think I’ve been on a bit of a science blogging and science communications journey. Some of you might know me from my old blog, I’m a Chordata! Urochordata!. It’s where I began experimenting with talking about ocean science online. I began it as a research blog, partly for myself. Then I got interested in trying to tell stories about science in the sea. And then… it’s morphed into something more of a blog by a scientist for scientists, heavy on the quantitative stuff. I admit, starting a new faculty job, I had a long think about what that blog was and how it fit into my career, and came up quite empty handed.

As a new faculty member, I’ve been pretty concerned with building a lab, writing grants, getting a handle on teaching, writing grants, learning the administrative ropes and new responsibilities I have, writing grants, trying to do the things I need to do to secure tenure and ingratiate myself to my colleages, writing grants, and generally keeping my head down. Well, as much as I am able to make myself, anyway.

But there’s been a deep aching in my heart. That I’m not sure of what my voice is as a science communicator. That I wasn’t able to bring that to my blog. And some of that was real – if only from the exhaustion that is the modern life academic in your early years. And some of that might well have been imagined caution.

With all that is happening, inside of me, I’ve known, that this holding back has to stop now. We’re entering a time when our oceans are going to be under new and wilder threats – some we’ve seen coming and some we don’t yet know about. There’s never been a time to share more about our love and passion for the wee beasties and charsimatic megaflora and fauna of the deep than now. And so when an email comes from Craig about joining the superteam at DSN…you think about what you want to say and what voice you want to put out there. And so I look to the ocean.

The ocean is wide and vast and deep. It contains so much wonder. So much joy. But it has no time for bullshit. It does not care about you. How we as a species see the ocean depends so much on how we choose to look at it. So I’m going to try and bring that to what I write here – wonder, joy, no bullshit, and ultimately laying down things as they are. It’s my take on our core values, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Also kelp.

I will be sharing kelp.

Lots of kelp.

(and maybe a few sea chanties)

The post Salty Introduction: Jarrett Byrnes first appeared on Deep Sea News.

You need to get your respective s#%@ together.  Both my right and left leaning friends have bombarded my Facebook and other social media feeds with “news pieces”  that purport one outrageous claim or another.  You know who you are.  You know what I’m talking about.   You all are guilty.

Here is the thing.  The spread of misinformation is dangerous.  It fuels anger, mistrust, inaction, the wrong actions, and a whole host of other really, really bad things.  Every time you spread misinformation on the web a cute baby chinchilla dies and a baby sloth weeps.  If you want those deaths and tears on your hands then by all means continue to do what you are doing.  On the other hand if the suffering of tiny animals is not your thing I can help. (Note: In the spirit of reliable information and transparency the previous statement is not true.  No baby animals will directly be hurt from you spread of misinformation.  This is obviously sarcasm.)  Below is an easy list for you to follow. I have borrowed from several lists put forth from university librarians (here, here, here).  God bless them and their patience with us all.  Once you have moved through the list below you are ready to share the piece on social media.  Just kidding.  Go back to step one and repeat and then share.

1. Who authored the piece?

From Lee College Library, “Look for an “About” or “More about the Author” link at the top, bottom or sidebar of the webpage. Some pages will have a corporate author rather than a single person as an author. If no information about the author(s) of the page is provided, be suspicious. Does the author provide his/her credentials? What type of expertise does s/he have on the subject s/he is writing about? Does s/he indicate what his/her education is? What type of experience s/he has? Should you trust his/her knowledge of the subject? Try “Googling” the author…What kinds of websites are associated with your author’s name? Is s/he affiliated with any education institutions? Do commercial sites come up? Do the websites associated with the author give you any clues to particular biases the author might have?

2. Did the piece cite sources and what kind of sources?

Are the cited sources credible websites, books, and scholarly articles? What kind of sources does the website cite? Are they just political sites with agendas?

3. Who funds or publishes the site? What biases are introduced by this funding? What is the domain name?

From the UW-Greenbay Computing and Information Technology website, “Domains such as .com, .org, and .net can be purchased and used by any individual. However, the domain .edu is reserved for colleges and universities, while .gov denotes a government website. Be careful with the domain .org, because .org is usually used by non-profit organizations which may have an agenda of persuasion rather than education.”

From Lee College Library,  “Do a search on the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/. This site provides information about the owners of registered domain names. What is the organization’s main purpose? Check the organization’s main website, if it has one. Is it educational? Commercial? Is it a reputable organization?”

4. Does the website look like it was designed a three-year old with crayons?

From the UW-Greenbay Computing and Information Technology website, “a well-designed site can be an indication of more reliable information. Good design helps make information more easily accessible.”

5. Is the language inflammatory? IS ALL CAPS USED?  Is it just an angry rant?

Authors striving for objectivity try to leave emotionally charged language out of piece.  Attacks on character are a good warning sign.  In the spirit of Dragnet, “Just the facts.”

6. What is the purpose and agenda of the site?

From Lee College Library,  “Why did the author write it and the publisher post it? To sell a product? As a personal hobby? As a public service? To further scholarship on a topic? To provide general information on a topic? To persuade you of a particular point of view? How to find out: Scan the homepage of the website. Is it cluttered with advertising? Does the page appear to be professionally designed? Is the writing trying to persuade you to buy something?”

7. Is the information accurate and objective?

Did you Google search the information on the webpage? Can you corroborate the information on reliable websites sites?

From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, “How accurate is the information presented? Are sources of factual information or statistics cited? Is there a bibliography included? Compare the page to related sources, electronic or print, for assistance in determining accuracy.  Does the page exhibit a particular point of view or bias?  Is the site objective? Is there a reason the site is presenting a particular point of view on a topic?  Does the page contain advertising? This may impact the content of the information included. Look carefully to see if there is a relationship between the advertising and the content, or whether the advertising is simply providing financial support for the page.

8. Does it taste like a duck? 

Ok, this one is my own.  Approach everything with a healthy dose of cynicism.  But if it looks, walks, tastes, and smells like a duck…it’s a duck.  If it feels like BS or hyperbole it probably is.  Everyone is trying to sell you information.  Even at the end of the day reputable news sites run on advertising.  They want thing that will make you click to their website. Do yourself a favor a read and evaluate multiple news articles about a current event.

9. Did you actually read the piece you are sharing on social media?

Not just the title, not just the first paragraph, but did you actually read the whole article?  Please for the love all that is sacred do not share until you know exactly what you are sharing.  The “I didn’t read the whole thing” or “I didn’t read it carefully” is not an excuse.

In the spirit of this post also note that I have updated DSN’s about page to give you this information about this website.

The post Calibrating Your Internet BS Sensors in 9 Easy Steps first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Here at DSN we strive to inspire the next generation of mini-deeplings. Ultimately, we want you to want you to be like us. Perhaps not the more delinquent side of us, but definitely the better half of us that constantly questions, investigates, and stands in awe of our blue planet.

With that, we often get e-mails from the mini-deeplings asking how do we do what we do. We LURRRVE talking to them and answering all their questions about how to become marine scientists, oceanographers, conservationists, pirates, and such.  Quite regularly however, they ask many of the same questions. Therefore, to avoid the department of redundancy department and make sure you each get well thought out, comprehensive answers, we decided to compile the 20 most frequently asked questions. Feel free to use these to help guide you on your homework assignments, class work, and most importantly life work.

<DISCLAIMER> Marine Science is an overarching umbrella spanning numerous scientific disciplines.  My hope is that these answers will help you along your path, but know that there are many MANY paths up the proverbial mountain. Our opinions come from our collective experience which in and of it self is extremely diverse. If you have any specific questions about certain topics not covered here, drop us a line and we will put you in contact with the people who can help you.

1.    Have you always wanted to be a marine scientist?

Personally, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to. My parents were both divers and I wanted, as most children do, to be just like them. The day that PADI lowered their diving certification age, you best believe I was in on that. My first dive off the Channel Islands quite vibrantly changed my life. Till this day, I thank my dad for pulling me out of range of disgruntled moray eels and making sure I didn’t run out of air when I was too busy exploring, flipping over every. single. rock., and sticking my hands into caves, to care about anything important like that. At 13 years of age, I fell in love with the California kelp forest and all the amazing critters it held. Once I was old enough to realize that they ACTUALLY PAID people to frolic in the ocean, flip over all the rocks, and stick their hands into caves….it went without question…I had to be one of those people.

Though many in this field might have a similar story to this, not all marine scientists knew this was their thing from the get go. This is wonderful as they might bring a whole new prospective or skill set to the game.

2.    What does a marine scientist do on a daily basis?

As with any job, this varies from day to day and at what stage of your career you are in. Those who work at universities or certain governmental agencies can often be found doing their research. Research may be carried out in the lab or out and about in field sites that span the globe. When not doing the actual “hands-on” science that you might think of, like creating epic paper machete volcanoes and such, marine scientists have to write grants to fund their research and papers that tell others in their field of their research findings. They also go to conferences and other universities to give presentations about their work. Professors at research universities may be required to teach and graduate students may also teach, as well as, take classes. Certain marine scientists even throw some outreach in the mix and involve the public in what they are doing. Yes, we are still talking on a DAILY basis here. As scientists we wear many hats and must balance a pretty substantial workload.

3.    What is the best part about being a marine scientist?

If you ask me, I say playing with tons of algae and little invertebrates and going diving all the time. If you ask Dr. Bik, she loves playing on her shiny genome sequencing machines. Dr. Martini? Perhaps throwing big expensive equipment in the ocean to learn all about internal waves. (Heck, sometimes I have to force her to love squishy critters.) There is a different best thing for everyone, that’s what makes it awesome. However, I think something we can all appreciate equally is the ability to delve into the unknown and answer questions that further our knowledge of the world. The satisfaction of inquisition. That is hands down one of the best parts.

4.    What is the worst/most challenging part?

I have yet to meet a scientist who enjoys grant writing. Spending months writing a document convincing “The Man” to give you money to do research….the research you often times can’t do without the money. Only to be up against pretty dismal odds that you will even get said money. It’s a pretty awful system. But sometimes, the planets align and the angels sing and by some stroke of luck and a bit of skill…You get the grant. Those days make it worth it.

