In this episode, Aileen Lavelle and Sara Norton of the Duke University Bass Connections team “Belugas; Sentinels of Climate Change in the Arctic” share their experiences traveling to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, to see belugas in person and learn about the impacts of climate change on these charismatic species and the ecotourism industry in a small, isolated town that depends on them. They ask what the role of conservatives is in wildlife conservation and sustainability. Wally Daudrich, Owner and Founder of Lazy Bear Lodge shares his insights on beluga tourism and how he came to run a sustainable tourism lodge in Churchill, Canada.
Lab Notes
12 posts
The Duke University Marine Lab hosts a holiday party in early December, and students are encouraged to think about performing a skit, or song, or dance. Mostly, they don't. Classes are still in session, exams are coming up, they are contemplating moving back to main campus after a semester at the lab. It's a busy time. But in 2023 the undergraduates took up the challenge. Let by Sage Hirschfeld and Nicole Masarova, and assisted by Lara Breithaupt and Emme Ayers, the students wrote and performed "The 12 days of DUML." Check out the videos of the live performance (of the song and a line dance) below. We liked the song so much, we got Sage and Nicole to perform and record it separately as well. Enjoy!
The Duke University Marine Lab is home to second year students in the coastal and marine systems (CAMS) concentration of a Masters of Environmental Management (MEM) degree. During the fall of their first year when they are based on main campus in Durham, CAMS students visit the marine lab for a weekend to meet faculty, staff, and students and to see a bit of Beaufort. The Seas the Day team took the opportunity in fall of 2022 to ask students about their motivations and interests in a career as an environmental professional. In this episode, Jake Whisler weaves together their stories of inspiration, motivation, hope, and community. Featuring: Maeve Arthur, Allison Barbaro, Isaac Benaka, Katrina Bernaus, Taylor Coleman, Laura Exar, Aileen Lavelle, Hugh Cipparone, Hayden Dubniczki, Jasmine Papas, Stephanie Pipas, and Amanda Sajewski.
Masters students Mariana Kendall and Nicholas Fairbairn sit down with Dr. Carter Smith to learn about her circuitous career path to research ecology. Carter explains how her non-traditional and non-linear path to the sciences has made her a better researcher and educator. We center our conversation on the topic of ecological restoration, a field that inspired EO Wilson to deem the coming era the “Age of Restoration” and the UN to declare a “Decade of Ecological Restoration.” What is the next frontier for this field and how has Dr. Smith seen the field evolve throughout her career? What techniques are most salient and what considerations should practitioners and managers keep in mind when restoring an ecosystem? Dr. Smith shares insights into these questions and, along the way, touches on imposter syndrome in the sciences, ecological grief, and the merits of failure. This episode was recorded in Fall 2022 as part of our Lab Notes series.
How can we bridge extremely localized, traditional knowledge with the “best available science” of Western knowledge? Students of Dr. Xavier Basurto’s Community-Based Marine Conservation travelled to the Gulf of California in Sonora State, Mexico, to find out. Brittany Tholan, Claire Huang, Grace Jennings, Jieyi Wang, and Zoe Wong explore how knowledge is passed down among the indigenous Comcaac people and local fishers, and how bridging knowledge types can help address local issues from sea turtle conservation to fisheries management.
What is algae biofuel? How do we make it? And how may it be used in the future? In today’s episode of Lab Notes, Junyao Gu interviews the algae biofuel research team at the Duke University Marine Lab, including faculty, technicians, and current and previous students, to discuss the future of biofuel in the context of their research.
In this third installment of a three episode series, Spencer Moyle reads his story of Terry the Tree and Rory McCollum follows with The Live Oak and the Wind. Both stories were written as part of a Duke Engage program exploring concepts of social and ecological resilience. The program was run by Dr. Liz DeMattia, director of the Community Science Initiative, with the assistance of PhD student Laura Givens, who was the site coordinator for Duke Engage, in 2022. Following the 'reading', Laura interviews the authors on their experiences in the program and how they crafted their stories.
Listen on Apple Podcasts In this second of a three episode series, Andres Hernandez reads his story of Gilbert the Grouper. The story explores concepts of resilience and was written as part of a Duke Engage summer program at Duke University Marine Lab. The program was run by Dr. Liz DeMattia, director of the Community Science Initiative, with the assistance of PhD student Laura Givens, who was the site coordinator for Duke Engage, in 2022. Following the 'reading', Laura interviews Andres on his experiences in the program and the logic of the story.
In this first of a three episode series, Amy Buckalew, reads her story of Ollie the Orca. The story draws explores concepts of resilience and was written as part of a Duke Engage summer program at Duke University Marine Lab. The program was run by Dr. Liz DeMattia, director of the Community Science Initiative, with the assistance of PhD student Laura Givens, who was the site coordinator for Duke Engage, in 2022. Following the 'reading', Laura interviews Amy on her experiences in the program and the logic of the story.
On this episode, the host, Rafaella Lobo, talks to four other students to understand how the Covid-19 global pandemic has affected their lives and research, and how they have learned to cope with these new challenges.