Author: Dr Abalone
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Abalone: the Chase, the Lore, the Future
Abalone are definitely one of the most exquisite things to eat from the sea. Their sublime flavor is both buttery and slightly salty and tastes like a cross between a scallop and calamari. But a big part of abalone is the culture of chasing, catching and eating wild abalone.
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The Gift of Life: 25 years with a Kidney Transplant
The purpose of this post is to tell our family stories in the hope that they will answer questions, calm fears, and encourage living donor related kidney transplants. Our two family transplants have been completely successful and have enriched the lives of each of the participants. Our transplants have heightened the love that we have for each other.
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Ocean Movies you Love to Hate: Endless Descent (aka The Rift) (1989)
Most science fiction movies are based loosely on science. Usually, this means they make a few technical or impossible leaps to move the plot forward but generally adhere to the basic laws of science. But in most cases, filmmakers are forgiven for their science-defying sins as long as the story makes up for it. In contrast, Endless Descent (aka The Rift) seems to delight in making so many impossible and incredulous scientific leaps, that they grow to a level of absurdity that transcends the believable.
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Songs of the Trees
For if time truly is the fire in which our lives burn, shouldn’t we slow life down? Isn’t it prudent to seek solace as the seconds’ tick by? Most of us, myself included, are content to pack our daily lives full of activity. Rushing hither and yon chasing a dream that is perpetually beyond our grasp. After all, there’s so much to do in the world, so much to see, so much to accomplish, so who has time to be idle? But then, what are we missing as life rushes by?
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Legend of the Killer Abalone
There is a legend, spawned deep in the mysterious kelp forests of southern California, of the killer abalone. On extremely rare occasions, conditions align with a violation of the abalone code that triggers the rare spawn of the trio of terror in the abalone universe: the red, the black, and their offspring, the pink abalone. So it was during the El Niño of the early 1980s that such an event occurred, much to the detriment of all those involved and future world peace.
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Dr. Abalone’s College Survival Guide, 1970s Edition
Whilst searching the old archives, I, Dr. Abalone, have discovered some old unpublished data which, when utilized properly and with prudence, I believe could significantly enhance the survival rate of students struggling through the young adult rite of passage known as college.
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Deadly Jetties: Surfer’s Dreams, Captain’s Nightmares
Whenever humans seek to control the environment the smackdown can be severe and unpredictable. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the sea. Here, the ocean delights in teaching us the folly of our plans, sometimes with fatal consequences. Jetties are prime examples.
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How to Become a Marine biologist: Landing a Tenure-Track Position
Congratulations, you survived one of the most grueling intellectual rites of passage in modern society: you have your Ph.D.! Now what? Well, I’d like to say that the world lays before you, screaming for access to your higher intellect and many talents. But the reality is now you are faced with one of the toughest […]
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Reflections on Blogging for Science and Surfing
Blogging had made me a better writer, created new opportunities and expanded my creative directions. Above all, it’s fun and I enjoy it.
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Giants Among Us: Tribute to Gary Brusca
As an undergraduate student at Cal Poly (SLO) in the mid-1970s I was educated in the shadow of the giants before me, Gary and Richard Brusca. My advisor and zoology Professor Dave Montgomery never hesitated to mention the near-miraculous accomplishments of the mythical brothers that preceded us as undergraduate students before getting their PhDs: how they knew this, or studied for that, or memorized thousands of scientific names; feats us mortals would be lucky to even approximate