5.    What classes should I take in high school?

Obviously, if your high school offers a marine science or environmental sciences course, take it. However, most schools don’t so then you go with: Foundations. Foundations. Foundations. Contrary to what one might think, marine science requires ALL of the other sciences. Chemistry, Physics, Math, and Biology. You can’t go wrong with doing well in any, if not all, of those classes. Other classes that you might not think beneficial would be computer programing, web development, and a solid writing class. Advance placement and college level courses are great too. If anything, these will prepare you for the workload you have to look forward to in college. Do not, however, underestimate the power of being a well-rounded student.

6.    What colleges are good for marine science?

We get this question A LOT. However, I hesitate to answer with specific colleges that are good or are not good for marine science. There are many factors that should go into the decision of choosing a college that is right for you and what is good for you may not be good for me. Instead I recommend you have a serious conversation with yourself and discuss the following topics:

• How much are you willing to pay? This might factor in to whether you go in-state, out of state, out of country, etc.
• Does location matter to you? Remember you are going to spend 4-5 years of your life here. Being close to an ocean also helps.
• Do you want to do research as an undergraduate? Does this school have good faculty mentors?
• Are you set on having a degree specific to “marine science”? Aka you can still obtain the skills you need to be successful with other degree titles. Look into this.
• Do you want to study abroad? Is it easy to do this from your institution?
• Do they have a AAUS scuba diving program? This certification is required to dive at any university or governmental institution. If you want to dive. You need to ask this question.
• Do they have a marine lab? Is it close to campus/easily accessible? Do you have a way of getting there?
• Is it easy or hard to get classes? Are marine classes offered? How long does it take for students to get through the program?

From these questions (and hopefully you have your own list) find the programs and schools that best fit your criteria. Talk to students in the programs you are interested in to see what they have to say.  If you are stubborn and still want a list of specific schools, this might be of use (Note: these are only the U.S. schools).

7.    What is the cost of education/training?

This varies HIGHLY depending on two factors: Which universities you go to and how long you stay in school. For reference, I completed my bachelors in 4 years at a state school living on my own in a major metropolitan area. It cost me about $40,000 in total. For some, that is a single semester. This number will change drastically if you go to a private university or one that is out of state. From there you can continue on to a masters or doctorate degree depending on your career goals, but I would worry about that milestone when you get there. If you are in high school, start looking for scholarships. Contact the colleges you are looking at and ask them about their office of financial aid. Go talk to those people. They can also discuss financial planning with you. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it work.

8.    What classes should I take in college?

The required ones. Most programs have lists of the classes you have to complete to graduate…do those. I would recommend a solid core: Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Calculus, any of the Biological Sciences, Statistics (<-Do it. Learn it. Love it.). Beyond those: Bioinformatics, Programing courses, Scientific writing, Web design, Biological modeling (no…not that kind of Modeling…but just as fierce), Advanced statistics, Critical thinking courses (perhaps a Philosophy course or two). There are so many, but this a decent start.

9.    What other training/education is required for this work?

Being a Marine Scientist requires a pretty extensive knowledge base. Most often you require at least a Master’s degree to be successful in this field, but it all depends on what you want to do specifically. The training I have had to acquire for my job spans from learning how to scuba dive (to collect my critters and make field observations) to learning how to extract the chemicals I use for my experiments. Contact someone directly in the field you are interested in to learn of any other specific training you might need. Now you don’t learn all of these skills at once, it is definitely a process and I am constantly acquiring new training and knowledge. It is one of the reasons I love my job. I am always learning.

10.  I live in a land-locked state. Where can I find career building opportunities?

DSN’s own Dr. Miriam Goldstein compiled a nice list of internships and marine oriented escapades in the “So You Want to Be a Marine Biologist-Deep Sea News Edition.” Check the comments section too for even more opportunities. Insider scoop: The key to getting these often highly competitive gigs, is to start your applications early and have a million people read over them.  Also, make sure you ask only the people who can give you strong letters of recommendation and allow them PLENTY of time to do it.

11. Are there other professional skills I should work on?

• NETWORKING IS EVERYTHING. The old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is so very true….except you also need to know a lot too.

• Though you might absolutely despise it, public speaking is also a necessary evil. If you aren’t good at it, get good at it. Despite being able to talk A LOT…I really dislike talking in front of large groups….so I have to practice…and practice….and practice. Often you will/should know more about what you are talking about than others in the audience…so show them that. You are not just a scientist, but a salesman too. So sell it.

• Leadership and time management skills are also beneficial in this field. As a scientist, you don’t often have anyone watching over you on a daily basis making sure you get your work done. There is usually just a bunch of deadlines. Thus, you are the one responsible for making sure the work gets done.

12. What is the salary range for a marine scientist?

Let me just preface this with most of us are not in it for the money. Marine Science is indeed a labor of love. With a Bachelors Degree you are looking at an average of about $20-40K a year. With a Masters Degree about $30-45+K. So on and so forth. This number is highly variably on what industry you might be able to find a job in. As a graduate student, your stipend depends on if you are a Masters or a PhD student and the cost of living in your area. This may or may not be supplemented by your professor’s grants. (NOTE: THIS IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION TO BRING UP WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SCHOOLS!!!!) In academia, assistant professors (those just starting out) make an average of $45-65K, whereas a full professor might make an average of $65-100K. With that said…there are very few of those jobs actually available.

For a more specific look at what one might make taking in to consideration background, location, and sector: SeaGrant Careers.

13. What is the average number of hours per workday?

Like I said before, as research scientists, we often dictate our own schedules. For me, how many hours I work a day depends on what time of the year it is. During the school year I try to keep it around 9-10 hours a day, hopefully no more than 5 days a week…but usually about 6. However, during the summer a.k.a. field season, all of that goes out the window. I work as long as it takes to get the research done. If that means I set up a tent at the marine lab…then I set up a tent…or build a fort…or something like that. Often times experiments do not run on normal human sleep schedules. This can make for very long hours and days. Usually, I just push through these with late night dance parties…and lots and lots of coffee.

14. Do you enjoy working with dolphins, whales, <insert other charismatic marine mammal here>?

Sad Alex is sad. I am going to let you in on a trade secret. Contrary to popular belief, we are marine scientists, not Seaworld trainers. (Rule #1. READ NOW.) I work with algae and snails and little invisible chemicals. Yes, I do enjoy it and think it’s one of the coolest things ever…that’s why I study it. No, I do not play with whales and dolphins. No, I do not want to. If whales and dolphins are your thing, that is awesome!! I know about two people who work with them and this is often how that goes….

…you want to do that too….by all means. We need people like you.

15. What types of jobs are available?

The ocean is really the limit here. You could work in anything from academia (being a researcher or a professor), to government (either policy or regulation), to non-governmental agencies (research, mitigation, conservation, etc.) There are so many different types jobs in the field. The best way is to figure out what interests you specifically and then talk to people who do what want to you do.

16. What personal qualities are important to success in this career?

Hard work, creativity, ability to take criticism constructively, flexibility, perseverance, and passion. These are necessary. Like I said above, this is a difficult field and experiments do not always work out. Therefore you need to be able to constantly re-evaluate what you are doing and improve. Being able to work hard and persevere through difficult situations can go a long way. Do not kid yourself, there will be failures. Lots of them. However, if you can learn from these failures and emerge with a new outlook. That it everything.

17.  In such a time-demanding profession, is there time for other hobbies, family, extracurricular activities?

This is all dependent on who you ask. Many scientists work themselves to the bone. Nothing else matters but getting the data, grant, paper, etc. This is somewhat admirable, but it’s not the lifestyle for me. Personally, using too much science brain in one day makes Alex a dull girl….not too mention a bad scientist. I become less creative and burn out easily. Thus, I make it a priority to sent aside time for other things.  I think it’s really important to stay active, so I do yoga everyday. This actually helps me to think more clearly in my job. I also like to do outreach and blog (obviously), read books that have nothing to do with science or the ocean, hang out with my friends, and play music (I play saxophone on the regular and am teaching myself cello). All of these things only enhance my ability to think and do good science. Balance is key to happiness…oh and really REALLY good time management skills.

18. Where do you think marine science is headed in the future?

This is a very interesting question, especially within the current financial climate. Unfortunately, research in any field will not exist if there is not enough funding to do it and many people think there are other more important things than science. Because of this I think there is definitely a shift in the type of science we are doing. You see, science can often be put into two categories: basic and applied. Basic science being the science we do just because we want to know how a process works. Applied science being science we do to learn how to fix a problem or how that problem is influencing the environment (i.e. the effects of an oil spill on critical bird habitat). I think because funding is so tight in all of the sciences there is a strong switch from basic to applied science, because it is easier to get $$ if you are trying to investigate a problem or a solution to that problem. The impacts of that money will go farther and that’s what investors/the government want to see.

19. How should I contact someone I am interested in working with/talking to?

First. Read. A note from Carl Zimmer.

The lesson here. Scientists are REALLY, REALLY busy people. However, most of us are excited to talk and share our passions with you. With that said, we are not here to do your homework.  In 18+ years of education we have already done tons of homework!! So if you ever feel inclined to contact us, and we encourage you too, make sure to properly introduce yourself and what you are interested in doing and how we can help. Remember when you learned how to write a professional letter in the third grade? Harness those thoughts. This is not Facebook, nor is it Twitter, or Instant Messaging, or Texting.

If you are still confused…

What to do- Professional E-mail Tips

What not to do- If you just e-mail me a list of questions with no introduction to your assignment, yourself, or your interest in this field. I assure you…I will not answer them.

20. What advice would you give a young person regarding your career?

The world needs you. We need radical ideas and people to implement them. Now more than ever our environment and especially our oceans are at a tipping point. We need people who are unafraid to step up and do something about it. This road is not an easy one. Science is a grueling, arduous, and often times extremely risky career path. But if you think you have what it takes to persevere through those obstacles, it can be a great place for you. Stay passionate. Question everything.

