The Role of Social Media in Fisheries Science

Brandon Peoples (@FisheriesBlog)

Let me tell you a little secret: I don’t have a smart phone or keep up with Game of Thrones.  As a matter of fact, for a younger guy, I’m pretty old-school.  Accordingly, I was a huge skeptic of online social media…but I’ve always seen the value of non-technical communication in science. In fact, some people (e.g. M*A*S*H's Alan Alda) would even argue that communicating with the public is a scientist's foremost responsibility.

With success stories like Deep Sea News, Science Sushi, Southern Fried Science, and The Fisheries Blog, it’s hard to ignore the value of social media in fisheries science.  Even chapters of the American Fisheries Society are getting in on the action.  Hell, even this fish found value in the use of a smart phone!

Despite my initial skepticism, I recently began to understand the necessity to use social media or run the risk of quickly losing scientific relevancy.  That is why I started writing for The Fisheries Blog.

How Obama's fish made me question my view of "species"

By
Brandon Peoples

Just what "is" a fish species? Etheostoma clinton may say, "...it depends on your definition of 'is'." 

Last year, researchers Steve Layman and Richard Mayden discovered five new species of darter—tiny colorful fishes in the perch family. They named the new species after "environmentally-minded" politicians, most notably Barack Obama (Teddy Roosevelt and Al Gore also made the list). These “new” species had been hiding from us in plain sight—the southeastern US.

Five new species of Etheostoma were recently described in the southeastern US. Photos by J. Tomelleri. Source. 

Wait…how did five unknown fish species go undetected for so long right under our noses?    

Finding Nemo lied to your kids, and they will do it again in the sequel: Finding Dory!

By Patrick Cooney

The Disney film, Finding Nemo, lied to your kids!  Disney would simply argue that they altered reality to create a more entertaining storyline, but read below for the true story, and you tell me which you think is a more entertaining.

Disney forced them to hide the truth!