Greenversations

Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.

About the author: Sandy Raimondo is a research ecologist with the Office of Research and Development in Gulf Breeze, FL. She joined EPA in 2003 and models potential effects of toxicants on organisms and populations.

It’s a big ocean out there, little turtles! May the safety in numbers be with you.

Last evening I witnessed young loggerhead sea turtles emerge from their nest and swim off into the dark Gulf of Mexico that would be their home for the next 50 years or so. As a volunteer for the National Park Service, I was there to help hatchling sea turtles that might become disoriented by all of our shiny light pollution and head in the wrong direction after emerging. Without a doubt, it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

I woke up this morning a groggy, happy camper and came to work, where I sit at a computer and model what-if scenarios involving pollution of the toxicological variety. If such-and-such happens and we do this or that, this could be the outcome. For as disconnected as the beauty of sea turtle hatching and computer modeling may seem to some people, this morning it was crystal clear to me. Several years ago I was reading some papers on population modeling and one on loggerheads stood out in my mind. Based on the results of their modeling, the authors offered suggestions on how to aid the conservation of the threatened species by focusing efforts on particular life stages. The results of these models have helped to guide national efforts to keep these amazing animals from becoming extinct.

It would be awesome if spending time with sea turtles was part of my job and I could go out at night and call it “just another day at the office.” But what if the modelers of loggerheads would have said that 20 years ago, and never took the time to sit in front of their computer to play with numbers? Maybe 20 years from now some bright-eyed volunteer will be out in an estuary somewhere and marvel at the diversity of life and the health of the water. That would be awesome too. And maybe somewhere in their subconscious they’ll even thank the people who sat at a computer to help keep it that way.

Learn more about sea turtles and their conservation.

Sneak preview: from sea-going reptiles to forest-dwelling mammals…
Aaron Ferster here. Next week, we’ll be coming to you from the forests of Connecticut. Monday, we’ll be using Twitter to send updates from the field as a team of researchers surveys small mammal populations. They’re studying the links between the landscape, biodiversity, and human health. Wednesday, we’ll post a full update here in Greenversations.

About the author: Sandy Raimondo is a research ecologist with the Office of Research and Development in Gulf Breeze, FL. She joined EPA in 2003 and models potential effects of toxicants on organisms and populations.

A few months ago I joined a crew on a sailboat that competes in the local yacht club races. I’ve never been a huge water person, much more of a mountaineer than a sailor, but since I live on the Gulf coast I decided to harness the side of nature that’s in my backyard rather than dwell on what wasn’t. Since moving here I’ve given sea kayaking a whirl and tried to learn how to surf, but sailing definitely suits me better – I don’t eat sand nearly as much as I did trying to surf, and my body thanks me for it. But it’s also the invigoration that goes along with a boat keeled on its side, cutting through the water, powered by something that you can’t see. Or maybe it’s the Jimmy Buffet.

Anyway, sometimes I think environmental research is a lot like sailing. Not in the sense that it’s a breeze, or that you sit in your little vessel and let something else push you a long, although sometimes you actually do get to move downwind and head straight toward your goal. But much more often you have to tack back and forth against the wind, constantly changing directions to get to your eventual finish. But since the finish is a buoy, it’s not really concretely fastened. These days, new environmental challenges blow in before we can address the ones that popped up last year. Its one of those things that might be frustrating if all you want to do is sail downwind. But if you like the adrenaline rush of hanging off the side of the boat to keep yourself level while your direction and speed are determined by which way the wind is blowing, then environmental research is a good place to be.

About the author: Sandy Raimondo is a research ecologist in the Office of Research and Development in Gulf Breeze, FL, where she models potential effects of toxicants on organisms and populations. Sandy has been with the agency since 2003.

I sat this weekend to finish the latest edition of Green News, the Gulf Ecology Division’s environmental newsletter that keeps us in touch with conservation activities within our division and throughout our community. I was inspired to start Green News two years ago when I read the “Green Gauge Report”, an independent poll of environmental attitudes intended to be a representative cross-section of Americans. I was stunned to see that the Environmental Protection Agency was ranked fifth by the general public as the government agency they believed was the most protective of the environment. I came to work for the EPA because I couldn’t imagine spending my life working toward anything other than environmental protection, and a part of me couldn’t help but take that rating personally. I know that was an irrational emotion, but it motivated me to initiate a forum intended to keep our environmental perspectives moving forward, both inside and outside of the EPA.

For the past two years, three of my coworkers and I (electronically) published Green News, which reports on the conservation activities and accomplishments that make our division a better place, as well as keeping us involved in community-level conservation. For example, we highlight events such as our local earth day celebration and regional hazardous waste round-ups in which we can participate. When Green News started, I expected the contributors would spend a lot of time scooping out and tracking down stories to fill the pages. I actually spend more time trying to fit in all the topics I receive from everyone at the division, excited to share their discoveries and inquiries with the rest of us.

As far as reporting our accomplishments as a division, there has yet to be an issue that does not highlight a new step forward. Over the past two years I’ve seen my division come together to help the environment not only in their research, but also in their participation in local environmental protection, and it was easy to put the findings of Green Gauge Report behind me. The conservation efforts and environmental stewardship of the people who make up the EPA may not be tallied in public polls, but perhaps they should be.

Meet the Gulf Ecology Division.
More information on the Green Gauge Report.