More resources:

So You Think You Can Be a Marine Biologist? DSN Edition – Miriam Goldstein (DSN)

So You Want to Be a Deep-Sea Biologist? – Dr. M (DSN)

Advice from the Love Doctor – Dr. Milton Love

Misunderstood Marine Life #1- The Five Biggest Myths about Marine Biologists –Andrew D. Thaler (SFS)

How to Apply for a Job Working with Sharks – David Shiffman (SFS)

How Not to Apply for a Job Working with Sharks – David Shiffman (SFS)

Feel free to add more resources in the comments or ask any more questions. 

The post Top 20 Frequently Asked Questions of Marine Scientists first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Video embedding was disabled by YouTube, so click here to watch the video.

(And if you’re really lazy, here is a screenshot):

I was so utterly horrified at this depiction that I had to rant about it publicly. Everything they’re trying to say about nematodes is WRONG!!! In case you tried to absorb some anatomical facts about nematodes from that clip, please erase them from your memory, take a cold shower, and consider the following (scientifically correct) points:

• Nematodes have a mouth at the TOP of their head. Not the side.
• What are those lines going across their body? Are the SpongeBob animators trying to suggest nematodes are SEGMENTED worms??? The mere thought is so preposterous that I’ll give the animators the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they were trying to imply that these nematodes are from a pseudo-segmented group of nematodes, such as the genus Desmoscolex, which has rings (known as desmen) around its body. These desmen form via nematode secretions and famously collect all sorts of gunk from the environment.

• If you have a clean nematode (not carrying any organic gunk on the side of its body, which some do) it will look mostly transparent under the microscope, not that awful shade of vomit green.
• Nemtaodes are POINTY at BOTH ends of their body. Pointy!

• Nematodes move in what is called “sinusoidal motion” – they wriggle their body side to side forming the shape of the letter “S”. They do not bounce up and down and they certainly do not have sound effects accompanying their movement.
• Nematodes DO NOT EAT WOOD. Shipworms (not actually worms but a type of clam) are the ones famous for eating wood. Nematodes eat pretty much everything else BUT wood, including diatoms, bacteria, protists, plants, and yes even other nematodes.
• Last time I checked, nematodes were not eusocial animals.

So thanks, SpongeBob animators, for ruining an opportunity to teach your audience about nematode taxonomy and ecology. This scientist is not impressed.

That is all. Carry on.

The post Don’t try to learn marine taxonomy from SpongeBob SquarePants first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Why is it that we seem to have moved away from celebrating images like the one above left (a big game hunter posing over a dead African lion) yet seem to have no problem with the the image above right (a fishing party with their 1,320 pound dead Blue marlin caught off Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean)?

How is this:

Fundamentally different from this:

Why do we seem so resistant to seeing fish (marlin, shark… whatever) as wildlife?

The post This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Still offline, I sat down to write my goodbyes to Kevin. Then it hit me: Science is a crippling profession without the internet. And even the internet can be a barrage of useless information without the trusted, thoughtful people who give a voice to science.

Kevin Zelnio has been a force of nature in the online scientific realm. He has actual groupies, for goodness sake. Kevin could talk about cool science, or he could talk about the chair he’s currently sitting on. Either way, people take notice and consistently marvel at his awesomeness. I have no doubt that he’ll gain equal traction in his beer-brewing endeavors, and soon be shipping 6-packs to fans around the globe.

My interactions with Kevin always boil down to two words: energy and enthusiasm. He has an inhuman ability to keep going, whether it be pushing through personal and professional struggles, or keeping the DSNsuite open until 4am on a 4th consecutive night. His enthusiasm towards science has been obvious in his insightful, often heart-wrenching posts. The passionate stories are vitally important: scientific careers are renown for their hardship (and often unfairness), and I believe that exposure is the first step towards change.

Kevin was one of the handful of people who helped usher me into the blogging world. He’s looked after the nuts and bolts of DSN, tweaking the website when we implement new features and helping sustain our communal social media presence. We couldn’t have done it without him, although now we’ll have to try.

When one journey ends, another begins. For Kevin, the cessation of his science writing duties has ushered in a new life as a brewmaster (probably involving an equal amount of science, with the yeast microbiomes and all). For Deepsea News and science communication on the internet, the start of 2013 has kicked off in a remarkably different landscape from when I started blogging in 2010. More scientists are taking us seriously, fewer of them think we just talk about our lunch. The altmetrics and open access movements have grown immensely in popularity and street cred.

Dreamers are consumed by their own fallacy of never accomplishing their dreams. But the dreamers aren’t necessarily the doers: they’re the planners, the schemers, the ones who feed the fire and help build momentum. They dream far and wide, and set their sights on many things. As Kevin shifts his dreams towards microbrews, he’s letting us Deeplings spread our wings and fly. We’re forever grateful for his dedication and contributions, and will always be inspired to keep moving forward in his honor.

