Live Squid Dissection

Yes, you read that right!  A live squid dissection is happening on the 18th in New Zealand.  The best part is that you, and I, will be able to watch from afar.  I have dissected a squid myself, and I kept the eye to prove it.  Someday, it will be made into some cool/macabre piece of jewelry.

See?  It's pretty cool.  I couldn't just trash it.

Anyway, here is the link, which provides a count down for those of us who are really excited to watch:

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/5183627/events/3069649?query=&cat=event

If you are squeamish, you probably don't want to click that on the 18th.

Levels of blue

As the blog's title suggests, there are different levels of blue that will be represented here.  Some people are merely interested in the ocean with a passing fancy, while others are die hard mermaids (like myself).  Although, I never refer to myself as such.  I promise.  Because this blog is directed to such a broad audience, I thought it best to have a system so people can recognize if they may be interested in a blog, or if it may be out of their scope.

Now, I present, my labeling/tagging system:

Sunlight Zone - This represents a quick, and easy read.  Mostly lists, this will have ideas for home, or a quick overview of a topic.

Twilight Zone - No Rod Serling here.  These will be slightly more in depth, and detailed.

Midnight Zone - Now we're getting serious.  These will be more middle of road.

Abyss - These will be more scientific, with more primary references.

Trenches - In the Trenches, it's all science, all the time.

I will tag each post with the appropriate category so that people can skip over what they don't want to read about.  I do encourage everyone to take at least a tiny look, though.  You may find out something that you never knew you wanted to know.

Which category are you looking forward to?

Barton Seaver’s Sustainable Seafood | On Point with Tom Ashbrook

I love OnPoint. I love it even more when Tom Ashbrook talks about the environment, and the ocean. This is a good show about seafood sustainability:

Barton Seaver’s Sustainable Seafood | On Point with Tom Ashbrook

Ted Danson: This Summer, Be Wary of Fish Fraud

Ted Danson: This Summer, Be Wary of Fish Fraud

A good article about the new concern about fish that is coming to light. Mislabeled fish.

Mmmm, seafood

So, who doesn't like some sort of seafood?  Yes, I know there are a few people who will never touch anything that comes out of the ocean, but most of the world depends on fish as their main source of protein.  With that, comes the problem many of the world's oceans are being over fished.  It's not a surprise at this point.  With an ever-growing population, the demand for seafood is greater than ever.  Along with that problem, comes the metal, and chemicals loads that larger fish carry.  Through bioaccumulation (also called biomagnification), large predator fish such as swordfish, sharks, or marlin there is a greater concern about mercury poisoning.

So, the question that comes up is: how can I make the best decisions for the oceans, when I choose fish?  It's actually very easy (even easier if you have a smart phone).  The Monterey Bay Aquarium has put out these amazing pocket guides to help consumers make smart choices about purchasing fish.  They offer information on why the fish may not be a good choice, but also offer alternatives.  The guides can be found here.  There are ones for each region in the US, and they tell how you to download the guide to your smart phone.

Many people are now using this information at restaurants, as well as grocery stores and markets.  It's not embarrassing, or inconvenient, and it let's everyone know that we as consumers care about where our fish comes from.  So, th take home message is, enjoy your seafood.  But, through education, we can all make better choices.

Another blog?

So, as I began writing my other new blog The Green Gradient, I figured out that my life's focus would be relegated to the back seat.  Not OK.  Considering I just graduated, and want to enter this world, I decided to make a blog devoted to one of my loves: the ocean.

This blog will be about ways to conserve water, how to prevent waste from entering the ocean, policies, and of course, whales.  I'll try not to overkill you on that last one.

So, to kick off this blog lets hear a few words from Sylvia Earle: