Books, Projects and PhDs

By Daniel de la Calle

“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

    ¤The European Union is launching this April a new three-year project called Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a changing climate (MedSeA).  Its goal is to “assess uncertainties, risks and thresholds related to Mediterranean acidification at organismal, ecosystem and economical scales.” From their website it appears that their headquarters are at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, but over 16 institutions from 10 different countries are participating in the project with a total budget of € 6 million.

   ¤ If you have read previous blog posts you know that I often look for jobs and research scholarships on Ocean Acidification. This week I found not one, nor two, but three PhD projects:
1-   The British Antarctic Survey is funding a PhD research project for UK students to assess the impact of Ocean Acidification on life in the sea. The details are quite technical, so it is best if you go to THIS LINK and read further.
2-   The second PhD research project comes from the University of East Anglia and is for European students. The purpose: to characterize the calcium carbonate cycle in the Southern Ocean. Again, go to THIS LINK to learn more.
3-   The University of Exeter offers a three-year funded doctoral studentship starting this coming fall on “The Implications of Ocean Acidification in Combination with Chemical Stressors for Juvenile Fish”.  Details HERE.

    ¤The Institute of Marine Research in Tromsø, Norway wants to organize a “Workshop on acidification in aquatic environments: what can marine science learn from limnological studies of acid rain?”.  The goal of this workshop is to bring together experts on acid rain with those working on Ocean Acidification to facilitate “discussions focused on questions such as how AR research can inform and cross-fertilize OA research” and “the rates of change of AR and OA and how different organismal groups cope with that over different time scales”. The dates: 27th-29th September, 2011.
Soon there will be more information HERE.
You can also contact organizer Howard Browman HERE.

The Tromsø we saw when shooting A Sea Change.

    ¤I am very happy to announce that we have yet another public figure lending his face and voice to defend our oceans. Joining Sigourney Weaver and Sven Huseby, actor Ted Danson has published a book titled “Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them”.  Produced together with Oceana, it is said to have beautiful photographs, illustrations and numerous expert testimonies. I have ordered a copy and intend to review it for our site, but for now you can listen to a interview with Mr. Danson on Southern California Public Radio HERE and read an interview HERE if you are thirsty for more information.

    ¤There is another recently published book that has caught my eye. It is titled Deep Future, The Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth, by author Curt Stager. I know that during those hypothetical next 100,000 years described throughout the pages he talks about Ocean Acidification, and I’ll be able to hand you more detailed information in a couple weeks.  Made you curious enough?  Purchase a copy from Amazon, click HERE.

    ¤NOAA is offering a web seminar to introduce a new “Data-in-the-Classroom Module” on Ocean Acidification; it is aimed at High School science educators. It will go from 6:30 to 8:00PM Eastern Time on April 14th. You can register today HERE and read more about it HERE.

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