The post Because you’re mine, we walk the line first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Bill Font was one of my PhD thesis examiners back in 1998.  Now, Bill works at a small, non-PhD granting school in Louisiana.  Bill does not have a massive NSF funded group overflowing with post-docs and grad students.  Bill publishes, to be sure, but he’s not one of those nauseating uberauthor folks who crank out dozens and dozens of papers every year.  What Bill does have is a legacy of former students who are almost omnipresent in the field of Parasitology.  Bill is a superb teacher and mentor and has been recognised as such by the American Society of Parasitologists, not because of some calculated index score, but because so many people in the society can cite interactions with Bill as being formative to their careers.  Although technically not one of Bill’s students, I count myself among their number because the guidance and feedback he gave me during my dissertation phase has stuck  with me ever since and been a constant source of confidence.  I’m only sorry Kevin didn’t have a Bill on his committee.

A second anecdote: Last week at Science Online I was standing in line to get lunch when a nice young fella sidled up and said “Oh you’re Al Dove, I’ve been wanting to meet you!”.  Flattery will get you anywhere (incidentally so will beer, cheese, smoked ham, and swedish fish, but I digress), so we sat to eat lunch together.  I fully expected him to launch into something about science communication and our efforts at DSN, but no.  Instead, he said something like “your research on parasite ecology determined the direction of my dissertation studies in plant pathology!”.  I was flabbergasted.  Aside from the fact that those studies seem to be receding in my mental rear view mirror without having made that much impact on the field, it was the suggestion that something I did and thought affected someone else’s thinking, someone I’d never even met.  I can honestly say that on a personal level that one comment over lunch is worth more to me than all the citations I have on Web of Science (not that there’s that many of those!).  But how do I measure that? How would I tell a tenure committe? a search committee?  I have no idea, but I’m awfully glad I met the guy because he totally made my day.  (by the way, if you’re reading this, please shoot me an email as I left without getting your contact details!)

Which brings me back to Kevin.  As you go on to the next phase, Kevin, I want you to take these two things with you.  One, that your contributions to hard science were real and enduring.  Among other things, you described species never before seen, and no-one can take those away from you, no matter how much lumping and splitting ensues!  Don’t ever let anyone tell you taxonomy doesn’t count, either; it is the very underpinning of all biology. Two, that your contributions to science go beyond the glib measurements we’ve reduced scientists to these days, not least because of your outstanding efforts at DSN and 95%.  Like Bill, you have a legacy of folks out there who were touched by your writing and ideas, many (perhaps most) of whom you’ve never met and never will, unless you’re lucky enough to stand next to them in a lunchline at a conference somewhere.  But they’re out there, make no mistake; just look at the graph of page views in Craig’s post and know that for a fact, those dots are people, lots and lots of people.  I hope that these two ideas can be a source of confidence for your future successes with the Prison Brewery.  Oh, and make me a nice black IPA.  I love those.

Cheers mate!

The post Hasta la proxima, Kevin first appeared on Deep Sea News.

Though I’ve spent far fewer hours together with Kevin offline than on, the precious few times I’ve collided in meat-space with him have been what can only described as a symposium in it’s most original Greek meaning: “to drink together to debate, plot, boast, celebrate music, and simply to revel with others.”

Kevin is symposiast extraordinaire!  With our fellow Deeplings, we talked, shouted, debated, and argued crackpot science, crap blogs, broken academia, scientists-as-writers, field work, stupid fucking dolphins, and our hopes and dreams for DSN world domination.  Some of our discussions made it into our online writing over the years.  A lot still lingers as great seed ideas waiting to germinate.  But what has always struck me about Kevin’s science writing is his utter fearlessness to let the reader know him.  Fuck, I admire that quality.

Moreso than other online science writers, Kevin is able to tap into an emotional narrative that elevates his writing to being more than just story, structure, and content.  So much of Kevin’s writing is about exposing himself as well as his ideas.  I wish I could write from the heart or the gut as well as Kevin.  Those of you familiar with Kevin’s writing that was shaped by the challenges he faced when his son Elliot fell ill last year probably felt how he was a raw, aching nerve.  It may not always have been his intention to convey this side of himself, but the effect has always been powerful.

Take for instance his Embracing Personal Experience on Our Rise Through Science piece from DSN last year.  You get Kevin’s unfiltered personal narrative arc of his scientific career.   He followed this up later with I Am Science over on Scientific American.  And not to suggest Kevin is at his best when sharing only his frustrations, the unfettered joy he exuded during his Darwin and the Adventure reports with Karen James from Brazil in 2009 show Kevin flexing his science outreach muscles in the field.   And let’s not forget his leadership in helping to build the currently robust online science community and his commitment to science in the classroom through his leadership on the Donors Choose drives over the years.

It’s going to be a lot quieter in the DSN submersible cocktail lounge with Kevin coaxing flavor out of Chinook hops in the Scandanavian countryside instead of coaxing meaning out of the latest deep sea research paper.  But I have an inkling we haven’t heard the last from him.  The sea has remarkable restorative powers.

So much cheer and much love to you, Kevin, as well as Linda, Freya, Elliot, and Peaches! I raise a Drakes Denogginizer Imperial IPA in your honor!  I can’t think of when these words by Melville have carried more meaning than when I read them again tonight while thinking of you, my friend:

Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.    

The post Loomings first appeared on Deep Sea News.

