Humans may affect marine eco-systems, says scientist
Betsy Cohen
Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: News
He also stressed that the quantity of human consumption is the issue, not population.
"Farming is just insane from an ecological point of view. It's hard to imagine as an American, European, Japanese, or Australian the population issue, when we consume [an enormous amount] of stuff [compared to] a person in Bangladesh," he said.
The increase of slime is the largest threat to the development of aquaculture. As the frequency of slime outbreaks continue to increase, so do the severity of toxic blooms and diseases that are responsible for wiping out entire species, populations and communities. Jackson also included various scenarios and consequences, as well as steps to rationally manage and conserve the world's oceans.
"It's really easy to break a marine ecosystem and it's really hard to put one back together again," Jackson said.
Libby Miles, chair of the writing and rhetoric program and professor in the Honors Program, attended Jackson's lecture with her young daughter.
"We often don't notice what is happening in the ocean the way we notice devastation on the land," she said. "[The presentation] gives those of us in the Ocean State an idea of what we can not see, because it's underwater. I sensed that he sent everyone away wanting us to take charge in our lives, to make a difference. I think everybody really liked it."
Nora Eschenheimer, a freshman theater major who attended last night's colloquium as a part of Miles' Honors "Writing Around the Ocean State" course, also enjoyed the lecture.
"If everyone was presented with this information, then we'd all be activists," she said. "We'd all be passionate and involved in trying to make this country more environmentally aware. It's such a shame that not everyone has the opportunity to be exposed to this information."
The next lecture in the fall Honors Colloquium series will be Dec. 2 in Edwards Auditorium.
"Farming is just insane from an ecological point of view. It's hard to imagine as an American, European, Japanese, or Australian the population issue, when we consume [an enormous amount] of stuff [compared to] a person in Bangladesh," he said.
The increase of slime is the largest threat to the development of aquaculture. As the frequency of slime outbreaks continue to increase, so do the severity of toxic blooms and diseases that are responsible for wiping out entire species, populations and communities. Jackson also included various scenarios and consequences, as well as steps to rationally manage and conserve the world's oceans.
"It's really easy to break a marine ecosystem and it's really hard to put one back together again," Jackson said.
Libby Miles, chair of the writing and rhetoric program and professor in the Honors Program, attended Jackson's lecture with her young daughter.
"We often don't notice what is happening in the ocean the way we notice devastation on the land," she said. "[The presentation] gives those of us in the Ocean State an idea of what we can not see, because it's underwater. I sensed that he sent everyone away wanting us to take charge in our lives, to make a difference. I think everybody really liked it."
Nora Eschenheimer, a freshman theater major who attended last night's colloquium as a part of Miles' Honors "Writing Around the Ocean State" course, also enjoyed the lecture.
"If everyone was presented with this information, then we'd all be activists," she said. "We'd all be passionate and involved in trying to make this country more environmentally aware. It's such a shame that not everyone has the opportunity to be exposed to this information."
The next lecture in the fall Honors Colloquium series will be Dec. 2 in Edwards Auditorium.