I met Miriam a full 6 months after we had officially become online colleagues — we had agreed to room together at my first ever ScienceOnline in 2011. I suppose I was a little bit nervous about meeting all the Deeplings in person (I had only just met Dr M.), but definitely Miriam in particular. She was, after all, the only other female on our team at that time, and from what I understood, a Very Famous Ocean Blogger.

I don’t quite remember what I expected, but Miriam was — and continues to be — larger than life. She was immediately warm, friendly, and full of advice for my starry-eyed newbie blogger self.

Miriam is no less than a maverick – I’m constantly amazed by her ability to simultaneously do science and wrangle the PR flood that has gone along with her high-profile research (although I suspect she’s reaped some significant benefits from having a journalist partner). She’s always full of passionate arguments for topics that are close to her heart, yet she never lets this passion get in the way of logic and reason.

Many of Miriam’s contributions aren’t recorded in any written narrative – in the three years that we’ve known each other, she’s become a great friend and steadfast mentor (even if she isn’t fully aware of the latter). I never expected that writing for a science blog would lead me to so many fantastic people who foster my own personal growth.

My interactions with Miriam have increasingly moved offline, and we’ve experienced the gauntlet together as conference roommates: the Discomfort Inn, the aftermath of DSN Suite Parties, classy pillows & bottles of champagne. We’re also soon to be co-authors in a real science journal (stay tuned!).

All of us Deeplings have a sense of solidarity that can never be broken, regardless of where our paths take us in life. For those of you reading Miriam’s announcement with sadness, take comfort in the fact that she’s still flighting for Team Science, still keeping us in the loop, but refocusing her blogging energies towards a new goal with National (and Global!) importance. Miriam isn’t leaving the online world; she’s shifting from an active participant to a silent observer. She’ll be tracking our pulse and adjusting the policy instruments accordingly.

Conversations with Miriam always leave you feeling like you can take on the world. For those of you who haven’t met her in person – I hope you do one day.

Miriam – I feel very grateful to know you, I know you’ll kick ass during your Knauss fellowship, and I’m making a list of cocktail bars that we must visit next time I’m in D.C.

The post She inspires me and takes my shoe advice first appeared on Deep Sea News.

After I successfully defended my Ph.D., and as I and packed up my belongings to move across the country for a new job (more on that in a later post), I’ve been reflecting on privilege in marine science. The word “privilege” often makes people turn away, afraid of being made to feel guilty and scolded. Certainly these discussions are way less fun than talking about the latest wonderful ocean discovery. But by driving people away from science, we are missing out on so much talent and so many wonderful discoveries, and so I want to use this post to detail some of the invisible barriers that are keeping talented people out of our field.

To quote from the excellent Finally, A Feminism 101 blog:

Privilege, at its core, is the advantages that people benefit from based solely on their social status. It is a status that is conferred by society to certain groups, not seized by individuals, which is why it can be difficult sometimes to see one’s own privilege.

Scientists don’t always recognize the additional barrers, besides hard work, that prevent people from succeeding at science. My perspective on this is as a person from a non-professional middle class family (father a small business owner, mother a physical therapist) who went to mediocre public schools and then to an Ivy League college. My family was well off by the standards of our town – homeowners, two cars, regular vacations within the USA- but nowhere near the financial level that was the norm for a prestigious private college. Entering college was quite a shock, both academically and socially. I have never forgotten that terrible feeling of inadequacy, and I was already coming from a white college-educated family in the middle class. It’s much, much more difficult for people, particularly those of color, coming out of working-class and poor households.

Here, I present a short field guide to type of privilege that I’ve observed in science, and explain why becoming a scientist becomes immensely more difficult for people without that form of privilege. This is aimed at professors, since academia is my experience, but please add your own perspective in the comments.

Before college [added 24 Jan 2013 18:3o PT]

David Shiffman made the excellent point in the comments:

I’d also consider adding pre-undergraduate experiences (summer science camps, internships, etc) which help getting into an undergraduate college with a good science program in the first place. They’re also a good way to get people excited about science at an early age. However, these are expensive (though many have scholarships, there’s still an opportunity cost associated with not working).

David’s absolutely correct – summer experience before college set many scientists on the path. I participated in two no-cost summer programs as a high school student: the University of New Hampshire Math & Marine Science program (which no longer exists), and in the Earthwatch Student Fellowship program. The Math & Marine Science program took me to Shoals Marine Lab, which blew my mind with awesomeness, kept me taking science classes, and indirectly got me involved with my undergraduate lab (a long story involving student theater & Jarrett Byrnes).

Another obstacle that comes up in high school is Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. Entering college with credit are a great help with completing the many class requirements of a science major. However, many schools do not offer these programs – my high school didn’t.

Alison notes the lack of stability in science:

In my experience, high school students from lower income backgrounds, even those who are interested in math and science, are wary of starting down a career path where they are not likely to be financially stable for 10 years. They often feel guilty about attending a four year school or leaving home to go to college because they won’t be helping their families during that time. Just the idea that this financial uncertainty might extend for many more years excludes a grad school path for many of them.

Undergraduate research experiences

The main pathway to becoming a scientist is through research experiences as an undergraduate. However, many of these cost substantial amounts of money, or at least don’t pay enough to fulfill financial aid work/study requirements. Barriers for undergraduates include:

• Research that costs money to participate in, even if that money is just for equipment or room/board. This is extremely common in the field sciences, like ecology & geology.
• Volunteer research that prevents a student from making money. Remember that most financial aid packages REQUIRE a student to make a certain amount of money over the summer. If they aren’t getting paid to do research, then they are either adding to their debt or working two jobs, neither of which is setting them up for scientific success.
• Transportation. I had a Research Experience for Undergraduate internship (REU) that required me to have a car, which I was fortunately able to borrow from my grandfather for the summer. This REU launched my independent research career, but I would not have been able to participate at all had my grandfather not coincidentally become unable to drive at that time.
• Family expectations. Many undergraduates are expected to help out their families, by caring for younger relatives, doing household chores, and making money for shared costs. It is therefore more difficult for them to have as flexible a schedule as undergraduates who do not have these responsibilities. They may not be able to stay late or come in on weekends.
• In the comments, Stacy notes:
  

  I would like to point out another thing that I think is a really big barrier — not KNOWING that you SHOULD BE seeking out opportunities to do research as an undergrad.

  Similarly, SMA says:

  As a first-generation, minority, female student I would have never ever done something like apply for an REU, let alone graduate school (who goes to grad school?! No one I knew)…I very well may have never gone to graduate school if it wasn’t for programs that were aimed for people like me.

It’s really important to remember that undergraduates – particularly the driven and responsible undergraduates most likely to succeed in science –  often don’t want to explain the details of their financial and logistical difficulties to their professors. They may mysteriously turn down opportunities that seem perfect, or not show up to lab activities. For my REU that required a car, I certainly did not wish to explain to my intimidating PI that I had no way of getting to the marine lab – I wanted desperately to appear worthy and responsible. This is why it’s important for professors to think about the invisible barriers that might be preventing certain talented students from success.

Graduate school

Graduate school can be much easier to navigate than undergraduate, simply because expenses are paid from fellowships and grants. (Though see Jessica’s comment.) The major invisible difficulty that I’ve observed has been the reimbursement process. It’s common practice for people to spend their own money on scientific supplies and then apply for reimbursement from their grant, actually receiving the money 3-8 weeks later. For people without substantial cash flow, this can lead to credit card debt and future problems.

[EDIT 11:05 AM ET]: Oh man, I can’t believe I forgot LGBTQ-ness! Science is social and people are going to meet your partner. It’s a privilege to be certain that your advisor/committee/classmates won’t be (at best) nervous and awkward around your partner.

Britt adds in the comments:

Coming at this from a field biology perspective, I think there is a big privilege issue related to socialization and cultural fit. We literally live with our bosses. PIs tend to pick RAs and students they feel comfortable around, because otherwise the field season will be terrible. But that privileges students who are already equipped with middle class intellecutal tools and experience, to get each others jokes and get along.

Post-graduate school

Oh, the real world come crashing down again! But frankly, some aspects of the post-doc life are worse for post-doc than they are for non-science fulltime employment.

• Work-family balance. This has been amply written about elsewhere, but many late-20s & 30s people are partnered and have children. This means they can’t just pick up and move anywhere there is a job. Having a partner who WILL move with you is a privilege! Especially a partner who takes care of domestic work so that you can just do your science.
• Debt. Many post-doc jobs pay rather poorly, and students with substantial debt (e.g., from not working in the summer during their undergrad so that they could do science!) may be unable to stay in science.
• Health insurance (USA only). This is the one that really blindsided me, and is causing me substantial problems right now. Some fellowships do not give you access to group health insurance, but require you to purchase health insurance on the individual market.  This makes health insurance impossible or unaffordable for fellows with a health history – for example, people who have common conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, mental health problems, or in remission for cancer. People with disabilities are likely also to be excluded, and women of childbearing age have to purchase a separate maternity policy, penalizing them. In my case, I had a pancreatic tumor when I was 17, which led to major hospitalization and surgeries, and has made me difficult to insure ever since. (I have a couple awesome pirate-ly scars, at least!) My husband and I have spent weeks trying to figure this out, but may be forced to spend over $13,000 just on health insurance this year. Since health insurance and travel funds come out of the same pool, my health insurance difficulties may prevent me from traveling for work, leading to lack of future opportunity. Stay tuned!

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I’m very interested in hearing from people from different backgrounds and at different career stages. Please comment, and I’ll add relevant comments to this post.

General comments

Erin notes the importance of culture. Erin says:

In my opinion, even if people have the financial means to pursue environmental/marine science as a field of study and career, they may not believe this type of work has the same sense of stability and prestige as the fields of medicine, business, technology, etc. Studying the ocean or the environment just simply doesn’t seem practical to most people from immigrant communities – more of a hobby than a profession.

Other perspectives [updated 24 Jan 18:30 PT]

A Dream Deferred: How access to STEM is denied to many students before they get in the door good. By Danielle Lee.

Who I am, since #IAmScience. By Jennifer Biddle

The post A field guide to privilege in marine science: some reasons why we lack diversity first appeared on Deep Sea News.